BEES – SWARMS, DISAPPEARING COLONY, DISAPPOINTMENTS

It started with my first phone call – while I was out of town, darn it!

SWARM Again!

So – the ‘Queen of the Hood’ – which was the first spring swarm from the Mother Hive last year (2009) has now swarmed twice…or was it another hive that made the first swarm?

The first swarm (was it my hive?  I’ll never know)…June 1st

Was found hanging in the neighbor’s fruit tree – just across the fence – low to the ground, & easily taken.  Matt Crawley took it away, but rumor is that he lost it…I will check to see if he got it again.  Ron took some pix, so I am eager to see them when I return…yes…the swarms happened while I was away to Michigan!

A late & wet spring makes for late swarms, I guess.

I have often wondered if that hive would swarm, it has seems so highly populated, with so much traffic & lots of activity on the front of the boxes…swarm…even though I put extra boxes on top.  I am curious – when I open it up – soon – what it will look like inside…have they really used up all that space, or are they predisposed to swarm like their “Mother Hive”?

This latest swarm was caught by Ron – using no protective equipment – into my swarm box I had at ready.  Will check the box for frame placement this week.  The amazingly fast build of rogue comb into spaces left by lazy beekeepers should not be repeated by those who have done it once already…

A further note – this hive appears to have been reproduced with the traits of its mother hive…swarming twice a year, into a low hanging fruit tree branch…coincidences?  Can the Queen carry this type of colony behavior genetically or what?

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June 10^th – Feeding the New Hive & the Swarm

MADE A ½ Gal of syrup (1:1) for my gals…the 2 feeders were pretty messed up – the lower (leaky) one was empty but lots of dead bees – I am guessing the weakest ones from the rainy starvation week… the upper feeder was full of fermenting sugar from over a week ago, why didn’t they eat it?  I am not sure – but removed the lower feeder – must reline the pans – and cleaned the good one out – replacing with fresh syrup, will check it in 2 days to see if they are partaking.  The Blackberry blossoms are now out in force, so there is a good flow on, I am sure….

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June 13^th – Hive Checks

David Partch’s hive is dead – gone – disappeared!  A thriving colony reduced to several frames of comb with bits if pollen & some uncapped nectar.  How weird.  Was it the cold, rainy spring – they ate everything & then starved to death?  If so – wouldn’t there be bodies in the hive? Is that hive the “swarm” that was caught in my neighbor’s yard, not so unlikely – only a couple of blocks away.   The hive was a stack of ready frames, about 20 frames showing comb development, many with pollen stores, some uncapped nectar, the bottom deep box & first shallow box had been brood chamber for awhile – well developed black comb with lots of old cocoons, pollen & yet – now – with a spotty brood pattern of only a few dozen capped cells, & no queen cells.

By the time I saw it today – the wax moths are already at work in one section.  Partch puts the exodus at after May 31^st, last time they can remember seeing bees making regular forage entrances.  David says he saw lots of fighting around the entrance before then, and it appeared that they were using the top as an entrance also.  Some aggressive behavior toward him as well.  I have taken the boxes home to expose them or freeze to rid the wax moths, and will create a storage until they are needed or David wants to try again.  Too sad.  I have taken pictures of the odd white stuff I found on several frames, in most boxes.  At forst I thought it was the cappigs from the upper boxes, as they were robbed.  But – I actually put one in my mouth & it was hard & grainey, not sure what it is. They are irregular sizes & shapes, seems unlikely that they are eggs of any kind – although the hive is filled with small ants doing clean up.  Does anyone know?

I checked the new hive, and they have not eaten all of the syrup in top tray.  In fact – I am unsure if they have used any of it.  There are a lot of bees hanging around in the trays & the entrance, so I assume they are using it.  So, I will check & refill with another ½ gallon on Tuesday before I leave.  The front entrance is being used, as I counted about 30 bees landing in one minute, so I assume they are doing ok inside .

Attached pictures of the white grains – anyone got ideas?  They were on top of the frames  also clinging to the outside edges of comb, as if they had been falling down the spaces & got caught by the sticky nature of the comb.

