Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

Henrietta23

Yard Farmer
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
6,707
Reaction score
15
Points
240
Location
Eastern CT
The elementary school where I work is having field day Friday too. I've never been there for it. So far I've been at the HS on that day. I remember having it as a kid and loving it. We had competitive events. The one at DS's old school was more a of a free for all everybody wins kind of thing. He has it at his new school on the 13th. I have no idea what it's like there. But in both cases we've had lots of notice. He needs a lunch only because I always have to provide it with his allergies, and a white tee shirt because that is the third grade team's color. And our schools provide lunch as always. I know of a couple of kids who are staying home for field day, one because he just broke his arm and one who told me that field day is stupid. I have to trust her opinion that for her it is. Most of the kids are really looking forward to it.
I worked in a school years ago where one of the PE teachers had developed this awesome program of team building at different levels from 2nd grade up to 8th. It was awesome. At the highest level the 7th and 8th graders did an overnight at a local camp that had a high ropes course. 6th graders did low ropes there for one day. The preschool through first graders had extra recess for the most part rather than anything formal. I assisted with the 6th grade program a few times and found it really fantastic!
All day movies seems excessive. We'll have teachers vying for the few TV carts for A movie on the last day but not a whole day.I agree with you on the choice of movies the school show sometimes. I don't know what they're thinking!! There's an exit assembly where the reading staff presents the summer reading challenge. I'll be at the HS that day too. As support staff we won't see kids that last day. We'll be frantically doing paperwork and cleaning. We'll pull elementary kids up until that last Friday unless they're on field trips or having special events in class. The HS kids have finals starting on the 13th and we'll only be able to see the ones who are so low that they don't take finals.
 

keljonma

Epicurean Goddess
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Messages
5,288
Reaction score
13
Points
257
Location
Garden Zone 8A Texas
I just wanted to say that QA's beek friend is at her place now so she can't come play with us for a bit....... so now we wait for her beek update :D

:pop
 

Quail_Antwerp

Cold is on the Right, Hot is on The Left
Joined
Sep 12, 2008
Messages
6,905
Reaction score
6
Points
262
Location
Ohio
Woot!! We got the mess in my hive all cleaned up - and the best part is...

NO ONE GOT STUNG!!!

We didn't get to see the queen, and yes I took pics, but I'll have to run to the library tomorrow to upload those pics for ya'll.

They had built SEVEN combs and attached them to the inner cover of the top super.

They already had honey, brood, larvae.....sigh....we tried to save it, but it was so soft it was just falling apart. Such a waste. And in the one piece of comb E was inspecting and was all excited over the eggs he saw in there.

I did get good pics, though.

They had not worked the frames in the bottom at all.

So we took the top super off, moved everyone to the bottom super, and E ran the empty cleaned up super back to the house as fast as his legs could carry him :lol:

We started at 6:30 pm and didn't get done until 7:45 pm.

Our friend who came to help was very carefully inspecting each comb as we cleaned it off for the queen, and then just as carefully shook them off into the super with frames.

He told me to check them again in 2 days to see if they are building up the frames and to look for the queen. He also said he can come back on Saturday if we wanted and he'll help me check the frames and look for the queen.

It was cute how he was being so careful, and not squish anyone. A couple bees did get squished.

We put all of the burr comb into a garbage bag, larvae and all, and brought the whole sticky mess into the house. I am going to try to pull some of it out and inspect it, take pics of it, and may use some of it to feed back to them (can that be done?)

Because, since they just spent a week wasting their energy (my poor girls!) I'm back to feeding them.

And, all the food they had in the box was GONE.

But, my beek friend said I absolutely have one STRONG hive! so that's good, right?

Oh and I wanted to tell you - Mr. I'm allergic and not gonna help you until I have my own suit E was out there the whole time in SHORTS AND T-SHIRT and was picking up the sticky gooey comb with his bare hands and putting it into the garbage bag ----- until I told him you're going to smell like food to them :lol:

So it was a mess, heartbreaking to see all that work they had done, but at the same time so awesome and I think I could check my hive on my own next time and not be such a wimp about it.

:lol:

We didn't even use the smoker or really spray them with anything - I had both out there, but the only time I sprayed any food their way was right before we closed up the hive. :)
 

emilosevich

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Jul 11, 2010
Messages
147
Reaction score
0
Points
64
Location
NE Ohio
I'm sorry your poor bees did all that work for nothing. Poor things. I can't help you with any of the bee questions, but at least I know to call you next time I see a swarm:)
 

keljonma

Epicurean Goddess
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Messages
5,288
Reaction score
13
Points
257
Location
Garden Zone 8A Texas
First, let me say :celebrate

How are you feeding the bees now? Did your beek friend leave you a feeder or a smaller box to hide a baggie feeder?

If you had larvae/brood cells, the bees can't do anything with that unless you can attach it to a frame and put it back into the hive. I have done that successfully in the past, but you have to do it quickly. If you put it out for them just loose, it may cause you problems... but I am not positive.

I bet it was sorrowful to see all that wasted work. But the plus side is now you have that beautiful wax to do something with. And your chickens will love the protein of the larvae.

