Mite drop

It is in the high eighties today, and they it it will reach ninety tomorrow. So much for our cool spell.

In light of this, I took out the bottom boards. There were loads of dead mights, one live hive beetle, and plenty more wriggly little live larvae of an unknown species. Clearly the MAQS were doing something.

The Japanese knotweed (a.k.a. bamboo) is in full flower, and the bees are busy.

More food and MAQS

Last Wednesday I put on another gallon of syrup on each hive. Over vacation, the bees had drained their  previous gallons.

Today I put on MAQS; the weather should stay between 50 and 90 degrees for the coming week. I took off the feeder pails: the Benedictium had about a quart left in it, and the Salomium was sucked dry. The bamboo is in bloom, so I'm surprised that the bees are so thirsty.

The Benedictium still has some undrawn frames in its upper deep. The Salomium has undrawn frames in both deeps. I doubt I'll super any mediums any time soon.

We saw pollen going in both hives over the weekend.

Two more gallons

One each of syrup on both hives.

More food

So I put four more pounds on each hive.

The Salomium had a very little bit left from last week.

Hive inspection and Feed

I opened up both hives today. In the Salomium I saw EGGS! So the Salomium looks good. I also saw plenty of capped honey.

In the Benedictium I saw plenty of larvae, so my non-observance of pollen in previous notes seems softened.

But I saw no eggs. And I saw no capped honey.

Both feeder pails were empty. Perhaps the Benedictium stopped laying because they were dry.

Anyway, I putt four more pounds of sugar on each hive.

Food and Pollen update

I put 4 pounds of sugar on each hive today. I noticed a bit of pollen going into the Salomium, but none going into the Benedictium. This might just be because traffic was light in the Benedictium, but it may be time for an inspection.

Beginning the July dearth

Well, each hive drank the full half gallon of last week's syrup. I put a new gallon of syrup on each hive today. The weather is very hot in the nineties and rainless, although the humidity is fierce.

Thirsty

Well, they drank all their syrup. I'm not sure why they were so thirsty, maybe it's all the rain we've had that's made it too hard to forage.

At any rate, I spit 4 pounds of sugar between the two colonies, a half gallon of syrup a piece.

More food

I put four more pounds on each hive. They have drunk very little of their syrup. Maybe next week I will split four pounds between them...

More food, and burr comb

I mixed up 8 more pounds of sugar to put on the hives. I got 4 pounds on the Salomium, but when I opened up the attic of the benedictium, there was too much burr comb (with brood!) on the feeder for me to feel comfortable working it without smoke, a brush, and a veil.

So I put on their 4 pounds today.

Quite a bit of brood up there in the attic. I don't like that.

Oxalic acid, brood

My oxalic acid came in on Friday, so I mixed up a liter of 3.5% solution today.

I went out to the hives, and there was plenty of brood. I saw quite a few larvae when removing burr comb, and I saw no mites. So maybe I didn't need any oxalic acid after all, which is just as well, since it's too late to treat.

Happy Pentecost.

Food

Time to replace the feeder pails. There was a pint of syrup left in each, but it was getting moldy.

One gallon each, 4 pounds of sugar each.

Food

Put on two fresh feeders, 1 gallon each, each with 4 pounds of sugar.

Both of the old feeders were sucked dry.

Both queens have escaped, and plenty of pollen is going into both hives.

Pollen!

One day out, and already we have pollen. Yay!

Benedictium and Salomium

Installed two packages of bees today, named the Benedictium and the Salomium. It's awfully late, but the fruit trees are in bloom, and of course I'll feed them.

Put one feeder pail on each hive, each with 4 pounds of sugar.

Salomium starved out

I cleaned out the Salomium today. They starved; very little honey left.

I'm not sure why they did not have enough. I fed them as much as they would take, which was not alot.

Another hive lost

It was 61 degrees today, and Brenda went out to check on the bees. No signs of life. Despite rapping on the hive, no-one came out to investigate.

It might have been the arctic vortex Pittsburgh experienced these last two weeks.