keeping track of several hives

[citrus]

a friend of mine uses bricks on his hives to mark the status of the hive (queenlesss, all good, hopeless case etc etc)

he also uses the colours of the plastic spacers to market how old the foundation is (so blue for 2018) etc ... so gets a feel for how old the frame is when it comes to renewing it

some people mark or write on the frames ..



how do others keep their hive log ?

 

[Karsal]

a friend of mine uses bricks on his hives to mark the status of the hive (queenlesss, all good, hopeless case etc etc)

he also uses the colours of the plastic spacers to market how old the foundation is (so blue for 2018) etc ... so gets a feel for how old the frame is when it comes to renewing it

some people mark or write on the frames ..



how do others keep their hive log ?[/QUOTE

He has some good ideas your friend.
Had a talk from a bee farmer a few months ago and he was asked how does he keep records of his 2000 colonies.
He just laughed and said they were just left to get on with it

 

[B+.]

how do others keep their hive log ?[/QUOTE

I use a German program called PEXA Zucht Buch

 

[bingevader]

I keep my logs on the fire and my records to a minimum!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hive notes on the computer for age of queen and manipulations done.
Frames? Supers are good till they fall apart in the extractor. Some top frames are marked cut comb to stop me uncapping them. Brood frames are changed when I find it hard to see through them.....or they get chewed up by the bees

 

[drex]

I use a simplified hand written record sheet for each hive. Comments on queen, space, stores and health and notes on any manipulations. It gives me a known starting point before I go in and inspect. Could not keep track of my colonies without. For several years now I have been trying to impress on one " mentee" the importance of some form of record. He may ring me up with concerns about a hive ( say the state of the queen) and I will ask him about brood pattern on last inspection and he has no idea, which is not much help to me.
I also use bricks to mark very significant things -such as if hive is queen less.
I write in pencil on top bar the year in which frame was made or had new foundation inserted.
Drawing pins to mark position of queen cells.

 

[Lancs Lad]

I use a loose leaf A5 one page for each stock, so when I move stocks or nucs to different apiaries you just move the page over, the system is made by Staples. https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/2925917057...1007092&device=c&campaignid=1340839189&crdt=0

 

[madasafish]

I use a clipboard with A4 sheet per hive.Updated as I inspect. Propolis covered..

I keep a spreadsheet of all queens : hive, lineage, age etc, status,honey yields
I have a similar spreadsheet for mating nucs.

Key frames marked in indelible ink on topbar.. Temp marking with pins.


If you cannot measure it, you can't control it.. (yes, a control freak).Not that I can control what bees do...

 

[Walrus]

Spreadsheet which I review prior to visiting apiary and can access from phone if really needed. If I remember, I take my voice recorder. Notes on duct tape on hive roof, brick up or down for major stuff, occasional arrow or X on frame tops.

 

[yeogi75]

one idea is when you assemble frames to get some food dye for the year of assembly, dip top bars and assemble you will know the year made up,

 

[citrus]

Spreadsheet which I review prior to visiting apiary and can access from phone if really needed. If I remember, I take my voice recorder. Notes on duct tape on hive roof, brick up or down for major stuff, occasional arrow or X on frame tops.

Grey duct tape on the roof ... that is a good idea ...hope the fumes from the permanent pen doesnt hurt the bees !

 

[Bakerbee]

Voice log on my phone while out with them. Then write up in a pad when inside. I have put a red arrow on my framespointing left so the all go back in in the same direction they came out and red coz its a red queen year and i did a bailey cimb change this year onto new frames. Ps mr muscle oven to get propolis off my phone if need after.

 

[Millet]

I did start writing notes down but this year i have not bothered, i only have three full hives and four nucleus colonies and i can remember what is going on with each hive from the last inspection and what Queens i have in each.

I did however buy a load of unwired super foundation this year so i have marked all the unwired frames with a UW on the top bar of each frame.

 

[enrico]

I use a word document set as a table. I do different years in different colours and put the dates of inspections as close as possible. That way I can compare years easily. Sounds more complex than it is!
I used to write the date of a new queen on the side of the hive too.
E

 

[Beefriendly]

I take my secretary and dictate the notes as we go through the hives.

 

[Machonachos]

I use a laminated sheet that I keep in the roof then I transfer that to a spreadsheet or BeePlus app as a more long term history with to do list and Calendar to keep track of things. Works quite well as I can take a look and compare when I open a hive and then review and make plans on the app when back in the house.