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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: Meredith Friedrick <friema16 AT gmail.com>
  • To: Orange County Bees <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [ocba] Newbee questions
  • Date: Sun, 31 May 2015 21:08:10 -0400

I have my first hive (installed on April 16) and things seem to be going very well.

I successfully moved the hive about 200 yards about 3 weeks ago and it doesn't seem to have hurt the number of bees at all.

To preface my questions, I want to share that my goal is to increase bee populations in whatever way I can.  I'm not that interested in having lots of honey for personal consumption or sale (although I would love to taste some from my own hive). 

History -- The last time I checked the frames (one week ago), they had filled out foundations on 6 of 9 frames with heavy bee concentrations on both sides of the frames.  I moved the exterior (empty) frames into the center and the interior frames to the exterior in order to encourage them to fill out the empty frames.  I also have a medium super on top in case they run out of room in the bottom deep.

My questions are as follows:

1.  In bee school, I was told to open the hive "minimally" because each time you do, you kill 100+ bees.  What is "minimally"?  How often should I look inside the hive, given my goal?

2.  I was also told yesterday that I need to actually see the eggs in order to verify that I have a good queen. I haven't been able to do that because of lack of contrast between eggs and my new foundation.  I have lots of capped brood and tons of bees.  Is this something I need to get someone else to come look at? I looked for the queen the last time and didn't readily find her, but given the increase in bee numbers from the previous entries, I thought that she was there. I have seen her on previous inspections.

3.  Generally, what observations can I make from the exterior in order to know that my hive is doing well?

Thanks,
Meredith Friedrick



 


  • [ocba] Newbee questions, Meredith Friedrick, 05/31/2015

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