Inspection

[Adam Bee]

Today's inspection.

This is my third inspection. I installed the bees from a nuc just over 2 weeks ago.

The colony seems to be doing well. Lots of activity during the day at the entrance. Last Thursday, when I last inspected, 11/12 frames were drawn and the 12th had wax building started. There was BIAS throughout and all 11 drawn frames were active: brood or stores, so I nadired a second box.

Today, the ladies were very docile until I opened the hive. Probably my inexperienced handling. I did everything "by the book", but I'm still not very used to it yet. The bees were very testy by the time I shut up the hive. A few were trying to sting me, tho' nothing made its way through the suit.

There was BIAS. There was new capped brood in the newly drawn frames. There was a little honey storage on the outer most frames and honey on the top inch or so on many of the brood frames. I didn't see the queen, but I wasn't going to go back to make sure, as I felt there was evidence in the brood. There was one tiny empty queen cup at the bottom of one frame, which I removed.

They had drawn all of the frames in the original box, now, but hadn't started on the new bottom box. There was some small evidence of bees that could have been congregating to perhaps start bearding and drawing, but it was not concrete.

Here is where I struggled a little... I was balancing the full upper box and the empty lower box with leaving them alone or moving frames into the lower box to encourage the ladies to use it. I probably just should have had a little more patience, but I didn't. I moved some of the outer frames from he top box - the outermost two from each side, with stores on the outside and the brood on the next - and I put them in the middle of the lower box, extending the brood ball downwards. I was worried that the top box was full. There were 10 frames of brood and 2 of stores.

We'll see how this goes.

Lastly, I have an observation and a question:

The ladies are leaving one bee space all the way around the newly drawn comb. What is interesting is that they have REMOVED one bee space all the way around the comb that came in with the nuc, so the old comb is no longer attached to the sides nor bottoms of the frame. These are frames of comb based on wired foundation. Now the wires are visible!

Any idea what's up with this?

Are they mimicking the space from the new comb in the old comb for ease of travel? It the box too small and there is not enough room between the frames and the side walls of the boxes? I bought these boxes from Thornes, could they just be sloppy enough that there is not enough space?

Any hints or suggestions? I'd appreciate any sage advice from all you experienced keepers.

 

[Anduril]

You are using 12 frames, instead of 11 frames and dummy board. 12 frames are a tight fit and the first frame you remove you are rolling the bees, this makes them tetchy, if the queen was on the end frame there is a possibility of killing her. If you have a thin dummy board, (not some of the ones I have seen on ebay, a frame with wood replacing the foundation) then you can slide it a little and remove and each frame you do the same. The bees are changing to your configuration. Nothing wrong with what you are doing, but it does get them agitated quicker, when you return the last frame you should shake the bees off to stop any rolling on its return.

 

[enrico]

They do remove wax from frames.....no problem....they will do what they want to for whatever reason.
When inspecting your hive keep calm. Talk to them, it calms you down. Do everything really slowly.
Remember, decide why you need to go into the hive and when you have completed the task close them up. Unecessary poking around won't help!
E

 

[Murox]

As Android & Enrico. Make yourself a dummy board from one piece of a plank or if needs must plywood.

 

[madasafish]

The Spring honey flow is ending. That makes most bees very tetchy...
Happens every year.

 

[Adam Bee]

Thanks for the help and advice everyone!

That dummy board is a good idea. JBM suggested it on one of my earlier posts. Up to this point, I’ve always had an empty or fairly empty frame in that last outside position. That was easy to pull out, as there were only a few bees if any all on it. This is the first time I’ve had an absolutely full box from one end to the other. Removing a dummy board would certainly make things easier!

Sadly, I think “as needs must“ this is going to be made out of plywood, as this is what I have hanging around.

Currently the frames I am using are Hoffman self–spacers. I assume this will give each frame one Bee space per side, so I only need to make a flat profile for the dummy board and can slide that straight up against the spacer of the last frame.

How much free space would you suggest between the dummy board and the edge of the hive? The reason I ask is that if there is too much space the bees will get behind it; if it’s too tight, I imagine it will not only be difficult to lift straight out but it could also get thoroughly propolised and completely stuck to the side of the hive. What would you suggest? Half a Bee space?

 

[Adam Bee]

As an aside: I had though I’d not been stung. I had noticed a number of stingers left in the suit when I took it off. This morning I woke up with a number of small itchy mosquito-bite-like spots. I don’t think any of the stingers actually penetrated my skin, but, as I was wearing only a short sleeve shirt underneath the suit, I feel that I must have dragged them across my skin while working or taking off the suit; as the stingers that were probably just poking through the clothing the suit.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sadly, I think “as needs must“ this is going to be made out of plywood, as this is what I have hanging around.

Currently the frames I am using are Hoffman self–spacers. I assume this will give each frame one Bee space per side, so I only need to make a flat profile for the dummy board and can slide that straight up against the spacer of the last frame.

How much free space would you suggest between the dummy board and the edge of the hive?

All my dummy boards are 10 or 12mm plywood offcuts, never use anything else the 'top bar' is just a lath of wood cut to the same width as the plywood and depth of a standard top bar, it sits against the last Hoffman frame giving them the reqired single bee space.
As for free space between dummy board and hive side - it's however much space as there is left - bees won't use it unless you allow the hive to get overcrowded and they need storage space during a flow (in which case they'll just put in the extra comb)
If you make the dummy boards any thicker - there's no point as you are back with the same issue as trying to jam an extra frame in

 

[Adam Bee]

Great! I'll knock up a couple and install them on my next inspection.

Say: JBM... Was it you that talked about ants in the crown board?

I also seem to have the same phenomena. When I opened up, there were about 100 small black ants and perhaps a dozen small white eggs/larva that they were incubating. Nothing being built. No mud or housing, but hanging out. When I removed the roof, they quickly scooped up the babies and scuttled away. Then I took off the CB to start the inspection.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Great! I'll knock up a couple and install them on my next inspection.

Say: JBM... Was it you that talked about ants in the crown board?

I also seem to have the same phenomena. When I opened up, there were about 100 small black ants and perhaps a dozen small white eggs/larva that they were incubating. Nothing being built. No mud or housing, but hanging out. When I removed the roof, they quickly scooped up the babies and scuttled away. Then I took off the CB to start the inspection.

Yep - perfect symbiotic relationship, does no harm to the bees, in fact, may do some good.
I've also got a few hives with earwig nurseries under the roofs!!

 

[linoleum bonypart]

You will get stung suck it up... Build up a resistance

 

[Adam Bee]

You will get stung suck it up... Build up a resistance

Oh, crackers! Yes. But as a gauge of temperament:

On the installation - no stings.
On first inspection - one sting when I trapped a bee under the lug.
On second inspection - some veil bumping, but that’s all.
On this last inspection - a dozen stingers in the suit!?

What I found interesting was the little self inflicted mini stings I have, some long thin scratches - presumably from casual contact to the embedded stingers - all on the forearms. I’ll have to remember not to wear a short sleeve shirt under the suit, but go full long.

To be honest, they are no more irritating than a mosquito bite, it’s just that I was unaware of them until this morning.