Posted By: Wade
Bee check up/check in - 10/01/17 09:24 PM
What are you guys seeing now? My neighborhood hives are really looking good and working hard. Lots of goldenrod here and at the farm. I have feeders on a couple of hives at the farm. Added robber screens and taped up the top entrance hole prior to adding the top feeders. I did lose the one hive during Varroa treatment but that was my fault for leaving an opening and they were robbed out and absconded. Completed Apiguard treatment last week on all the hives. Looks like I started the summer with 2 hives and will go into winter with 8. I did manage to get several supers of drawn comb this summer so that should help next year. Learned that I need to keep tabs on the bottom supers during the summer. I accidentally moved a queen when trying to make a split earlier in the summer and the hive never really got back on track. Bad thing is that the split didn't make it either. I'm bad about not wanting to disturb the bottom and just see if they need more room up top.
Brad: what are you planning on planting for the bees next summer? I need something for after late June. I robbed mine this summer around July 4 and I feel like they need something to boost them around then. I can plant around an acre or so just for the bees and I may try buckwheat if that worked well for you.
Goals for next summer: Get a least 2 of the hives to put on 4 or 5 supers on honey each and split some of the others to get to 12-15 hives.
Brad: what are you planning on planting for the bees next summer? I need something for after late June. I robbed mine this summer around July 4 and I feel like they need something to boost them around then. I can plant around an acre or so just for the bees and I may try buckwheat if that worked well for you.
Goals for next summer: Get a least 2 of the hives to put on 4 or 5 supers on honey each and split some of the others to get to 12-15 hives.