Here are my two new hives, 15 days after installing 5-frame nucs into them.
Things are really busy now! Last weekend I took one frame of brood and nurse bees from the stronger hive ("Aurora", the one on the right) and put it into the slightly weaker hive ("Esperanza", the one one the left), and now the two hives seem to be pretty equal in strength. It worked well!
When it's a warm sunny day the air is thick with buzzing bees. Gives you a healthy respect for 'the power of bee'. They are bringing in pollen like mad, and next week I will go in to see how much comb they have made and check the brood pattern.
Things are really busy now! Last weekend I took one frame of brood and nurse bees from the stronger hive ("Aurora", the one on the right) and put it into the slightly weaker hive ("Esperanza", the one one the left), and now the two hives seem to be pretty equal in strength. It worked well!
When it's a warm sunny day the air is thick with buzzing bees. Gives you a healthy respect for 'the power of bee'. They are bringing in pollen like mad, and next week I will go in to see how much comb they have made and check the brood pattern.
Wow! They really are busy. Do you have some type of opening in your outer cover? I like that, I wish we had that on ours.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle- :)
ReplyDeleteI cut those openings in the edges of my inner covers, using a saw, chisel, and then a file.
I am a believer in lots of hive ventilation and also in giving bees a top entrance as well.
It'll help with letting summer heat escape too.
I think I need to put a screened bottom board in my hive for ventilation. The bees seem to need more of it. That is cool that you could create the ventilation in the cover yourself :)
ReplyDeleteMichelle, last year I tarpapered my hive and had solid BB and very small lower entrance and no top entrance...buttoned up tight. My hive died anyway....and it was pretty wet looking inside in the Spring.
ReplyDeleteThis time I am keeping my hives open all through winter. Leaving open screened BB AND a big top entrance, plus top insulation under the top cover too.
I read that cold does not kill the bees- only too much moisture and condensation.
I have fun tinkering with ventilation. :)