Adventures in Beekeeping - Journey To Liquid Gold - Pics

[keljonma]

we checked the hive today - and it was the first time we checked it on our own without a seasoned beek with us.

I went out prepared to set up the top deep hive body, and didn't need it.

It's been 3 weeks since we last checked the hive, and they've only filled 3 frames - that's 1 a week.

They have started to draw out the comb on the fourth and fifth frames.

The first three frames have LOTS of larvae - at different stages. Some new, some almost ready to become bees - and we saw one bee trying to break out of his capped off cell - if that makes sense - a new bee being born???

I didn't find the queen, but obviously she's doing her job, right?

There were no signs of queen cells or supercedures.

We did get pics that I'll share later.

Looks like you picked a perfect day to inspect the hive. Isn't watching a new bee emerging just the *neatest* thing ever?

I would say that you have evidence of an active healthy queen, so I wouldn't worry too much about not finding her.

 

[lorihadams]

I agree, we haven't seen the queen on our weaker hive in 2 weeks but we found newly laid brood in the frames so we know she's there and doing her thing. We've been trying to back off smoking them so much too cause that forces them down into the hive body and sometimes the queen will go down to the bottom and the other bees will cover her up to protect her and that may be why we aren't seeing her.

Can't wait to see your pics!!!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Here's a few pics from when we checked the hive a few days ago.



I think it was over kill with the smoker - but no one got stung! Will be more careful with it next time.

they sure didn't stick around after that smoke job HAHA

Frame 1

Above and to the left of the bee on the right, you can see a black spot - that's a new bee emerging!

Frame 2

Close up of part of frame 2

more to come....

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Ok, so after going through more pics, I think I'm confused on which frames were which - would have been better if I had been able to post pictures the day of....short memory and all...

so only 3 frames were worked heavily, so you can pretty much guarantee all of these are from frames 1-3 - just can't tell you for sure which ones


and some did come out a little blurry, so my apologies for that, too!

I really like this pic!

and still a few more to come!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

and more pics....

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

so much for the whole - and no one got stung! :/

Just went outside to put a baggie feeder in the hive - and who do you think gets stung???


ME!!


Ingrates!


now i wouldn't have been stung if it hadn't been for the fact that she landed on my shoe and climbed up my pant leg - and me not thinking anything of it brushed at whatever was crawling up my leg....sigh.



It frustrated me, so I had to walk off for a few secs, pull out the stinger, and re-collect myself - and I decided to get my gloves because I originally went without out.

Funny, no veil, no jacket, but I feel safer with those gloves!

So while I was doing that, E slit open the bag feeder for me. I then went to close up the hive.

Freaked out (i know i know dumb!) because there were a bunch of bees (looked like young bees) on the inner cover and like an idiot I dropped the inner cover. (you do NOT want to do this!) a whole cluster of bees in the grass!!

I gently set the edge of the inner cover next to the bees, hoping it would smell like home and they'd crawl on it - and...and...it worked!!!! A couple of bees were still stuck in the grass, so with my glove I gently helped them onto the inner cover, and then we put them back into the hive.

Whew.

But.

the girls must have been hot today, because everyone was at the top of the frames, butts in the air, waving their wings like a thousand little fans.

And no, I did not take pictures.

One gal in particular was pretty mad at me when I picked up the inner cover from the ground - kept flying at my face.

And I was JUST trying to FEED them - although we did take a quickie peek at frame 4, because 3 days ago they were just starting on it. Today, they've got it almost full, and several of the cells had fat little larvae in them! (so Victoria has already visited that frame, too! yay)

So, got it all closed up, worried that I might have squished a couple gals when I put the telescoping top cover on, but I hope not.

Came in the house, and thought something else was crawling in my other pants leg....so I yanked those pants off, shook them out - almost put them back on, chickened out, and pulled a pair shorts out instead

and now - hope I don't have to go back in for another week!

How long do those bag feeders last anyway???

 

[keljonma]

so much for the whole - and no one got stung! :/

Just went outside to put a baggie feeder in the hive - and who do you think gets stung???


ME!!

How long do those bag feeders last anyway???

Everyone gets stung eventually if you work with bees long enough.

I will check my bee box again for the velcro leg bands, but I am pretty sure I left them with you.

Loved the pics. Look at the growing colony. Your queen is doing a great job!

Check the baggie in a week.


ETA: You have already used that frame grip more than I ever did.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

So we mowed around the hive tonight. Whew. I'm glad that's done - and yes, you sweat your knickers off when mowing even if it is the cool of the evening!

i can't count how many times my pants started sliding down, and i had to stop, one hand on mower, the other hand yanking my drawers back up. ayeyiyi!

but. it's done.

and we mow - usually both of us, 2 mowers going - after dark because that's the only time they won't come out to kill us for being loud near their home!

so i'm whipped and totally ready for bed now.

and let me tell you, i mowed the area closest to their hive FIRST and scurried out of Dodge as fast as I could!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I view the stings as an extra benefit in beekeeping. When I'm stung, friends and relatives try pushing benedryl on me and stay surprised when I tell them, "I wouldn't dream of stopping what those stings are about to do to me." I have less pains when I get stung. I would love a sting a week to my right ankle, but I can't really control where they will land, unless I catch them and actually put them there. I have one hive that is a bit tempermental and I took about 20 stings a month ago. Within about an hour I was feeling good.
As time goes by, the stings don't even hurt as much as they used to and my body seems to have developed a way of getting rid of the puffiness and redness much faster....like if you want to see me red and puffy, you better look as soon as it happens because in an hour, I might not even remember exactly where it was and you won't see it.

 

[valmom]

I think we need an official bee thread! I have some questions, but don't want to hijack this one.

I got stung the other day, too, for the first time- I was out to put syrup in the jar feeder I use and I was in my bare feet. Normally I just go out and add to the jar and no one bothers me. Unfortunately I stepped on a bee! I felt so bad. I couldn't think what I was stepping on, maybe a blackberry bush runner that are all around there. But, no. It was a bee. Poor thing.