So far getting ready for bee season has included the following:
1. Ordering stuff - this year the stuff was
A new medium box for the third hive,
Small cell foundation,
A special screened bottom board for the new hive
Queenline jars in case I want to enter any honey in a contest this year
Some smoker fuel since I am highly unsuccessful with pine needles
Filter bags for small honey projects with kids like I did last year
An extra hive tool
A telescoping and an inner cover for the new hive
A wax tube fastener for putting wax in the frame grooves for small cell foundation strips
A wooden nuc in case I get lucky and get a swarm or make a split of my hives
2. Painting new equipment and repainting old equipment
3. Cutting the small cell foundation into starter strips (will post pictures later)
Here is the new hive, Mellona (goddess and patronness of bees in Roman mythology). The hive has been painted and I've put six empty frames in the hive (starter strips of small cell will be waxed into the groove at the inner top of each frame). The nuc of bees to fill it should arrive in a week or so and will include four frames of bees and brood so I've left the middle free for them.
Here is one of the empty deep frames sitting sideways . If you look into the hive you can see the groove on the bottom of the frame. I'm actually not going to use it, but will use the groove at the inner top of the frame to hold the starter strip in place.
Here is Mellona, freshly painted in Grape Beginnings paint, waiting beside Bermuda for her new bees.
1. Ordering stuff - this year the stuff was
A new medium box for the third hive,
Small cell foundation,
A special screened bottom board for the new hive
Queenline jars in case I want to enter any honey in a contest this year
Some smoker fuel since I am highly unsuccessful with pine needles
Filter bags for small honey projects with kids like I did last year
An extra hive tool
A telescoping and an inner cover for the new hive
A wax tube fastener for putting wax in the frame grooves for small cell foundation strips
A wooden nuc in case I get lucky and get a swarm or make a split of my hives
2. Painting new equipment and repainting old equipment
3. Cutting the small cell foundation into starter strips (will post pictures later)
Here is the new hive, Mellona (goddess and patronness of bees in Roman mythology). The hive has been painted and I've put six empty frames in the hive (starter strips of small cell will be waxed into the groove at the inner top of each frame). The nuc of bees to fill it should arrive in a week or so and will include four frames of bees and brood so I've left the middle free for them.
Here is one of the empty deep frames sitting sideways . If you look into the hive you can see the groove on the bottom of the frame. I'm actually not going to use it, but will use the groove at the inner top of the frame to hold the starter strip in place.
Here is Mellona, freshly painted in Grape Beginnings paint, waiting beside Bermuda for her new bees.
Hi Linda,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed reading your bee blog as I am about to get bees for the first time ever this Spring (in less than 4 weeks!).
I am also going to cut my wax foundation into starter strips, and I have the wax tube fastener and about a pound of wax, but I'm not exactly sure how to melt the wax, get it in the tube, and then get the wax from the tube into the groove for affixing the starter strip.
So if you figure out how to do that and can post a description and pictures, that would be of great help!
"..A wooden nuc in case I get lucky and get a swarm..."
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll be lucky, but let's help it a little bit.
You have to use one hive and place in it one, preferably old black comb, where day by day you will spray a little ethereal oil of "essans de melisse". In the market you can find special attracting oils. You can spray also a little the entrance of the hive that you keep it wide open.
The hive should be placed at 1.5-2 meters high. Good luck!!!
You are providing a great information service for novice (apprentice) beekeepers. I look forward to more information especially about small cell foundation.
ReplyDeleteHello Linda, looking forward to more interesting posts especially pertaining to small cell foundation and any experience with CCD.
ReplyDelete