cool pics of drone, worker, eggs and larva

[jojoroxx]

[annette]

OK that is some camera you have there. Welcome to the forum, I believe you are new here. Tell us a little about yourself. I have 2 hives now (just lost one to wax moths) in Placerville California and have been beekeeping for 3 years now.

I have learned about 90% of the beekeeping here on this forum and it has been a godsend for me.

How far are you from Placerville? 

Take care
Annette

[jojoroxx]

Hi Annette, thanks for the warm welcome. I'm nearly 300 miles north, and west of you. I live near Garberville. I love to garden and dryland mush my dogs.

My camera is pretty fine and user friendly, but low end my friend. Under $400! it's a Coolpix P5000. Remember the first rule for success in photography; "get right on top of your subject." Oh, and have a completely wonderful subject. Are the baby larva cute or what? And the furry golden workers? I love them.

I am a new bee after keeping bees many years ago in concert with my first partner. I don't remember us "working" them as much as I am though!

And I so wish I knew and understood what i was seeing! It is a mysterious place: the inner world of the bee hive.

I am dealing with some anxiety over it all.

I am using full body brood boxes, 2 deep, and those puppies are heavy! I just worked my hives a couple days ago and I could not lift the top brood box off! I had already attempted to inspect it, and it was absolutely jam packed 90% with honey (there was brood and open space in this box just 2 weeks ago!) Every frame was drawn out  like gangbusters and full of capped and uncapped honey. I have ordered some spare deep frames to pull out some of this honey, and give them some open space.....But i tell you, when I went to lift that box off, I had to go at it a couple times before I realized it was at least 80lbs...*&^%$!!!!  I am considering the advantages of mediums, which I have read the pros and cons of here.

I am also very nervous that I'll crush the queen. My last inspection I didn't see the queen in either hive. My weak (recently requeened - and unmarked ) hive had eggs etc, and seems to be building up again. But the stronger (marked queen) hive, I didn't find any eggs but there was larva. Honey bound? End of season? Swarm ready? (no queen cells) This stronger hive also has a partially drawn out and about 1/5 full super of honey. Should I just put it  below the top full brood box? No queen excluder yet, they don't seem to like it...

And darn! These frames are completely covered in buzzing bees! Pulling out a full size frame of honey, with bees clumping all over it is a little overwhelming...and i got honey/wax on my goretex boots...then I crushed some bees...one stung me through my glove...It's also very sweaty in this veil...What! More burr comb!?!?!?

...You get the picture I am sure! I'm whining and afraid, but loving it!

Here is a cool video of the entrance to my butt kicking hive:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je-jcjcNp7k

[annette]

In response to your post, I will do the best I can, but more experienced beekeepers hopefully will reply too.

Firstly yes those full deep supers are terrible unless you are a very strong person. I started my beekeeping with them also and quickly understood they would kill me. I slowly transitioned to mediums, which is all I use now.  Much better having all the supers the same size also, so you can move frames around where ever you need them.

Crushing the queen is always a fear I have also when doing inspections. But I remove the frames very carefully and look on the frames both sides before I move them anywhere. If you move slow and carefully, you will not crush too many bees.

On that top super that is so full of honey, what is below in the bottom super????  Hopefully the queen is down there with the brood and hopefully there are some frames where the queen can lay. I would make sure the queen has room to lay firstly so they do not swarm on you. If you check down below and there are empty frames in there (most of the time the frames on the outside are empty - meaning frames number 1 & 10), place them between frames filled up with brood to open up the broodnest and give the queen more room to lay.

Now you have to address that top super filled up with honey. I would place an empty super below that super. It could be a medium super if you have any. If you do not have any empty supers, or any empty frames, well you have the option of extracting a few frames of that honey and placing those empty frames back into the honey bound super in between frames of filled honey. This at least would open up the honey super until you receive more of your equipment.

What is happening with the other hive???? I did not understand from this post. Perhaps you can transfer some frames into the other hive if they are not honeybound as well.

It sounds like you have 2 good queens and so I would not worry about the hives. You never, ever have to see the queen. All you are looking for is either eggs or larvae. Sometimes I just stop my inspection when I see a good brood pattern.

I hope I helped some. I am also still pretty new at this and just sort of move things around by vibe when I visit the bees. I know I always have to watch that the brood nest is open enough for the queen to have room to lay. I know you do not want to have a ceiling of honey above the broodnest or they may swarm.

If you had honey dripping down onto your boots, then you were a bit rough in handling the frames and broke the seal on the capped honey. That is why the bees were excited and buzzing around you so much. Make sure you do not hold the frames sideways if they have uncapped honey in them. The way the combs are shaped, well the honey drips out easily that way.

Take care and keep asking. The answers will come

Annette

[jojoroxx]

Great information. thanks!!

annette said:If you had honey dripping down onto your boots, then you were a bit rough in handling the frames and broke the seal on the capped honey. That is why the bees were excited and buzzing around you so much. Make sure you do not hold the frames sideways if they have uncapped honey in them. The way the combs are shaped, well the honey drips out easily that way.

...I ordered a frame perch to help me in this area. Do they work? I swear, the full frames were drawn way out, and just bursting with honey. Usually I have been able to lean my first frame or two that I remove just right alongside the hive. But these were obscenely full of bees and honey. I was struggling to find a good place to park it . Meanwhile gravity continues to work; drip... drip... 8-) real cool

I did move outside frames to the inside, on the bottom box, so there is a tad of open space below. I was thinking, I should probably go back into both hives ASAP and just take a couple empties off my weak hive, and then store the honey packed frames in there, until the new gear arrives...I also have the option of slipping that short super that is on top of the strong hive in between.... That sure would be easier than opening both hives...but then the small super would be used for brood, and I was going to use the short supers for honey...

worry worry worry~ :?!

QUESTION: Without utilizing an extractor, how can we get the honey from just a few frames?  I'd hate to crush the foundation, fully drawn frames are like gold.

[Cindi]

Annette, good job!!  You did great with your explanation to Jojoroxx's questions, you sound like you have a really good handle on what is going on, good for you, girl!!!  Have that most beautiful and wonderful day, to live and love, Cindi

[annette]

Annette, good job!!  You did great with your explanation to Jojoroxx's questions, you sound like you have a really good handle on what is going on, good for you, girl!!!  Have that most beautiful and wonderful day, to live and love, Cindi

Now if I can only follow my own advice!!!!