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  • From: Marty Hanks <marty AT justbeenc.com>
  • To: Orange County Bees <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [ocba] 3 splits, 2 important notes and a thanks you!
  • Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:34:49 -0400

Hello,
 
I wanted to add a note of warning-advice (see below) to Lewis's emial from earlier. Its gonna be a busy spring for sure! From varroa to swarms to early honey season!
 
I went last week to check the girls and all seemed well...i returned late yesterday and 3 of my hives had swarm cells on the bottom of the frames and were bursting at the seams.  SO after an eventfully friday w/ caitlin and the double catch swarm i was faced now with splitting. I had some great help from Annalys w/ putting frames & foundation together and also 4 boxes for me. Then today and on a whim Kitty & Chuck came to help. It was overcast, so not the ideal day and almost all the girls were home, but it had to be done.
 
So they REALLY got broke into beekeeping. We split 3 hives...SO full! Because of a combination i had to do in late winter to save one hove...one box had a deep and 2 mediums of bees. So we got through all three but half way through the 3rd i got lit up 5-6 time and became a total girl magnet. They stepped up so brilliantly and finished it for me!!
 
SO i want to say thanks to all those who helped and also to the OCBA Bee School....great teaching..you have just made 2 great beekeepers!
 
2 NOTES:
1). On March 1st I added an empty (shallow) honey super to the one hive w/ the 3 supers of bees. Yesterday they had already filled 85% of it w/ nectar. I do not know how, but am not complaining! I couldn't believe it. i have seen leaves on the Tulip Poplars...not sure if there is nectar yet?
 
2). I had also just installed Pierco drone frames in around 4pm yesterday. Today during the splits one colony had already staring pulling out cells, on both sides, over 70% of it....in less than one day. Also ALL my hives had tons of drones in it so now w/ these new frames they will have somewhere to build....looks like a busy year for sure! 
 
Happy Beekeeping!!

 
Cheers,
 Marty Hanks
Just Bee, Apiaries
 



  • [ocba] 3 splits, 2 important notes and a thanks you!, Marty Hanks, 03/18/2012

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