Yes! I appreciate you so much. I wasn’t sure what to do about the wonky honeycomb so after splitting it I just put the frames back. I hated destroying something they made. Next time I’ll do a better job of flattening and separating.
They are bringing in pollen but not 10 bees per minute, more like 5 maybe.
With a medium box, I’ve been working on a quilt for the winter. I stapled a screen on the bottom, then put a layer of wood shavings and a layer of absorbent pet bedding to fill the box. My plan is to put a Miller feeder above the brood box with dry sugar, maybe mixed with some Honey bee healthy, (add pollen patty just in case?) and then the quilt box above that, then the lid (hole open or closed??) and then the roof, which I have sealed up. With an entrance reducer or mouse guard on the entrance and then wrap and belt the hive.
Do you think it will get enough ventilation with the screen board bottom? Close the vent?
I did reach out to a local bee keeper but haven’t heard back. I’ve found another that I plan to visit this weekend.
I forgot to mention that I plan to do two treatments of Apiguard before closing them up for the winter.
Also, they have water now 20 ft from the hive and there are usually 2 bees drinking there at a time.
Just make sure that it isn’t scented. Bees are very sensitive to smell and can get very upset, or even decide to leave the hive if they don’t like the smell.
That sounds fine, but don’t use a pollen patty at times of year when the hive wouldn’t normally be expanding its numbers. I have used them during a dearth in late summer to expand the hive numbers going into winter, but between late August and early spring, I wouldn’t use them myself, especially if the colony has sufficient bee bread/pollen stored. You don’t want to stimulate the hive to produce brood which is then very hard to keep warm in colder weather, and makes more hungry mouths to feed over winter when food is short.
Yes close the vent. Counterintuitively, it improves airflow from fanning by the bees. A bit like air conditioning works better if you leave doors and windows closed…
Hey Christie, you can put a chunk of a winter patty in along with the sugar - they are a source a protein but not as high as regular pollen patties so won’t stimulate brood rearing at the wrong time.
This company might not ship to your region, but maybe you can find a better source with the info.
I found this little girl on the landing board. Any idea what might be wrong? When I gently right her, she flips over on her back again. She has a tongue out a little.
Looks like a young-ish bee so probably not old age but maybe looks a little deformed - keep you eyes out for more but don’t obsess too much about a few dead bees, during the summer they only live 5-7 weeks.
I will check that out! Can you tell what type of bees I have?
