First Spring Hive Checks

Our colonies are doing fantastic! We are seeing eggs, larva, and pupa in all ten hives.

• We are adding a second box below the brood box because our queens are in need of more room for eggs. 
• We will continue to insulate hives internally and externally because Jack Frost has not left town yet!
• Inner feeders are being filled every 4-5 days now, anticipating a reduction of sugar syrup feeding in the next two to three weeks. As soon as you see lots of dandelions it is time to remove sugar feeders and replace them with frames.
• There is a snow storm warning for tomorrow 05.03.19 and temperatures are still in the 30s at night. Having plenty of sugar water helps the bees to stay happy and warm during cold snaps. 
• Hive checks will be done every ten days for the rest of the season. This significantly reduces the chance of swarming.
• If possible, entrance reducers can be increased to the middle setting during days when temperatures rise to 40* and higher. Don't forget to reduce it back down the smallest setting before temperatures drop back down below 40* at night. 

Here's what you should be seeing when completing hive checks:

The top photo has a couple 4-6 day old larva in it.
The eggs become larva on the third fourth day. These photos make it seem easy to see the eggs however, in many cases, it is not easy. What I do is hold a frame up in the air with the sun shining on my side of the frame. I  hold the frame at different angles and if eggs are present, I will see them.
I am careful not to expose the new eggs and larva to direct sunlight for more than a few seconds.

For more information of the metamorphosis process go to: http://beespoke.info/2014/02/11/larval-development/

Here is a photo of a healthy brood pattern:

Here is a photo of a spotty brood pattern. The queen needs to be replaced if her pattern looks like this:

Burr comb is discouraged when all frames are pushed together tight. The following photo is an example of undesirable burr comb:

Every 10 days we check the brood pattern for evidence we have a healthy queen. If we see eggs and larva we remove all queen cups and cells.

• Finally, if you don't find eggs, your colony may bee queenless. Call Dale Lupton immediately for another queen 907-978-1455. 

• When colonies go queenless for two or more weeks, some of the workers may develop ovaries and start laying unfertilized eggs (drones). A drone colony is destined to die off. Last summer we tested a remedy for laying workers and it was a great success! If you see multiple eggs in wax cells, lay a white sheet on the ground in a location 50 or more feet away from the hive. Placing the sheet on the other side of a building works very well. take one or two frames of bees at a time, walk over to the white sheet and shake them onto the sheet until all the bees have been shaken onto the sheet. You don't want to risk leaving any laying workers in the hive. The healthy bees will find their way back into the hive and they will not allow the laying workers back into the colony. Here is what a laying worker pattern looks like:

I will post again after our next hive checks. Happy beekeeping.