Bees in trouble – Mea Culpa!

BEE UPDATE – MAY 23^rd, 2010

Mea Culpa!  I opened the new hive today… and they are starving to death…I think.

They were just lying around on top of the frames, or hanging to the frames, holding each other up, and had no energy even to hardly move; in all it was the most shocking thing I’ve ever seen during a hive inspection.

My excuse is that I haven’t done a split or gotten a nuc in years, & literally forget to feed them!

(I don’t think we even fed the swarms last year.  I hope I wrote up the details anyway…)

I honestly didn’t think to feed them because the first weeks they were very busy going in & out & getting honey & pollen stored up – or so I thought.  This last week of alternate cold & rain was not good for bee flights, so they probably ate everything they had, and today when I opened up the box, there was no honey is sight.

My action plan today was this – to feed them & to add another deep box below that initial super.

I made some sugar syrup, set up the top feeder near the new hive, then I opened the big hive “Queen-of-the-hood” in order to steal a honey frame …But, funny – as I went in – and let me just say that this big hive is stacked high with 2 deeps, then 2 supers on top…well – I couldn’t find hardly any honey in the supers either.  The top super was almost empty – a lot of comb being built with masses of bees working on that project.

The lower super was a brood chamber with very little honey in it!  How did I find that out?  The hard way – there was a lot of hardened propolis holding each frame in & I had to pry hard to get them out,  outer frames full of mostly finished & ready to go wax cells – then when I got near to the center I saw the first batch of closed brood cells, with lots of bees in attendance so I wondered at that – but – kept going to the center 2 frames, where – instead of it being yet more tough propolis holding them in, I made a huge effort to free the frame & behold!…(there was a too-big space between those 2 frames) & the 2 frames were actually stuck together with rogue brood comb built sideways!  Yikes, big plump white larvae now broken open all over… and as I pulled that frame out to look closer, I realized that I was not seeing any big honey stash areas anywhere.

I went further in & worked the top deep box a bit – looking for honey stash, but again – so much propolis to unstick & tough to move carefully with the effort required to pull a frame apart…and, because I had now killed both brood & bees, they were all fighting mad.  Nervously I began to close it all up, leaving out 2 smaller frames with some brood & lots of bees clinging.  I put those into the weak new hive, laid the feeder on top, filled it with syrup & closed it up.  I also fed them from the bottom with honey on a stiff plastic “tray”, which I slid into their open door.  I think I may have seen their queen, looking very weak, and she is not looking healthy.  Bigger than the rest with a long black abdomen.  Geez, what a sad & exhausting day’s work.  If I was a drinking woman, I’d be having a shot right now!

So – Tuesday – before I leave on my vacation, I’ll recheck that hive (hope it is warm enough) – at least I’ll feed them again.  Fingers crossed, head bowed, I ask for forgiveness from the Queen & Her colony.

Monday – May 24^th – The day after heartbreak…

I closed the entrance up last night with a reducer, and today there is a lot of activity out front – it is robbers & fighting & hopefully – the hive springing to life.

This morning also at least one disappointing discovery – the top feeder is leaking…yes, you know the signs-  syrup running down the side of the hive, making an attractive pool of sweet on the ground – attractive to ants, that is!  I sprayed the whole area & around the base of the hive stand with my garden spray – Neem Oil & Dr. Bronners.  So far (it is now 2pm) there are no ants around the hive, and no dead bees in the sprayed areas, so this is a good measure to remember!  Today is warm & dry, so I am happy about that.  There appears to be nectar somewhere around because a lot of flights are taking off in the general westerly direction.  The other 2 colonies are making their tidy take-off’s & landings all this warm day, while the Newhive fights & tumbles off  their landing board…

The other worry is that there appears to be bright yellow bee diarrhea running down the front of the hive as well as many large spots of it on the top.  Is this because they were stuck inside until they got fed, or do they have some disease?  Gosh, I hope not!

