No Protection

I'm getting quicker at routine syrup feedings. I had 8 quarts of 2:1 sugar syrup leftover from canning.

This time I did it without any protection. I open the cover, remove three to four bars, take out the empty jar, take a photo of the comb, observe the bees, put the new syrup in, close up the bars, and replace the cover. It takes about five minutes if I drag it out.

There were bees all over the patty I fed them last week.

No new comb. There are still about 8 empty bars at the back of the hive.

I'm having trouble keeping the water clean and to keep the bees from drowning. We seem to have a visitor to the water that removes marbles and skewers.

I wonder when the honey harvest is...? I'm not expecting anything, though I think it would be interesting to try at least one bar.

Company

Tracy visited the bees, even poked her head in to see the comb. She's so brave!
No new comb, just more honey.
I replaced a moldy quarter patty with a previously used half patty from earlier in the season.

Honey

Fed the bees another quart in the morning (leftover from canning).

Bar #14 is mostly filled with honey and some pollen.

Last Comb

Fed bees another quart of 2:1 sugar to water; leftover syrup from canning apricots.
Bar #14 is finished but no other combs are started.

Pioneer Day

Viewed via webcam - last comb almost vacant of bees.

Dead Bees and New Comb

This time I fed them 1 quart of syrup. I noticed a dead bee get drug out and then looked on the ground to find dead bees scattered on the ground.

Bar #14 is just started.
Bar #13 is half comb.
Bar #12 is full comb.

Hot Temperatures

Earlier today I watched as several bees stood on the entrance board with their heads pointed in and their tails pointed down and their wings beating rapidly.

Temperatures reached 90 degrees today. I wondered why the bees were fanning outside the hive. Were they robber bees, telling the gang where to find the honey? If they were fanning to cool off, why were they outside the hive?

Upon opening, I can see the hive quarters are very crowded.

There are even many bees at the back of the hive near the camera. I used to adjust the camera with bare hands, but I won't be doing that today.

I took out the false wall and opened up the whole hive to the bees.

Using the crowbar, I shifted all the bars back far enough to insert two empty bars in front. The bees festooned from the front wall to the moved comb.

 

Before I inserted the two bars, bees were bearding at the entrance. Afterwards they moved in.

Feeding

Mr. Handsome made a quick visit to replace the sugar syrup. 

Inspection noVideo

Today was the last day before the rains were to start up again. I have wanted to get in since seeing the dead larva outside the hive. I haven't noticed anything else to be concerned about from the outside view, but it has been several weeks since I have made an inspection and I was curious how they were really doing.

As always, my inspection didn't start until late in the evening. I suited up while the cameraman setup his station and got the smoker puffing. The bees were very calm. My boys were walking around me in their bare feet the whole time, making me think I was overdressed. Sometimes they even stood directly in front of the entrance. They have no fear. Neither of them have they been stung before.

I really wanted to upload the boring video, but it was too large.

Inspection Report:

8:00 pm - 8:20 pm

mostly cloudless sky

Bar #0 - new full comb, most empty, uncap honey at top

Bar  #1 - front full cap brood, back sparse cap brood

Bar  #2 - front 2/3 cap brood, back 1/2 cap brood, some uncap larva, festooning

Bar  #3 - 1/3 cap brood

Bar  #4 - drone comb, uncap honey at top, many empty cells

Bar  #5 - 3/4 cap brood

Bar  #6 - 1/3 cap scattered brood, larva

Bar  #7 - 1/3 cap scattered brood

Bar  #8 - empty, few cap brood on bottom

Bar  #9 - heavy, 1/2 cap misc, some cap drone, some uncap honey

Bar #10 - eggs, few cap drone, 1/3 uncap honey at top 

Bar #11 - new comb, 1/3 uncap honey, rest empty

Bar #12 - 1/2 new comb, uncap honey at top, rest empty, festooning

Bar #13 - tiny new comb, empty, festooning

Bar #14 - no comb, festooning

Bar #15 - no comb, few bees

Notes: quarter patty 1/2 consumed, replaced pint feeder syrup, no queen found

Hive Growth

 I opened the hive to peek inside the back.
Syrup was empty and a few bees were feasting on the patty.

The bees just began comb on bar #11.

I wanted to see the activity level on bar #0, but as I started pulling the bar up a beard of bees spewed out and startled me since I wasn't suited up for that kind of job. I carefully closed it up.

Feeding

I made up a new 1:1 syrup, putting it in a pint jar this time around and cut a new patty out. Then placed those in he back of the hive just before heading out of town.