April 10, 2015 Bend hives update--that's hives, plural!!

Today is a warmish day here in Bend, Oregon. Set second hive this week--a 'Ken final design' topbar. He has incorporated all the good things he has learned building topbar hives during the past several years and feels the design is complete--right now I think so, too. However, one never knows what one doesn't yet know...so we shall see. The size seems perfect; the feeder looks great and I look forward to seeing it in use; the bottom board and screen will facilitate hive checking; ventilation options should do well during hot weather--yes, I think we're ready to go! I placed some of the used bars from the hybrid hive that still have a bit of wax and propolis in this hive so it may become an "in place bait hive"--we shall see.

This afternoon I opened the Bend Warre hive feeder box, which is the lowest box in the hive tower, and found it to be very wet on sides of floor and top of sugar feeder as if water is leaking through where boxes join; lots of mold--not sure you can see it here. I think I'll duct tape around outside where hive boxes meet now. Then will vent at top and bottom on really warm days to see if it dries out. Better weather predicted for next week after this current storm passes, so will try the vents then.

As third picture looking up into the 2nd/bottom box shows, bees plentiful in hive although no comb being drawn yet in lower box. Bees on sugar in feeder and others flying for nectar and pollen today at 58 degrees.

Warre hive moved this winter and is now located in upper yard closer to house, where firepit had been, and at the farthest point away from firepit so smoke will not be an issue. New topbar hive situated not far from Warre, topped with the same blue roofing--see how nicely it coordinates with neighbor's outbuilding?!

Spring 2015...summary of hives in Bend and Independence, Oregon

 Here we are--spring 2015! Carniolan colony in Bend, OR survived nicely and has been flying on warm days returning with large loads of golden pollen. Not just dark bees...also Italian looking bees...in this hive--probably a good combination.

The Independence, OR hive is gone...apparently a swarm took off late last summer when I wasn't there. When I checked the hive (hybrid Warre/topbar) during early September 2014, I found it was queen right and there were eggs and larvae, but not enough bees to replenish the honey stores for winter. Although I provided liquid sugar mixture, there were not enough bees to keep colony warm during winter, and I found not many dead bees and some cells of honey remaining when I opened the hive in March after seeing that no bees flew on warm days. Sad for a little while, but then I remembered...I am into beekeeping for pollination and procreation, not honey gathering. Swarms is what it is all about; I know this hive had swarmed several times during the previous season; a neighbor benefited from one swarm earlier in the year because I heard that the bees were gentle and hygenic (clearing out deformed larvae)--that was happening with my old hive.

 So...onwards...Ken and I had experimented with a hybrid topbar/Warre type hive and we decided it didn't work well. Viewing the pictures of how the comb was situated in the bottom box of the failed hive, we could see that the bees kept the comb closer to the 12" Warre hive dimensions and didn't build as wide as the topbar dimensions. However, the older comb from the previous year alighned with the bars and filled the box as it would in a normal topbar. Except for the late swarming, I am confident the hive would have been fine; my mistake was not getting another box under the top two when comb was started in the 2nd box.

Lower box comb

Top box of hybrid hive

We learned...and Ken remade the hybrid hive into bait hives. One has been placed in the Independence backyard jungle (see below) and one in the desert-like yard of Bend. Repurposed box into bait hive; removable lid, used bars, solid bottom, 1.5" opening with moveable cover for sealing during transport to Ken's regular topbar hives. The wax and propolis on the used bars should be an attractant to bees searching for a new hive.

Excitedly awaiting the new inhabitants!

Independence yard

Situated on tall stump in Bend yard.