27th April 2014 - April Showers

Welcome to the Petersfield & District Beekeeper's Apiary Blog for 2014. It is intended to publish here all the activities that take place in the apiary.

For security reasons please do not mention geographic or personal details when posting a comment.

General Apiary
Temperature 12C, weather showery (heavy). Time 14:30

Due to inclement weather inspections restricted to Novice inspection of #8 and Beginner inspection of #4. Hive #1 and Nucleii #2 & #3 should have newly emerged virgin queens in residence pending mating flights. Hive #6 Varroa Board checked - zero drop.
We appear to have had visitors and shelter been used as toilet! Shallow box of foundation frames appears to have disappeared from Hive #4 with shallow brood put above Queen Excluder or there has been an error in the records.

Hive #4

Instructor: TB/NP
Class: Beginner

Single Brood, on slab.

Deep Brood

Queen seen.

5 Unsealed and 1 sealed Queen Cells destroyed.

4 frames of Brood including eggs.

Sufficient stores.

General

Bee Temper: 9

Super heavy with 7 frames. 2nd super of foundation added (under).
Varroa board not checked.

Hive #8
Instructor: BD
Class: Novice
Double Brood, on slab.

Bottom Deep Brood
No Queen seen.
No Queen Cells.
6 frames of brood including eggs.
3 frames of stores half full plus brood periphery.
2 empty drawn frames.

Top Deep Brood
No Queen seen.
Single charged Queen Cell in swarm position removed, plenty of eggs.
10 frames of brood including eggs.
2 frames of stores half full plus brood periphery.

General
Bee Temper: 6
Super not yet been drawn.
Varroa board checked and low drop (<1 per day).

19th April 2014 - Easter Saturday

Welcome to the Petersfield & District Beekeeper's Apiary Blog for 2014. It is intended to publish here all the activities that take place in the apiary.

For security reasons please do not mention geographic or personal details when posting a comment.

General Apiary
Temperature 10C, weather fair. Time 14:30

Due to low temperature inspections restricted to Novice inspection of #4 and Improver inspection of #1. Varroa board on #5 checked and low (1 per day). Board under #8 scraped clean as removed so no reading, reinserted with board inverted.

Hive #1

Instructor: BD

Class: Improver

Brood and half, on grass.
Sealed Queen cells left at last inspection. Plan to make up 2 mating nuclei with Queen Cells and reduce Queen Cells in hive to 2 in order to reduce possibility of casts.
Removed top super - bees populating but no drawing out yet.
Bottom super contained brood and Queen Cells!
Moved QX above shallow brood.
Went through shallow brood put frame with 2 sealed Queen Cells in nuclei with deep brood and stores frame. Removed all other Queen Cells.
Left 2 Queen Cells in deep box (1 on each of first 2 deep frames). Went through rest of deep frames removing Queen cells. Pulled virgin Queen from one Queen Cell put in 2nd nuclei with 2 brood frames and stores frame.
Plenty of stores.
Bee Temper: 9.
Varroa board inserted.
Nucleii located at positions 2 & 3 with grass in entrances.
 

Hive #4

Instructor: BD
Class: Novice

Brood and half, on slab.

Bottom Deep Brood

No Queen seen.

No Queen Cells.

5 frames of Brood including no eggs.

1 frame of stores plus brood frame periphery.
2 empty drawn frames.

4 frames foundation or partially drawn frames.

Top Shallow Brood

No Queen seen.

No Queen Cells.

4 frames of Brood including no eggs.

2 frames of stores plus brood frame periphery.
1 empty drawn frame.
4 frames of foundation or partially drawn frames.

 

Bee Temper: 9

Queen Excluder replaced right way up.
Super not yet being drawn.
Removed eke and empty fondant container.

Varroa board checked and low drop (5/6 per day).
Although Queen and eggs not seen young larvae were and no Queen cells.

13th April 2014 - First Inspection

Welcome to the Petersfield & District Beekeeper's Apiary Blog for 2014. It is intended to publish here all the activities that take place in the apiary.

For security reasons please do not mention geographic or personal details when posting a comment.

General Apiary
Temperature 13C, weather sunny. Time 14:30

The shelter has dried out.

Hive #1

Instructor: TB

Class: Beginner

Brood and half, on grass.
No Queen seen, believed swarmed.
7xSealed Queen cells, 2xUnsealed Queen Cells
Plenty of stores.
Bee Temper: 9.
Woodpecker Guard and Mouseguard removed.
Queen Excluder and super of foundation added.

Bottom Deep Brood
8 frames Brood including few eggs and unsealed larvae.

Top Shallow Brood
6 frames Brood including few eggs and unsealed larvae.

Hive #4

Instructor: FW
Class: Beginner

Brood and half, on slab.

Queen seen in bottom Deep box.

4 frames of brood.

2 frames stores.

2 new frames added to brood box.

Bee Temper: 9

Woodpecker protection and entrance block removed.

Queen Excluder fitted with super.

Varroa board inserted.

 

Hive #6
Instructor: BD 

Class: Novice

Brood and half, on slab.

 

Bottom Deep Brood

No Queen seen.

No Queen Cells.

5 frames of Brood including eggs.

2 frame of stores plus brood frame periphery.

4 frames foundation or partially drawn frames. 1 Foundation frame moved next to brood nest either side, holed and disfigured comb replaced.

 

Top Shallow Brood

Unmarked Queen seen and marked red.

No Queen Cells.

7 frames of Brood including eggs and sealed drone brood plus play cups.

5 frames of stores plus brood frame periphery.

 

General

Bee Temper: 8

Woodpecker Cage and Mouseguard removed. All fondant gone, removed carton and eke.

Floor already clean.

Brace comb cleaned from frames.

Wild comb built through crownboard into fondant carton removed.

Queen Excluder and Super of foundation frames added.

Varroa Board inserted.

Hive #8 (renumbered from #5)

Instructor: BD

Class: Novice

Double brood, on grass.

 

Bottom Deep Brood

Replaced shallow frame with dummy board.

No Queen seen.

No Queen Cells.

5 frames of Brood including eggs.

1 frame of stores plus brood frame periphery.

4 frames foundation or partially drawn frames. 1 Foundation frame moved next to brood nest either side, holed and disfigured comb replaced.

 

Top Deep Brood

Unmarked Queen seen and marked red.

No Queen Cells.

7 frames of Brood including eggs and sealed drone brood.

1 frame of stores plus brood frame periphery.

2 partially drawn frames.
2 frames foundation moved next to brood nest either side

 

General

Bee Temper: 9

Woodpecker Cage and Mouseguard removed. All fondant gone, removed carton and eke.

Floor cleaned.

Brace comb cleaned from frames.

Queen Excluder and Super of foundation frames added.

Varroa Board inserted.