Inspection, split check, find and mark queen

[djgriggs]

Okay .. I installed my bees on April 29th 2018.   Here is where I am at today..

Now that it is going into June I have feel that I have made some progress. I want to tell you what I have done and where I am at then get your thoughts and opinions.

Today I had a neighboring beek to come by and help me locate and mark the queens after my splits due to thinking that I might have messed something up.

I had two very strong Hives one foundation-less, 2 10-frame deeps full of bees and one that was foundation and also 10-frame and 2 deep.
After inspection the other week we found queen cells and swarm cells in both Hives. I was told that now was a good time for a split if I wanted to do so .

I chose to do the splits.. ( Total Noob ) not knowing what I was doing I took what hive I had which was an 8-frame 2 deep cypress hive.
I took one box , put 3 frames into the box from the foundation-less hive ( this was a week later ) Odd thing about this at this time I could not find the queen cell that I had seen a week before . .Oh well still went through with it.

I chose the 2nd 8-frame deep for 3 frames out of the foundation hive, this time the frame with the queen cell was moved over..

Fast forward to today , a week later.

We , Glenn and I wanted to go through and mark the queen ( really i wanted to , I just can never find her ) anyway started with the foundation-less hive. No problem, found her right off and marked her. Did however see a some bees uncapping , capped cells and removing larva, apparently we seen some larva that was removed that contained Varroa ( R@#$## ).

Moving to the foundation Hive.  This Hive is angry,, Found out that I did not catch this hive in time when I did the split. apparently the Hive is Queen less.. Looked in the top box and the bottom and could not locate a queen,, However did find a few queen cells in the top box and the bottom box.  What I did then was separate the two boxes with a screened shim with an opening.. This way I have two boxes full of bees with queen cells that will hatch soon and once that Happens I can completely separate into two functioning hives, well that is the thought currently . I am just hoping that the top box has a way out .. now that I think about I am thinking that the top box maybe limited on its entry and exit. .

now to the splits.

Split 1 from the foundation hive... this split only has three frames one frame has two queen cells looks like one has hatched recently however I / we could not locate
Split 2 from foundation-less hive... This split also had 3 frames. not enough capped brood . So then moved the queen celled frame from Split 1 over to 2 and also moved a capped frame and extra bees from  foundation-less hive and moved extra bees from foundation hive into split 1.

Negatives of all of this ..
     1. I need to by some more equipment so that I can go ahead and move split the foundation Hive into two hives..
     2. I read somewhere that without the queen the hive gets loud and aggressive.. Well I found that to be true today.. I do not usually where gloves
        but I did today (no help) I have some 9 dollar work gloves from home depot think on the bottom and black neoprene on the top..
        Did not expect to get stung as I have never been stung by the bees before they have always been very gentle.. Today I expected at least one or 
        two stings.  Well once that first bee got me.. They all wanted to show there love. I got popped 8 times in the same hand.. Immediate sting did not
        expect what came after did not even consider. I mean I know that once you are stung the bee leaves the pheromone for a come land a dart here.

        Well here is where they all wanted to land :) did not think much of it has a sting is a sting and I only feel it for a second.. I can never see where
        originally landed the sting never no whelps or anything but I do have some heat and a little swelling in my hand can feel it when I try to make a
        fist.  Oh and they got me a few times right on my thumb knuckle that one I do feel when I move my hand oh and my hand is now a little warm.
        That is it for tonight Within the next week / two I will be ordering some 10-frame equipment and eventually moving to a 5 Hive yard..

I did not expect that I would have 5 hives within 2 moths of getting bees. WoW  , Oh I was told that the bees were Italian.  I think that they my also be hygienic ?? I say that because I saw them opening up cells and taking varroa infested Larva out...

Please send all of your thoughts and best wishes this way . I think all of you for your thoughts opinions and knowledge and tonight most of all taking the time to read my book here :).

Have a good night and God Bless

[eltalia]

@djgriggs
I am only going to ask... did you want five hives when you started out?

Bill

[cao]

@djgriggs
I am only going to ask... did you want five hives when you started out?

Bill

You know that beekeeping is addictive and he's hooked.

