Having had a series of warm days with high activity on all hives and today just the same I decided to sort out the double 14 x 12 brood box hive before it became a problem. This had been together since I united a queenless hive with a bought in colony last Autumn. On splitting I noted very few bees in the bottom box and all the combs in that box were empty. I changed the omf floor at this point as the floor did not have a slide but I had made up one with the necessary groove and board
A look at the outer frames of the top box revealed a lot of honey (probably ivy) in these combs. I inspected in from each end until I came to frames with brood and noted bias. No need to go further into the brood, which occupied 5 frames, so I pushed the frames together, closed up and left the bees to go about their business. Quite pleased with how well behaved the bees were.
I had been pretty quick but even so the sun went in and a breeze sprang up. All hives seemed to decide the weather was not the best for foraging and an hour later very few bees to be seen out.
Judging by the honey I saw there should be little risk of bees going hungry so I removed the virtually untouched block of fondant from under the crown board. Interestingly one of the stores frames had a lot of nectar plus plenty of pollen.
A look at the outer frames of the top box revealed a lot of honey (probably ivy) in these combs. I inspected in from each end until I came to frames with brood and noted bias. No need to go further into the brood, which occupied 5 frames, so I pushed the frames together, closed up and left the bees to go about their business. Quite pleased with how well behaved the bees were.
I had been pretty quick but even so the sun went in and a breeze sprang up. All hives seemed to decide the weather was not the best for foraging and an hour later very few bees to be seen out.
Judging by the honey I saw there should be little risk of bees going hungry so I removed the virtually untouched block of fondant from under the crown board. Interestingly one of the stores frames had a lot of nectar plus plenty of pollen.