Looking forward to pics. :D


ETA: PS GET THAT NEW EPI PEN for the crazy man!
 

Quail_Antwerp

Cold is on the Right, Hot is on The Left
Joined
Sep 12, 2008
Messages
6,905
Reaction score
6
Points
262
Location
Ohio
I'm using a chicken waterer for their feeder - small chick waterer, not the gallon sized.

But I've also put out a gallon sized with plain water and pebbles because my beek friend said they needed to have plenty of water (which i did know)

I also talked to the beek instructor/chairmen of the local bee club (he's the guy that wanted to help me, but wasn't available until Sunday and he only lives 5 miles away) and he said it was great that I took lots of pictures, and i shouldn't feel too badly about the burr comb in the upper hive body because it's happened to a lot of people. He said to chalk it up to a learning experience, and now I have something that I can share with other people - kind of a how not to start your bees :lol:

I'm a lot more at ease about working the hive now, and can't wait until I can go open the hive back up. :D :lol:

and just wait 'til ya'll see the pics I got! I got a great shot of all the comb hanging off the inner cover before we cleaned it all off!

eta: He also said it was great that I didn't just throw out the burr comb. This way I can take the pieces out and practice looking for brood, eggs, etc.

Also, we saw girls walking around with pollen on them - all of which was yellow. Now I need to go look at the pollen color chart...........

He also said I need to check the hive and look for the queen, because if we lost the queen then I'll need to replace her fairly quick.

Oh and p.s. - don't look for pics before 10 AM - the library is not open until then :p
 

keljonma

Epicurean Goddess
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Messages
5,288
Reaction score
13
Points
257
Location
Garden Zone 8A Texas
Quail_Antwerp said:
I'm using a chicken waterer for their feeder - small chick waterer, not the gallon sized.
An external feeder can lead to big problems, so imo that isn't the best way to go. Keep an eye out there for yellow jackets.

Quail_Antwerp said:
But I've also put out a gallon sized with plain water and pebbles because my beek friend said they needed to have plenty of water (which i did know)
They do need lots of water, especially in the hotter months for ventilation of the hive. Bees will find a local source of water. We put up our water source pretty near the hive, changed the water daily, added pebbles. I think they were using the pond more often than the source we provided. But it is a good thing to provide.

Quail_Antwerp said:
I also talked to the beek instructor/chairmen of the local bee club (he's the guy that wanted to help me, but wasn't available until Sunday and he only lives 5 miles away) and he said it was great that I took lots of pictures, and i shouldn't feel too badly about the burr comb in the upper hive body because it's happened to a lot of people. He said to chalk it up to a learning experience, and now I have something that I can share with other people - kind of a how not to start your bees :lol:
Yes, and we probably all have something like that to tell.

Quail_Antwerp said:
I'm a lot more at ease about working the hive now, and can't wait until I can go open the hive back up. :D :lol:
I'm glad to hear you feel more at ease working the hive. Keep track of when you open your hive and what you see, hear, smell (in addition to the pics). My mentors told me not to open the hive too often, as everytime you do, it disrupts the bee work in progress.

Quail_Antwerp said:
and just wait 'til ya'll see the pics I got! I got a great shot of all the comb hanging off the inner cover before we cleaned it all off!
I bet the burr comb was beautiful; it is pretty amazing bee work.

Quail_Antwerp said:
eta: He also said it was great that I didn't just throw out the burr comb. This way I can take the pieces out and practice looking for brood, eggs, etc.
Who could throw it away?! :lol:

Quail_Antwerp said:
Also, we saw girls walking around with pollen on them - all of which was yellow. Now I need to go look at the pollen color chart...........

He also said I need to check the hive and look for the queen, because if we lost the queen then I'll need to replace her fairly quick.
Yes, it is a good idea to check for your queen. I would give them some time (maybe 2 to 4 days) to settle down again.

By inspecting the comb you can see if you have more eggs or more larvae, which is one way to check the queen's health and her presence.

While inspecting your burr comb, eggs show the queen was alive and healthy within the past 3 days. Any brood you see that is more larvae looking will be older than 3 days.

A brood cell will be capped at day 9 for a worker bee, at day 11 for a drone, and day 9 for a new queen. You will be able to tell the difference in the worker and drone cells because the drone cells stick out farther. A queen cell looks like a peanut on the frame. I think you will find any capped brood to be workers; maybe a drone or two.

Quail_Antwerp said:
Oh and p.s. - don't look for pics before 10 AM - the library is not open until then :p
I hear ya! Our library did the same thing when the budget cuts went into effect in January.
 

Quail_Antwerp

Cold is on the Right, Hot is on The Left
Joined
Sep 12, 2008
Messages
6,905
Reaction score
6
Points
262
Location
Ohio
Don't think we're getting peaches off our peach tree this year :( Such a sad little tree with a lot of blight - E has the stuffus to treat it, I just don't know if he did or not.

These pics were actually taken last month, and I'm just slow to share...

100_0711.jpg



100_0712.jpg



100_0713.jpg



100_0714.jpg



100_0715.jpg


And this is the section of yard where our fruit trees are, and where we have set up the hive. :)

100_0709.jpg
 
Top