As I prepare to leave for 2 weeks, I am making some more syrup, got the extra feeder into the hive & will double their food up for this week – expected to be cold & rainy yet again…it is clouding up right now!  Got to go and feed my girls…

Beekeeper’s Delight -Stolen Gold – Honey

The Beekeeper’s Delight…Springtime Flowing Liquid Amber!

Today I harvested a top box from 2 of my neighborhood hives… & they each were about 70% full of honey.   It is a dark amber capped honey from …when?  Last fall?

The 4 hives are all healthy & strong – lots of foragers going in with an orange pollen.  I am glad for that, as many other hives have been lost this year…not sure of the percentage, but each loss is a blow to the health of honeybees & the hopes for our pollinated future.

Pictures of the rogue comb from one box that was left with a large open area (4 frames missing) in the center – see how they started to make comb in the other direction – nicely spaced & very orderly in some places.

On another frame, the comb got completely out of hand – looks like comb/cells on top of other cells, till it hung down dangerously & filled the available space…a surrealist sculpture – created in community!  We keepers have a job to do – to help the hive by keeping “bee space” for them so that they are not obliged to fill the spaces with rogue comb which must be hard to navigate on an hourly basis.  It takes a few minutes & focused intent in our buzzy lives… you could say -  Bee conscious!

My latest tidy trick…I used the “Bee Quick” natural oils with a fume board to move those girls down the box so that when I took the box off, it was almost entirely empty & could be quickly & easily de-framed into a plastic bin with lid.  I laid the fume board on the top of the open tub while I worked the frames & was pleased that no bees found the opening.  No more hive-side stress of brushing off the bees, handling & scraping frames into a bucket  while angry bees buzz around…of course, I now need to open the hive again tomorrow to replace those dripping frames & their super.  It is SO worth it!

I am cleaning out older honey & messy old comb to make room for the fresh seasonal crop – it is better for them & a bonus for those of us who value this golden treasure

After the hot work of harvesting, I got the chance to present a little home schooling to the “Blue House Gang” as I scraped the honey from the foundation in the safety of my kitchen.   We all admired the shape of the wax cells, ate some chewy comb honey, put a couple of bees safely outdoors, & most of all – watched the rich golden sticky stuff fall gracefully & deliciously from my spatula into the strainer – it was pure magic to see for the first time!

And now?

Honey is still slowly dripping fro the top strainer inside my big pot, so – before bed I will pour it into jars & get to watch the amber golden flow one more time!

Bees Here Now,

Annie

PS Saint Pat’s Day – and yes, I am wearing green…from top to bottom!

A Spring Swarm! A Beekeepers Journal

Sunday – April 26th – today is swarm day…

I caught a swarm from the Brooktrails hive today!
Easiest swarm catch ever – let’s hope they stay in their new home…

Last hive check,about 10 days ago – the hive was super healthy & stuffed
with bees, so good to see after the worries of last summer with our small
colony, minimal stores and spotty brood patterns.
I had noted a large supercedure cell on the bottom of a central frame with
about 7 nurse bees busily surrounding it, and lots of new capped brood
cells – both workers and drone, and happily “frame heavy” with tons of
honey & pollen!
Certainly it seemed like a swarm was imminent – so we prepared a swarm box
(a deep box nailed to a screen bottom with 7 frames of slightly drawn comb
surrounding a central open space)…how many days until this new queen
would emerge?
Karina out of town,both of us with busy schedules, and May Day weekend
coming up…

Today, just as I finished cleaning after the Grange pancake breakfast,
Lanny called – a swarm had begun, and within an hour had made a huge
elongated knot on  the branch of an apple tree just a few feet in front of
the old hive!

I took a vial of “swarm lure” (queen pheromone)out of the freezer, washed
up, changed my clothes to a fresh light colored shirt & pants, sprayed my
hair and body with lavender water…and took my beekeepers bag up the hill
to Karina’s hive. We prepared a spray bottle with sugar syrup, and I
immediately sprayed the swarm with some, then tipped some of the lure into
the swarm box, on the top of a frame,  into the middle “hole” and a bit on
the front landing. I sprayed inside the new box with sugar as well.

