hive naming/numbering convention

[steve_e]

I'm getting in a bit of a mess with keeping track of my colonies, and wondered if there was a naming/numbering convention that most people used - and if this stayed attached to the hive or to the colony, or some other system?

At the moment I'm just using words to name a new colony if I artificially swarm it or manage to catch a swarm and re-house it. EG - this is now colony/hive 5, which swarmed from hive 2 in June 2012. Over time it's becoming increasingly difficult to track back which makes it also difficult to keep track of which Queen genes I've got in any particular colony.

As I seem to have problems with swarmy queens at the moment it's also happening at too fast a rate for me to keep up with.

So is there a standard method that you would recommend for keeping track? If it's all standard and I've just managed to forget reading about it, apologies. A quick reference will do!

 

[VEG]

i just use 1,2,3 and so on

 

[hallshoney]

i used to get this problem then i started painting the inside of the roof with black board paint and writing info on stores or hive strength, date last inspected using a wipe board chalk pen from staples

 

[meidel]

I agree with Veg but also at the top of the record sheet I make a note of the queen's origins - so if known provenance of swarm, I'd say cast swarm, virgin from hive 2 or prime swarm - original queen from hive 1, etc...

 

[For want of a better word]

Give them girls names... like hurricanes!

 

[oliver90owner]

Give them girls names... like hurricanes!

Hurricanes are named as the person who first noticed the weather pattern developing, I believe.

 

[Cazza]

I'm getting in a bit of a mess with keeping track of my colonies, and wondered if there was a naming/numbering convention that most people used - and if this stayed attached to the hive or to the colony, or some other system?

At the moment I'm just using words to name a new colony if I artificially swarm it or manage to catch a swarm and re-house it. EG - this is now colony/hive 5, which swarmed from hive 2 in June 2012. Over time it's becoming increasingly difficult to track back which makes it also difficult to keep track of which Queen genes I've got in any particular colony.

!

I draw a little map and would number the hive 5(S2) i.e hive 5 swarm from 2.
Cazza

 

[sgeek]

veering off topic for a second.

A tropical depression (numbered) deepens and becomes a Tropical storm, at that point it is named, as that storm deepens it becomes a Hurricane and keeps its name.

Hurricanes are now named Male/Female alternately from a cyclic list of names. If a Hurricane has caused widespread destruction or loss of life the name will be removed from the list and not used again.

and back on topic (sorry for thread derailing)

 

[mojomoo]

1,2,3...
the hives are not numbered but the position in the apiary

 

[MuswellMetro]

i number my brood boxes 1,2,3,4.......10 and note them in my hive records and FERA Beebase online records against the box used in an apiary position so MH1 box 9, MH2 Box5 ,RD1 Box1 etc


but being a cheapskate...so that i don't have to buy more numbers to do 11, 12, 13 etc it then goes, 23, 34, 56,78,etc as you only get one 1 in the packets of 0-9

 

[Queens59]

Started with numbers but went to names...we now discuss
1. Ivy 2. Barry 3. Richard 4. Sian 5. Anneka.

This relates to either who paid for the hive: Barry - Where they came from: Sian Who spotted teh swarm in the tree: Anneka.

I find that I then remember their provenance too...

 

[VEG]

mine would have to be all called craig then as they are all mine lol

 

[REDWOOD]

The one that's closest to you as you enter the apiary name 1 and so on.

If you cant remember keep your hive record sheet on top of the crown board

Queen year is a drawing pin of that year colour pined to the outside of the brood box

 

[susbees]

001 etc commercials...101 etc commercial nucs... 201 etc nat nucs.... 271 and 272 10yo's nats....301 etc mating keilers and apideas....501 etc tbcs. No idea about 400s...lol. Works. Have apiary maps too. Well boxes on a grid.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Drew]

Give them girls names... like hurricanes!

Hurricanes are named as the person who first noticed the weather pattern developing, I believe.

Lets just THINK a little here shall we.....
Don't you think it is a tremendous coincidence that all the people who first notice these weather patterns developing each year have names that are alphabetical. I suppose all the Alices, Annes, Agnes' etc hand over to Bettys & Bridgets once they spot a developing storm???

 

[bignikki]

I am thinking that it is the Queen that should have the number rather than the hive/ brood box.
Because when you move a hive or take out a queen in to a nuc or whatnot then it's easier to keep track of who is who. Pin a number on to the box she is in so that it can be moved with her.
New Q's can then be referred to as " from 3" or whatever.

 

[Moggs]

I try to think of mine now as colonies attached to a queen. When you think of all of your bees as in 'queen units', the admin is a little eaier to manage.

Having said that, the migration of records that were 'box' based has been entertaining.

 

[adrian wilford]

could use eddie stobarts names on his lorries or the boats in whitby they appear to have feminine names

 

[REDWOOD]

could use eddie stobarts names on his lorries or the boats in whitby they appear to have feminine names

It's bad luck to name a boat with a mans name

 

[steve_e]

I draw a little map and would number the hive 5(S2) i.e hive 5 swarm from 2.
Cazza

I am thinking that it is the Queen that should have the number rather than the hive/ brood box.
Because when you move a hive or take out a queen in to a nuc or whatnot then it's easier to keep track of who is who. Pin a number on to the box she is in so that it can be moved with her.
New Q's can then be referred to as " from 3" or whatever.

I try to think of mine now as colonies attached to a queen. When you think of all of your bees as in 'queen units', the admin is a little eaier to manage.

Having said that, the migration of records that were 'box' based has been entertaining.

Thanks Cazza, bignikki and Moggs. Those suggestions all make sense to me - I'm mainly wondering how to keep track of Queens through a number of generations to try to preserve positive genetic characteristics , which everyone seems to think is a good idea, but which I can't figure out how to do simply by numbering hives 1,2,3,4 etc.