Bees Update - Late March, Early April

Five alive!   All four of my hives made it through the winter.

The one on the far right lost a queen after the buildup started and I swiped some frames of eggs and larvae from other hives to get them through so they can make their own queen.   The first time they failed to even try, so I did it again a couple of weeks ago and this time I see that they're bringing pollen in so I think they got a clue and are making a new queen.

The pink hive in the middle is a split from the duck hive, which was a nuc I bought from Bedford, Indiana last year.   It lazed all year not doing much, but survived the winter and built up super fast this spring.   Two whole boxes of brood by the end of March, so I split one off.   I'm hoping to get a couple more splits off this hive this year.  The original nuc came from a guy who depends on good breeding stock for treatment free bees.  Always a good thing.

Since I got the bees through the winter, I've realized that I have a whole new set of things to think about - like dealing with mite issues, watching for 2nd year diseases, managing for expansion or honey, treatment or not?, etc.    The treat or not treat issue is a hot topic on the forums.  I found [or rather it found me....] a forum specializing in treatment free bees.   Such a change in perspective!  A new way of thinking about management.  I'll be learning a lot this year.

Spring Bees

I did an inspection last week of all my hives.   They all survived the winter!   I'm a firm believer in the necessity for ventilated quilt boxes in this area.   It's the best way to mitigate the cold and the damp in the hives.  

Hive #1 - queenless.   Lots of drone brood and plenty of new bees, but no eggs or larvae and very little going on at the entrance, when all the other hives were bustling.  Dead giveaway that something was wrong.  That's why I decided to inspect when I did.

I gave this hive a frame of eggs from one hive and a frame of new larvae from a 3rd hive.   I kept this colony at only 1 box.  They're doing fine now and will raise their own queen.  I'll check again if I see something weird going on or in a month, when she should be out and laying.

Hive #2.  Booming!   Gorgeous striped queen.  A box already full of bees.  I put 2 supers on this one.

Hive #3.  Booming!   Gorgeous red queen.  7 frames of bees. 1 super.

Hive #4.  Booming!   Gorgeous blonde queen.  8 frames of bees. 2 supers.

I put the supers on now because we'll be in the spring flow before you know it.   I also gave everyone a jar of 1:1 syrup to get them through the bout of cold and rain we had last week.   When I went out today, they were bringing in tons of pollen and orienting like crazy.    I may actually get some honey this year.

Another Queenless Hive

After dealing with the pink hive being queenless, [see the last post], I had a feeling I ought to go in and check on the bowtie hive and sure enought, I found it full of bees, but no brood, no nectar, no honey.  Probably no queen.  They needed help fast. This is what those laying nucs are good backups for.   So, even though I failed to raise backup nucs this year, I now really see what a great idea they are.   Next year, I'm going to do one or two for sure. 

I got into my strongest hive and pulled a full frame of brood out and an additional frame they had just started drawing, but which had eggs already in it.    I put those in the bowtie hive.   I also fed every hive 2:1 sugar/water.    If they have a lazy queen, then the brood and the feed should knock her back into action.   If they had no queen, then they now have the resources to make one.   Easy fix as long as I'm patient.   In a month they should be going and if I feed like crazy, then they should be built up enough to get through the winter.