Friday 3 December 2010
December 2010
12/3 Watched the tbh this morning for a few minutes and saw one drone returning to the hive. It kind of surprised me as I'd decided there were none of the boys left. Last time I saw a good quantity of drones was a few weeks ago when it was still warm in Livermore.
Monday 1 November 2010
November 2010
11/30 Removed sticky board and counted mites. 160 over two days, so 80 per day - still too high. Checked instructions for the formic acid pads (Mite-Away II) and found that a break of 1 month is needed between consecutive treatments, so that is probably it now for the winter.
11/28 With Jessica's help we placed a sticky (oily) board under the AL hive to count varroa mites.
11/19 Removed formic acid pad from AL langstroth hive - placed in hive 21 days previously.
11/28 With Jessica's help we placed a sticky (oily) board under the AL hive to count varroa mites.
11/19 Removed formic acid pad from AL langstroth hive - placed in hive 21 days previously.
Friday 1 October 2010
October 2010
10/29 Placed formic acid pad in AL Langstroth hive. Pad placed in empty super above the two deep boxes. Pad placed on a couple of end bars placed on top of frames below. Holes in pad pointing down.
10/27 Looked into natural treatments for mites. A thyme based treatment (Thymol) needs a temperature above 60F to work properly. Formic pads (Mite-Away II) works in cooler temperatures. Daytime maximums should be in the 50-79F range for formic acid. If temperatures exceed 82F pad needs to be removed since the bees will be over fumigated - risking absconding. Current daytime temperatures in Livermore are in the 64-70F range, so both thymol and formic acid will work. Only have formic acid pads at hand so will use that.
10/26 Completed a mite count on AL hive using a sticky board for just one day and counted 140 mites! Need to treat. Ideally count should be below 50.
10/27 Looked into natural treatments for mites. A thyme based treatment (Thymol) needs a temperature above 60F to work properly. Formic pads (Mite-Away II) works in cooler temperatures. Daytime maximums should be in the 50-79F range for formic acid. If temperatures exceed 82F pad needs to be removed since the bees will be over fumigated - risking absconding. Current daytime temperatures in Livermore are in the 64-70F range, so both thymol and formic acid will work. Only have formic acid pads at hand so will use that.
10/26 Completed a mite count on AL hive using a sticky board for just one day and counted 140 mites! Need to treat. Ideally count should be below 50.
Thursday 1 April 2010
April 2010
4/22 Uncle Mic adopts Martin's Nuc of bees
4/20 Second deep box added to the old hive
4/17 Jessica inspected the TBH, the old hive and Martin's Nuc
4/14 Jessica placed a formic acid pad in the split hive.
4/14 Jessica inspected the TBH, Combo Hive and the Split Hive - click here for details.
4/10 Jessica installed a package of carniolan bees in the TBH
4/4 Rainy day in Livermore
4/3 First warm day in a while. All bees showed increased activity for a time. Seemed like maybe there were new bees orienting from all hives. Seems too soon for that though.
4/2 Transfered bees from Alan's nuc box into the new combo hive
4/20 Second deep box added to the old hive
4/17 Jessica inspected the TBH, the old hive and Martin's Nuc
4/14 Jessica placed a formic acid pad in the split hive.
4/14 Jessica inspected the TBH, Combo Hive and the Split Hive - click here for details.
4/10 Jessica installed a package of carniolan bees in the TBH
4/4 Rainy day in Livermore
4/3 First warm day in a while. All bees showed increased activity for a time. Seemed like maybe there were new bees orienting from all hives. Seems too soon for that though.
4/2 Transfered bees from Alan's nuc box into the new combo hive
Monday 1 February 2010
February 2010
2/28 Swarm cells
2/26 Noticed bees with deformed wing virus
2/26 Jessica notices that Livermore is in BLOOM. Here's what she recorded: almond, apple, plum
peach (apricot too, she guesses), a huge tree with clumps of yellow puff balls that seem to be covered with pollen, magnolia, and the scentless pink flowers on the bushes that look like gardenias but aren't lavender
2/22 The plum in our driveway (8th Street) and the white blossomy tree in the backyard (not sure what it is) are just beginning to open their first buds.
2/18 Jessica definitely confirms seeing drone cells on a quick look into the hive.
2/14 Hive inspection
2/3 First hive inspection since the second deep box was added. A total of two and a half frames of new comb added to top box, with activity on all but the 8th frame. Bees are building comb on the empty frame that was added to the bottom box.
2/26 Noticed bees with deformed wing virus
2/26 Jessica notices that Livermore is in BLOOM. Here's what she recorded: almond, apple, plum
peach (apricot too, she guesses), a huge tree with clumps of yellow puff balls that seem to be covered with pollen, magnolia, and the scentless pink flowers on the bushes that look like gardenias but aren't lavender
2/22 The plum in our driveway (8th Street) and the white blossomy tree in the backyard (not sure what it is) are just beginning to open their first buds.
2/18 Jessica definitely confirms seeing drone cells on a quick look into the hive.
2/14 Hive inspection
2/3 First hive inspection since the second deep box was added. A total of two and a half frames of new comb added to top box, with activity on all but the 8th frame. Bees are building comb on the empty frame that was added to the bottom box.
Thursday 14 January 2010
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