Post by rjoki on Apr 23, 2012 9:39:59 GMT -7
Thought it might be time to get some conversation started again about what everyone is up to in their Portland backyard hives. My three hives made it through winter is awesome shape, and although I don't re-queen (as of yet), each is stuffed with hard working bees, lots of brood, and lots of nectar with a good dose of capped honey and pollen.
Soooooo -- I decided yesterday that the day had come to give them some space before the urge to swarm comes to their collective minds. After a frame by frame inspection of their upper box (a medium over a deep), I scraped the upper frame top and bottoms clean of drone cells etc, put on a thin metal queen excluder (the kind without the wooden frame) and gave them an empty super, replaced the inner cover, and put the top back on.
I had frozen my medium super boxes and partially drawn frames before placing them on the hives to be sure to kill any residual moth eggs etc. - but I was sure to let them warm back up before placing them on the hives. I use ten frames on the brood boxes, and nine frame spacing on the supers.
Last year's honey production went entirely back to the bees early this year, so I am hoping to the weather gives all of us a break this year as I'm down to my last few jars from that 2010 honey bonanza year.
Share what's up in your yard with your bees this week !!
Soooooo -- I decided yesterday that the day had come to give them some space before the urge to swarm comes to their collective minds. After a frame by frame inspection of their upper box (a medium over a deep), I scraped the upper frame top and bottoms clean of drone cells etc, put on a thin metal queen excluder (the kind without the wooden frame) and gave them an empty super, replaced the inner cover, and put the top back on.
I had frozen my medium super boxes and partially drawn frames before placing them on the hives to be sure to kill any residual moth eggs etc. - but I was sure to let them warm back up before placing them on the hives. I use ten frames on the brood boxes, and nine frame spacing on the supers.
Last year's honey production went entirely back to the bees early this year, so I am hoping to the weather gives all of us a break this year as I'm down to my last few jars from that 2010 honey bonanza year.
Share what's up in your yard with your bees this week !!