Beekeeping, Gardening and Quilting in Eastern Wake County, North Carolina









Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Spring Bee Check

Last Thursday Steve (my neighbor beekeeper and most gracious helper) came over and we opened the hives.  I was, as usual, concerned that the bees were getting ready to swarm or could possibly not have enough food and the usual bee concerns.



Not the case - all the hives are fine.  Lots and lots of brood and bees.  I had added a deep to the Swarm Hive on Tues and they were so doggone ill, I had to leave and even when I came back later, they were waiting for me.  It was not a good bee day. No stings but there's nothing like having about a dozen bees in your face so that was all for Tuesday. 

I added a deep to Nuc #4.  Nothing to Hive #6 and Nuc #3.  Hive #4 and Nuc #1 just reversed the deeps.  They have room and maybe in a couple of weeks, I'll add supers to all the hives. But for right now, I want the bees to fill out the brood boxes or deeps. 
Very happy - started the winter with six hives and all six survived. 
And I did get stung - twice, once on each foot.  I need some different shoes or something.











This is the beeyard after adding the deeps and reversing the deeps.  I had taken a nuc out and set it up thinking a split could be done.  But we didn't see any queen cells.  Maybe later.