New Bend bees doing well...

May 2 was bee day in Sisters and Bend, OR. I picked up the 3# package of Italian bees with a Carniolan queen. The new emerging bees will be Carniolan and will replace the current workers, which are Italian, in several weeks. See past posts for bee life timelines. Package was installed in the new top bar hive on a warm morning, Saturday, May 2, and the first hive check shows a viable queen in that eggs can be seen in cells on the 4th bar and bees are returning with pollen. 1:1 syrup feeding begun immediately with shipping syrup can placed in hive, too. Will continue sugar syrup feeding until the bees do not use it.

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.

June 5 sighting of new bees at Bend, OR hive

The babies are old enough to venture outside...new hive in Bend on May 3--Carniolans, dark and gentle and able to fare well through winters. Makes me happy!!! 

Today, June 7,  a few dark bees were among those returning to the hive with nectar. I understand that young bees will go out to forage earlier than the normal 3 weeks in the hive if there are not enough foragers; this would be the case in starting a new hive with a 3 pound package. Bees are now consuming about 2/3 cup syrup daily and I will continue to provide syrup until they stop using it.

Met Lucia, an experienced beekeeper, at the Juniper pool Thursday; we will open and inspect my hive together when we have a warm, calm day.

Dogs and bees and black don't mix...

Thought this might be an interesting bit to post as an fyi (for your information) for those who are not yet aware of it.  Bees do not like dogs or the scent of dogs, especially big black dogs--that would be similar to a bear to a colony...and bears destroy bee hives as we all know. I can testify to this myself from an experience yesterday morning when checking inside the hive to see how the 'super' was being accepted.

Waylon, the big black dog was not with me; however, his scent was all over my black velour lounge pants which I wore to the hive, not thinking about the strong odor that would cling to the fabric after petting and being close. As soon as I moved the top box, the bees were out and went right for my black soft furry pants, trying to sting through the fabric (fortunately, none gone through). And when the other bees sensed the stinging going on, they were coming out to help. I had to discontinue my observations, brush about a dozen from the pants, and head into the house. Even with the hat (san veil--my mistake) a bee got caught in my hair and I got a head sting...ouch! Not only the dog scent, but also I have not been here enough to visit the hive daily and give the bees an opportunity to recognize my voice and scent.

So, my advice--keep dogs and dog scent away when working with hives, do not wear black velour pants, wear a veil and keep a spray bottle with sugar water handy. Also, bees do not care for perfume or aftershave scents that people wear; ask visitors to stand farther back if they are wearing scents.

And here's a picture of Waylon and me in the stinging pants:

May 3, 2014 New Warre hive in Bend, Oregon

May 3, 2014  Warre hive populated by a package of bees from Liddells Honey of Sister, Oregon. A Carniolan queen which sounds best for the weather in this section of Oregon: respond quickly to nectar supply so less bees and brood during winter so less need for stores, and fast buildup of colony during spring.

Started feeding with cane sugar in the feeders in the sump; added syrup a few days later and bees are slurping it up--about 1.5 cups per day at first going to 1 c by May 13.

Starting the move.

Checking and preparing for move. 

Changing the syrup in sump. Hive not tilted, just appears so.

Independence Warre Hive Renovations...a good thing???

Have decided I want a harvest of honey from the Independence Warre hive and talked with hive builder, Ken. The bees have remained in the same box since the beginning and not moved into the lower box. Ken and I think this is due to the size of this top bar/Warre hybrid. Perhaps the motto is "don't mess with success" but what fun is that and how is one to learn?!

On Thursday, May 15, I added a 'super' to the top. Perhaps this will encourage the bees to increase their stores? I actually think not; in fact, the day after add the box, bees were busy sealing the openings between the bars (I had moved the fabric cover from the occupied box to the top of the new empty placed above it). A day later I am thinking it was not a good idea to remove the whole cover--opening a small portion of it would have been better; less heat would have escaped from their core area...too late now. Also added 1:1 cane sugar syrup to encourage comb building; will check in three days (Sunday) to see if they are using it.