Making Honey, Happy Bees - 2 Flow Hives occupied now - Diamond and Crystal are coming

My latest Bee Update - Honey Making.

Walk Away Split (Swarm Control) in the making, video still ongoing - 5 Capped queen cells - Watch this space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Tmgh9QSdo

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Like the video, are your bee’s on steroids they have built comb at a fair rate. I started with one colony at the end of last year and it came through the winter really strong, I had to do a split there were about 10 Queen cells. Two weeks after it still swarmed and I managed to catch them I now have three on the go. Keep the videos coming.

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Thanks Mark - Most of my vids are a little rushed when I’m away working.

I need to do some slower shots when I finish this live in stint next Saturday. I have 4 days off and then a new job for 2 weeks

Also I have a basic bee keeping exam in just less than 2 weeks time so it is good for me to do commentary while looking at the bees.

Bees are pretty good at drawing frames given the right conditions. A swarm can draw a frame in a day

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what are you using as a camera @Valli?

I have a Powershot G15 but it has a scratch on the lens and I want a better quality 1;1 sensor.
I’m waiting for a new camera - Powershot G7x to arrive

and just a chest strap?

no I hang the strap around my neck

Valli,

Awesome ! Good names you have there. I went to naming mine after tree species. . Mine are Pine, Birch n Cedar … Caught a swarm in a Maple Tree … . . Thus this five frame Deep Nuc with a supper already is Maple Hive… Then Birch got too big for its own britches so had to do a split . So my fifth n newest 10 frame hive single deep is Alder hive.

Beekeeping can grow in yah fast ! Glad I spent my winter busy assembling n buding extra boxes/hive bodies n parts. well the cat n I are done napping So better get up n make supper Uploading… Chicken/tuna n veggie noodle casserole !

Ta Ta n Cherrio my friend,
Gerald.

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Simply Amazing! Simply Amazing! Simply Amazing! (must post 20 characters)

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I only watched the first hive:
Keep an eye on that hive with the poor laying pattern.

Not the best example but if there were drone brood on my frame it would all be together in one area and not in a shot-gun pattern. It almost seems like your queen is losing her ability to lay fertilized eggs.

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@Anon
Those frames were full 2 weeks ago where the brood has hatched out the girls have filled with nectar

G’day Ed, now that is a beautiful frame of sealed brood… Wow, that IS beautiful. That’s what beekeepers dreams are made of.

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Nonetheless, shotgun drone brood would concern me. Backfilling the broodnest would have me ask, "why are the workers taking away the queens laying areas? Are they preparing to swarm or stocking up for a supercedure?

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One of Valli’s queens will be at least 2 years old this year (Emerald). So both of your thoughts are spot-on.

@Anon I’m pre-empting the swarming/supercedure I took 2 frames full of brood from both my hives - I now have 4 queen cells on one frame from Emerald and 1 QC on a frame from Sapphire - which I’ve made walk away splits - I had little choice as I’m working away from home for nearly a month - I’m a live-in carer, then I have 4 days home and 2 weeks working away somewhere else. I can get home but not every day to keep an eye out for swarms.

I have been keeping an eye on Sapphire - she was mated last summer but many beeks here are having trouble with Queens not being properly mated last season - quite a few were also lost over winter. Last year was a very bad year here for many Beeks.

So far Sapphire has been laying well and Emerald has always been a good layer

“I am Henry the Eight I Am, Henry the Eight I Am I AM!”

OFF WITH HER HEAD!! lol

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Thanks Jeff!

Anything less and the queens are culled or sent to observation hive duty for shows and school presentations.

Hopefully the queens from these swarm cells are good layers and then you can re-queen the two existing hives using eggs/larva from them.

Well done Ed, that’s a good strategy. I like the plastic foundation your using, the bees still have a decent gap on the corners for added air flow or to raise a few drones.