John Wagenet & Lanny were very helpful as we carefully repositioned the
box right under the swarm, leveled it and finally – after more sugar
spaying, a few scouts came into the box. I was concerned as we kept
fiddling with the box to get it level, and the frames were sometimes
knocking around, and I felt the scouts might think this box was not a very
stable new home!

We observed for another 20 minutes, occasionally spraying the swarm and
the new box with sugar. Their branch was very old, thick and would be hard
to cut and lower into the box, so I decided to knock them down into the
box, rather than wait much longer. One large shake of the branch, & most
of the swarm fell – “thonk” – into the box, a few minutes later I did it
again,after spraying with the syrup several times.  After 3-4 swift shakes
of the branch, only a few were left lagging  behind on the branch.  The
Virgin Queen must have been captured!
We left the lid off to be closed in a few hours before the day cools off.
I hope the bees naturally choose this new home.  Last year I forced the
swarm into a box, and taped it shut for 24 hours,  but this time I want
them to choose their future more naturally.
I do hope the swarm stays put and after a few days I will move it into my
“Food Forest”. Finally – I will have a hive in my own Garden…how
wonderful!

The Amazing & Vanishing Honeybee

Why do we sing their life song now? The ancients worshiped the bee, sang songs to them, made beautiful and complex gold jewelery in their image. Who are we to allow them to disappear without making songs to their magnificence?

Yes, friends – as many have now pointed out – not only honey lovers – but almond lovers, cheese lovers – your foods are at stake here, in fact – perhaps your own very life is too! The bees brings us agriculture as we know it. They also may bee a significator of the collapse of our ecosystem in these times – an early victim of the complex immune destroying lifestyle we have come to accept and yet (almost) be oblivious of.

What can we do to save the bees?

And why do we care? Just a few facts-

*Honeybees are the only insects that produce food for humans. What a gift! What have we done for them?

*Just a single hive contains approximately 40-45,000 bees! They live as if they are cells of one organism, very socially sophisticated…we humans could learn something from their high degree of cooperation, sharing and dancing communications!

*During honey production periods, a bee’s life span is about 6 weeks. In the winter, they live longer because they don’t get worn out by flying.

*Honeybees visit about 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey. They also bring in their weight in pollen if they find it!

*A bee travels an average of 1600 round trips in order to produce one ounce of honey; up to 6 miles per trip. To produce 2 pounds of honey, bees travel a distance equal to 4 times around the earth. Next time you wrap that spoonful of golden honey around to save everry drop, be reminded of how much loving work and air time created that honey!

*Bees fly an average of 13-15 mph. Maybe we can learn from them how to move at a rate of speed that brings rewards and health.

*Bees from the same hive visit about 225,000 flowers per day. One single bee usually visits between 50-1000 flowers a day, but can visit up to several thousand.

*Queens will lay almost 2000 eggs a day at a rate of 5 or 6 a minute. Between 175,000-200,000 eggs are laid per year.

*About 8 pounds of honey is eaten by bees to produce 1 pound of beeswax.

Beegin to keep a hive of bees. For one thing, it will slow you down to bee in their presence. They hum a mysterious and ancient song, and draw you into watching their daily activities at the hive entrance. Their flight arrivals and departures are way more interesting than anything at the airport! Besides, you may bee helping to save these precious and social creatures. My hives are deep in the rural mountains of Mendocino County. As far as I know, there is no commercial agricultural spraying done anywhere nearby ( They fly up to 5 miles to find nectar) and no weird cell phone towers, or other concentrated electromagnetic pollution to cause their immediate distress. I am hoping that a colony collapse and mite-resistant strain of bees can develop in our area. Check out your local beekeeping group!! I started one as it appeared that we needed to get together. Turns out that almost 40 people in our sparsely populated area keep bees or want to have bees!

There have been a few good movies lately – coming around to educate us and interest us in bees…including the newest – The Vanishing Bees. See a fabulous trailer at their website – http://www.vanishingbees.com/

You can even play games about bees… learn about how to keep bees, or enjoy using local honey in special ways. Bee kind to our pollinators, they are our benefactors in so many ways.