I had many jobs during the inspection today. I saw a bee on two occasions carrying out pupae from Proteus. I want it to get more sun to lower the possibility of disease like chalkbrood, etc. So my first job was to move Proteus back one foot into the sunshine. I took off the top three boxes and slid the bottom box, slatted rack and SBB to the waiting concrete block. It went well and I blocked the entrance with leaves to help the bees reorient.Then I did my first honey harvest from Mellona. I took the oldest box and brought the frames inside for crush and strain. I left the box standing outside Mellona to get all the bees to return to the hive. I then crushed and strained the honey. I believe I will only get honey from Mellona this year.
Proteus has brood all into the third box and has done little work in the fourth box.
Bermuda has built itself back up well but is just now exploring the third box and isn't ready for a honey super....and then there's the small swarm which won't make honey this year - we just hope it survives.
What is the purpose of the grass in the hive entrance?
ReplyDeleteMark, Preston ID
I moved that hive about one foot back from where it had stood - you can see the concrete blocks on which it originally stood - so to get the bees to reorient, I put grass in the entrance. The bees "think" that a tree has fallen and changed something so they reorient to the new location and therefore don't get lost when they come back from foraging.
ReplyDelete