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