From Sydney, Australia - this week, I check out the hive and find to my surprise Small Hive Beetles (SHB)! Help!!
Also this week I check out how the bucket feeder is going, attempt some honeycomb surgery to straighten things up and survive another week without a sting… Phew!
Oh and… the Queen shows up!
Well done on your hive inspection. A few SHBs in the hive sounds like “on par” for Sydney. Just be careful while doing those comb manipulations that you don’t leave too many bees stuck between the combs. You buried one bee, I noticed. They are things that SHB will target to lay eggs in. If you give the bees a lot of repairs to carry out all at once, that can lead to SHB damage while the bees are preoccupied with carrying out the repairs.
To straighten comb I find a sharp kitchen knife better than a hive tool. Also, the “honey” is syrup honey which is OK to give them a boost but not for us that is why I like to use a bit of food colour in my syrup when I use it. The hive beetles seem to be in the upper, unguarded box and not in your actual hive which is good. In this case I would probably use a frame feeder so the bees can patrol the whole hive so the beetles don’t get a go on. Another also, be careful about trapping bees in your top box as they just die up there.
And for fun, I look forward to your update on a hot summer’s day in your space suit 
Looking good so far.
Cheers
Rob.
I think you have done this sort of thing before Adam… you have a voice for TV… have you thought about doing the morning weather? … 
I am not far from you as the crow flies, being near Chatswood. There is also a great bee club at Parramatta which is always worth visiting their field days to learn some of the methods that have worked for decades.
You are doing a great job there, especially not tilting the comb, they are exceptionally fragile at this point. Agree with the SHB comments, I expect a few SHB in every hive though you need to consider a trap or two, have a look into beetle blaster or silver bullets that fit in between the frames, they tend to work well. Also consider removing the corflute slider if you haven’t already to provide some additional ventilation as we come into the warmer periods of the season.
Have a look around your area, I think you’ll find that the jacarandas are flowering and the Brushbox street plantings are just beginning so you shouldn’t need the feeder for much longer. Bees tend to do better on nectar than they do on sugar.
Looking forward to the next episode…
Thanks mate… I’ve done a little TV before 
Good ideas… I’ve just removed the feeder - you are dead right about the jacarandas… lots around my house. How many brood boxes do you use?
Hi all thanks so much for your comments… I really appreciate it - I’ve just published my week 5 video inspection… and more questions from this newbee as usual… Video: Week 5 Update from Sydney - When to add my honey supers and how many brood boxes?