I can honestly say, that when I started, I didn't know I wanted 70+ hives

[Oldbeavo]

Bought one, now have 300, beware the infection is incurable.

[djgriggs]

@djgriggs
I am only going to ask... did you want five hives when you started out?

Bill

nope not originally , I thought I only wanted two maybe three. Turns out that now I want more and cannot wait until they keep multiplying :)

[djgriggs]

Hello , Good Sunday,

Today I went ahead and split the two deep foundation hive. There was / are two queen cells, One in the top and one in the bottom box..

The bees are truly a lot calmer today. did not have any issues. Even cut the grass around and directly in from of the hives. did not even come out to say hello, Slow going waiting for the Queens to emerge. (i guess it is like watching paint dry :)). Went ahead and build two more deeps and brushed on some Tung Oil now just waiting for the boxes to dry so that I can put them into production (does anyone know if they must be completely dry)?  I'm just itching to go and open up the bees to put them on.  I have come to realized that this simple hobby that I wanted to do for so long is easy but not simple.. :)

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Mr. Griggs, you are having fun, I can tell....  Your hooked, we are all had.

I read you oiled your hives bodies, outside only correct?  Do not paint or oil the inside of the hive, I?ll bet you know this as much as you have studied.

Notice your bees may become more defensive this July and August as the hive is filled with Honey.

You mentioned gloves, to me there are two types, NITRILE OR GOATSKIN.  Six mil nitrile is a good glove for dexterity, nitrile is tougher than latex.  The bees can sting through nitrile but it is rare to me.  For that matter bees can sting through goatskin also however the goatskin must be tight against the knuckle.  I think it has been two years since I was stung through goatskin.  A lot of beeks use bare hands which is best method to me but I sometimes react so I wear protection.

How is your food source {pollen nectar} coming in, my area is very slow, clover mostly and not much of it at this time.  My hives are becoming Honey bound, we had a good spring flo so I will have to extract some frames to free up space for the queen.

Good luck with the queen cells, I lost 4 out of 12 queens last week to mating flights: the queens never made it back to the hive.  Lots of cat bird and dragon fly this year that will eat a queen in a New York second.
Blessings

[djgriggs]

Mr. Griggs, you are having fun, I can tell.... 


I read you oiled your hives bodies, outside only correct? 


Notice your bees may become more defensive this July and August as the hive is filled with Honey.

You mentioned gloves, to me there are two types, NITRILE OR GOATSKIN. A lot of beeks use bare hands which is best method to me but I sometimes react so I wear protection.

How is your food source

Good luck with the queen cells, I lost 4 out of 12 queens last week to mating flights: the queens never made it back to the hive.  Lots of cat bird and dragon fly this year that will eat a queen in a New York second.
Blessings

Yes, I would say that I am hooded. just thinking made a quick trip at 4 this morning to get new deeps.., picked them up and came back home , total of 3 hour trip.. came home assembled and oiled

Just wish the Tung Oil would soak in quicker,, I really wanted to get the boxes in to production
 today.

I went yesterday and purchased me some actual gloves to use for the days that the lady's are pissy.. Didn't need them today..

Tomorrow if the oil has soaked in I will put the boxes on the two separate  boxes that I split from one hive today as the current  boxes are mostly full.

Food source,, I think I am still doing good, I still do not know the cycle very well, about what is in etc.. I am not seeing the intake as a was a few weeks ago,, Lots of clover and close farms if that helps any,,  there is an apple orchard within flying distance for them and

[BeeMaster2]

DJ,
If you just split the hives and they have queen cells or un matted queens I would not add a super. If they have mated queens, then yes add a box.
Also, if they are new queens, do not inspect them for at least 2 weeks to allow them to prove them selves to their bees that they are good layers. Too many inspections on a hive with new queens can cause the bees to replace her.
Jim

[djgriggs]

DJ,
If you just split the hives and they have queen cells or un matted queens I would not add a super. If they have mated queens, then yes add a box.
Also, if they are new queens, do not inspect them for at least 2 weeks to allow them to prove them selves to their bees that they are good layers. Too many inspections on a hive with new queens can cause the bees to replace her.
Jim

Thanks for the info ( will do )