Feeding for winter

I use plumber's tape on the feeder jars to help seal the threads to prevent excess leaking. It also makes the lids come off easier.

Feeding for winter

I am using my turkey cooker to make the 2:1 sugar syrup. I am standing in my shop with the door rolled up.

The box on the right contains the August swarm that was caught. I put a divider in the brood box ( 5 frames )with a cross over screen so that I could continue to use the full size top feeder. The entrance area has been reduced, and I am seeing no fighting with robbers. The larger hives are taking 3 quarts of 2:1 syrup, with the smaller ones taking 1-2 quarts.

Jar & board feeders will be used when the weather gets colder.

I will be starting the winter with 7 colonies...6 are in the pic, the 7th is off the pic to the left.

Observation Hive

My first attempt at building an observation hive. I used my mentor's as a guide, and adding my own touch to both.

Ready for bees and a date at school for an exhibition.

Completed 2 frame hive painted Bee Blue. Both panels have been removed.

August Swarm

After seeing a tornado of bees, it was not hard to spot the swarm on a poke berry plant.

The weight of the bees caused the 3 foot tall poke berry plant to topple over.

I cut the plant and removed the 3 center frames in order to shake the bees off the poke berry plant.

Replacing 3 center frames.

Closing up.

I am standing near the swarm area. The brood box is hidden by tall grass.

The balance of the bees in the grass moved into the box.

By late afternoon, the bees were sitting outside.

Bee Yard

Hot summertime days in the bee yard.

Funnel Setup On Tree Hollow

June 16
I removed bees from this tree hollow in May 2009. The hole was screened closed, but a squirrel reopened the hollow and bees moved back in May 2010.

10 foot high frame set at large front yard oak tree.

Box and funnel set at about 9 feet above ground.

Moving Day For Bees

When I returned from breakfast, all the bees had moved into the top box. I set it onto a bottom board with an entrance restricter, and added a top feeder with sugar syrup to help get the bees settled and back to business.

The vacuum system is set up with bottom board, deep box, screen sleeve, and top. The top brood box holding the wire frames with comb is added to the stack. The screen in the center sleeve is pulled outward to allow the bees that were vacuumed into the lower brood box to move upward on to the frames with the brood and queen.

The small combs are placed into the pre-wired frames. You can see some brood through the 1/4 inch wire. I only needed two wire frames to hold all the comb.

Cool morning keeps the bees close.

The cooler with the paper cover at 6:00 AM the next morning. I tool a sharpen pencil to punch a row of holes in the paper across the top and bottom when it was unloaded the night before.

It is 9:00 PM, and we are looking at an older Styrofoam chest cooler. A new swarm of honey bees have chosen this as their new home. They use a crack between the cooler and the wall at the top right corner as the entrance. The old tobacco basket on the left side was removed to gain access. A sheet of brown craft paper that was cut from a roll was slid up from the bottom between the cooler and the wall. I was taped in place for the trip to the bee yard.