All systems appeared to be go in my first-year hive w/two deeps. Did an inspection with an experienced beekeeper this weekend and he agreed that the hive looked healthy. Plenty of room, plenty of eggs, plenty of stores. But we are in very intense heat wave and I did not offer additional venting.
The bees are 100’ up an eastern white pine. No way to get at them.
Looks like I should have vented the hive.
Darn it!
First photo is yesterday AM. Tree shots are this morning.
Not sure what to do now with my residual girls, especially this late in the season. Suggestions?
That looks like a large amount of bees for that hive. From photo it looks narrow. 8 frame boxes? Lot of bearding for AM. Shading sunny sides of hives might have helped. Leaving top ajar to vent a little. What is left, brood, larva eggs and honey? Regardless there is not much to do without resources from another hive. You could condense in nuc if enough bees to cover frames. Let brood emerge and then store frames protected from bugs for spring. Give brood to someone close by to boost their hive…Retreive your frames later. The comb is valuable so do not let hive beetles, wax moths, or roaches destroy them.
Hi Bubba,
Thanks for the reply. Yes, there are brood, larva eggs, honey left inside, and the gang that decided to stay. The nuc direction is interesting and that may be the way to go. I live in a cold-winter area and that’s the biggest worry. I do also have my experienced beekeeper who keeps hives in NYC, though that is 100 miles away and the only beekeeper I know. Spent the afternoon becoming book-smart about swarms. Just looked again and they are still way up the tree. I’m getting ready to put my drone up to get a few photos.
Darn.
Thanks again!!
Consider you may get secondary swarms from the hive and read up about doing splits for swarm prevention Harry. 97 feet up is a bit far for a step ladder
Hello Faroe,
I watched the swarm leave their first-day settlement in the tall pine this morning. The scouts must have found a new home. It was quite a thing to see, and the silence afterward was a bit heartbreaking. They are now fully gone and likely in the state forestland that surrounds our property.
They normally do not go that far to set up new hive.Perhaps you will catch one of their swarms next year if they survive the winter. If you have spare time bee lining is fun. You can find wild hives that way. Might find that swarm. Many videos on how to do it. Here is a short one. https://youtu.be/Bqjy4AUQtI4