I think my bees are getting smaller!

[tillie]

I haven't measured any cell sizes this year (I washed my measuring tool by mistake and have to reprint it and re-cover it with contact paper), but I think my bees are getting smaller.  The last three times I have worked on the hives a bee has gotten inside my veil by going through the ventilation slots in my helmet!

Linda T, not quite stung in the face in Atlanta

[Kathyp]

now...keep us  posted on your mite counts.  you know some of us are still skeptics, but i am willing to have my mind changed  :-)

[HAB]

I seem to remember someone else mentioning Bees getting in through vent slits.  May need to put some tape over them. :)

[Steve M.]

I have wondered about the slots in my helmet!  I guess i will have to cross that bridge eventually.  As for now, I am pleased that my bees seem to be drawing out the small cell foundation with little trouble.  So far, I have only seen a couple of mites a week on the tray under the SBB.  I haven't decided on a mite treatment yet, but will have to decide before too long I guess, as my bees are still only new to small cell.

[beemaster]

I too remember having BIGGER THREE BANDED ITALIANS (I SWEAR) and notice that bees are much smaller than 25 years ago, I don't think it is "ME GETTING OLDER - lol) I think they have shrunk them on us. Just like coffee use to be 1lb. cans and it is now barely 11 ounces, but we don't seem to mind paying the same price for both.

TRIVIA

In New Jersey you can NOT "supersize any fast food item" or "pump" our own gasoline, it is pumped for us, like in Oregon. Nope, you have to buy 2 LARGE FRIES which is MORE than 1 SUPERSIZE, so it costs more AND makes you fatter.

[BenC]

I've had them get in through the vents, but it was only when they where major po'd. I caulked the helmet vents to plug them up, duct tape would probably work well too.  What prompted me to do it?  That would have to be the time that a bee got in there and crawled around my face.  I wasn't too concerned until it went right up my nose and stung me up in my nasal passage.  Man-oh-man did that hurt and there was no way to alleviate it.  I caulked that helmet up right after that. 

[annette]

Linda

Have you been constantly introducing starter strips into the brood nest to get them to regress?  Just wondering how you did this.

Annette

[justgojumpit]

I plan to get back into working with top bar hives, with the goal to get to small cell.  I'll simply keep inserting new top bars into the brood nest, and as the older brood combs move back, they will be filled with honey.  The bees will continually be able to start new comb in the brood nest, which should gradually become smaller and smaller celled.  I think for the lang hives that I have, I will do the same but in a long hive.  The deep frames that I have now are very old (the wax is almost black...), and I have about 80 deep foundationless frames with starter strips ready to go.  The old deep frames will be extracted and then burned.  Time for new clean, fresh, smallcell frames!

justgojumpit