28th September - Autumn Flow

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.

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General Apiary
Temperature 21C, weather sunny. Time 14:30

General status check, most 2 weeks after 2nd application of Apiguard. Hive#7 treated with the second Apiguard application of the autumn. Apiguard purchased from Thorne's (Stockbridge) 30/8, batch number BN05L0492, expiry date 5/2017.

Hives all increasing stores. Some to the extent of blocking room to lay.

Hive#1
Brood Chamber (Single Deep)
Queen (2014 Yellow) seen.
No Queen Cells
9 frames brood. Sacbrood on 2 frames.
3 frames stores.
All Apiguard gone so removed trays, shallow box used as eke and Queen eXcluder.

Supers(1)
8 frames of stores.

General
Entrance reduced with fern.
Bee Temper: 9
Varroa Drop Count: Unable to read board - too dirty. Board needs replacing.

Hive#2
Brood Chamber (Single Deep)
Queen (2014 Green) seen.
No Queen Cells.
Brood on 3 frames in all stages.
Stores on 6 frames.
Shallow box used as eke for Apiguard, still some residue left.

Supers(1)
Stores on 7 frames.

General
Bee Temper: 8
Varroa Drop Count: 80+ too many to count.

Hive#3
Brood Chamber (Single Deep)
Queen (2014 Green) not seen.
No Queen Cells.
Brood on 7 frames in all stages.
Stores on 4 frames.
Shallow box used as eke for Apiguard, still some residue left.

Supers(1)
10 frames with nectar.

General
Bee Temper: 9
Varroa Drop Count: 50/14

Hive#4
Brood Chamber (Single Deep)
Queen (2014 Green) not seen.
No Queen Cells.
Brood on 6 frames in all stages, little room for laying.
Stores on 3 frames.
Shallow box used as eke for Apiguard, still some residue left.

Brood Chamber (Shallow)
Stores on 10 frames.

General
Bee Temper: 7
Varroa Drop Count: 50+/14

Hive#5
Brood Chamber (Brood and half)
Queen (2014 Green) seen.
No Queen Cells.
Shallow (Upper) Box:
3 frames of brood in all stages.
11 frames stores, cf none 2 weeks ago!
Deep (Lower) Box:
3 frames of brood in all stages. Added frame of sealed brood from Hive #8.
3 frames of stores.
Shallow box used as eke for Apiguard, still some residue left
Removed Queen eXcluder.

Supers(0)

General
Bee Temper: 9
Varroa Drop Count: High
Half Feed in Rapid Feeder gone but fungus now evident. Removed feeder.

Hive#6
Brood Chamber (Brood and a Half)
Queen (2014 Green) seen.
No Queen Cells
Shallow Box: Brood on 0 frames.
Shallow Box: Stores on 4 frames.
Deep Box: Brood on 5 frames in all stages.
Deep Box: Stores on 3 frames.
Shallow box used as eke for Apiguard.
2nd tray of apiguard added.

Supers(1)
circa 30lbs stores.

General
Removed Queen eXcluder and shallow brood, shallow store frames donated to hive #7.
Bee Temper: 7
Varroa Drop Count: High

Hive#7
Brood Chamber (Brood and a Half)
Queen (2014 Green) not seen.
No Queen Cells
Shallow (Lower) Box:
3 frames of brood. Replaced drawn frames of drone with worker.
1 frames stores.
Shallow (Upper) Box:
3 frames brood.
3 frames stores.
Total circa 10lbs stores.
Added 2nd tray Apiguard and shallow eke.
No Varroa Board available.

Supers(0)

General
Bee Temper: 8
Food all taken. Replenished with 3pts Heavy Syrup. Put top on feeder.
Replaced 4 empty frames with stores frames from hive #6.

Hive#8
Brood Chamber (Deep)
Queen (Green 2014) seen on outside stores frame.
2 sealed and 2 unsealed Queen Cells - left.
Brood on 6 frames with eggs.
6 frames of stores. Total circa 25lb stores.
Shallow box used as eke for Apiguard.

Supers (1)
circa 6lb stores.

General
Bee Temper: 7
Varroa Drop Count:120/14
Entrance already reduced.
Added 1pts Heavy Syrup.