hive check + varroa test

Went to check how crowded the hive is and to try out a varroa test.

Current hive from top to boom. Empty deep for sugar feeder, Medium, Medium, Deep.

The top medium super was empty. The next medium super had a nice half brood ball, nectar, and capped honey across 6 frames, with the outer 2 about half built out. Switched the outer ones with frames 3 and 5 of the top super. And put the empty frames from the top super into 2 and 7 of the middle one. Goal is to give them a bit more space in the middle and to build up into the top layer (both steps are to discourage swarming).

The deep had brood, honey, and a good chunk of pollen. There was a bunch of empty cells that look like maybe they hatched recently. This fits with the large orientation flight we saw about 2 days ago. There were c-shape instar adjacent so no concern queen Clementine has stopped laying. Saw the queen down near the frames with empty cells so will check for brood there next time. 

Crushed the burr comb on the edges of frames in medium super and the deep. Mostly drone comb but about 10 uncapped queen cells too. 

From the brood on the middle super, we removed the bees, scooped half a cup of nurse bees for varroa testing. Placed the bees in a mason jar with a lid made with wire mesh. Covered the bees in powered sugar and let it sit for a few minutes. Then dumped the powdered sugar into the tupperware and then added water to dissolve the powdered sugar. We returned the (not delighted, covered in powdered sugar) bees back to the hive. After the sugar dissolved, we inspected the remains. There was definitely debris of various kinds, but we didn't see any "smoking mites". We're going to decide on a treatment plan so we're ready, and we'll keep inspecting regularly. 

hive check

Both new boxes have bees and comb, more in the lower as it's closer to the brood. There is good build out on the frames in the brood box too. Saw eggs and Cshaped instar. Saw the queen. Looking good.

Adding supers

Prepped two medium supers and left them in -20C for 24h+. Then left them during the day next to the hive to warm back up, and then dropped them on top in the evening. No hive check, a quick 1 minute smoke and add both supers.

hive check

Checked to see how the girls are settling in. They're building out comb on the 3 new frames. Saw the queen. Might be backfilling brood with sugar water/nectar since the weathers been good there's a good flow with all the plants blooming.

new hive

After the sudden decline and death of both hives 2 years ago, we harvested honey and took a break.

Now we're back. We drove down to Centralia to pick up a Nuc from Woods Bee co. We'd cleaned up the old hive equipment and sterilized it in our new freezer. It was wierd being out after so many weeks inside.

Back home, we opened the Nuc and saw orientation flights by mid-morning. In the evening once it cooled and they're settled down, we switched frames into to the deep, with two 1:1 sugars on top. I saw the queen in transferring the frames.

Nuc before transfer

Hive check July 4th

So much had happened since the 2nd swarm.
1) the equipment arrived from mann lake and brushy mountain.

2) the swarm hive was moved to the backyard

3) a few dozen forager bees were confused and were coming back to where the swarm rested for three days. I've hunted for the clump at night to move them over but with no success. I also tried adding leafy branches in front of both give entrances to force reorientation flights. Which worked and significantly reduced the confused foragers.

4) Hive check; both were full of bees. Saw both Queens. But no brood in either hive. I suspect they've not had mating flights as it has been chilly. Concerned the older hive is backfilling with nectar, will need to keep an eye on this. I checker boarder a little and dropped some frames with capped honey and empty cells for broad to the new hive. And some bees switched hives as they came along for the ride. I took the three the foundation free frames where the swarmed had started to build comb and used them for a honey super in the old hive.

The old hive now has a deep for broad, checked medium for brood, and then an excluder with a medium that has fresh foundation frames and foundation free comb frames on top.

The new hive has a screen ipm board, then the medium and some of the frames I added for the swarm checkered with fresh frames. On top is a second medium with fresh frames checkered with comb and capped cells from the old hive.

Swarm #2 details

Sitting at my desk working from home, I suddenly became aware of a loud humming outside the upstairs window. I looked up from my computer to see the entire back yard filled with bees. Not just orientation flights (it was about that time of day) but a swirling tornado of bees 40 feet in all directions. I ran out to see what was going on and it became apparent that my hive might be swarming (AGAIN)!

I stood in the middle of the massive ball of bees and watched it drift slowly across my neighbors yard. The bees coming and going from the hive to the ball seemed to become less and less the further away it moved, and it seemed to become tighter knit, maybe 20 feet wide.  For a minute it looked like they might start settling in a beautiful ornamental maple about 35 ft from home. I could clearly see bees landing and nudging one another on the leaves, but then the buzzing ball gently floated south to land in a plum tree just over the fence of a neighbor but one away, 45 ft at most from where they started. Watching several beards of bees formed and then slowly coagulate into a larger one was amazing.

Then my real fun began. Swarm harvest time. I'd watch three or four of videos a few years back and had a good idea what was needed. I grabbed my gear, a bucket, a step ladder, and some clippers. I got set up, climbed up and dropped two of the smaller branches into the bucket quite skillfully for a first timer. Particularly considering, I was on my own up a ladder with tens of thousands of bees in tree, clippers in one hand and a bucket in the other. Then I got ready to cut biggest clump, probably 2lbs of bees. With the clippers on the branch, I lifted the bucket, and click.... missed the bucket. The bees CRASHED onto a patio table and went everywhere. They weren't mad, just confused. So I picked up the branch, placed it in the bucket and started to scoop up the other piles and dump them in too.

The bucket 'o' bees was quickly carried to my ready and waiting hive. I'd splashed some sugar solution around and set up what I could, bottom board, 5 frames and a sheet of ply for a lid.

One quick dump and shake and they settled right in. Fifteen minutes later they switched from humming to that "ahh peace" everything is alright again. Second hive, thank you very much!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NAJX77Eqt83BVuAw8