Or maybe it’s MY math that’s wrong. Back in September I was worried about Bee-atrice Log hive.
She had swarmed the month before and then the bee numbers were down and more importantly,
the temperature had dropped to 62F (16C). It’s January now and there are loads of bees, so we might be out of the woods.
January 5…Bee-atrice has bees on her face. Lots of bees!
The temperature is fluctuating a lot though.
January 10…temp at 88˙F
January 12…..Temp drops to 70F (21C) 18 degrees in two days? What’s going on?
January 14….Temp is back up to 90F
January 18 (today)…Temperature is holding at about 90F.
I shot some video just because I was happy to see numbers of bees. About a week later they were bringing some pollen. Just to finish off the song by Steve Montana, I added some video of the birdhouse bees. Despite being a small hive in the shade of pine trees for a good three months, they are still holding on, treatment-free. Hold on bees, the pussy willows will be flowering in February.
August 7, 2014…Nobody wants to see an August swarm. Yet here it is.
There was little doubt about where the swarm originated from. It was parked in the plum tree behind Bee-atrice Log hive. I just didn’t want to believe it was from Bee-atrice. I had such high hopes for her. The swarm that found her has been there for only two months to the day. It was a big swarm that day on June 7th. I had never seen bees build so fast as you can see by the pictures.
July 9, 2014…After only one month the comb has been built where it’s becoming visible in the observation window. These bees are serious.
July 14, 2014…Comb is already touching the window. The mouth entrance is seen at the lower middle.
July 18, 2014…Three combs are inching their way down the window.
July 23, 2014…The observation window is filled with bees and comb.
July 23, 2014…Bee-atrice’s bees have settled in nicely. This picture shows the bees and naturally built comb…no pink plastic foundation here!
I was just getting ready to shoot some videos of Bee-atrice’s two month anniversary over the weekend. We were sitting at the dinner table when my wife wondered aloud about that brown spot in the plum tree. I was hoping it was our eyes playing tricks on us, but noooooo, it was the real deal…an August swarm.
August 8, 2014…After Bee-atrice swarmed, brood temperature is holding steady.
August 10, 2014…A look through the observation window shows many fewer bees after the big swarm left..
Now we wait and worry for the emerging virgin queen to come back alive and inherit the hive…fingers crossed.
June 8, 2014…Bee-atrice has BEES. It’s been a rough time for her, but I think this one will take.
June 16, 2014…10th day of bees in Bee-atrice Log Hive. I think they will stay this time.
While I was out of town, a huge prime swarm chose Bee-atrice Log Hive for a home. I knew if we waited long enough, we’d get lucky…I just wish I could have witnessed the swarm moving in. Bee-atrice was happy. She had been rejected twice. I had tried to console her after she had been rejected by two small swarms that I had given her. I told her that “rejection” might more appropriately be referred to as “redirection.” Those small swarms would not have made it anyway. I told her that she just had to be patient until the right swarm came along.
April 27, 2014…I drop the little cast swarm into Bee-atrice log hive. They stay a total of two days, then take off for parts unknown.
May 25, 2014…A second chance presents itself, in the form of a swarm in the apple tree. I bag it and drop it into Bee-atrice. I thought for sure it would stay, but after 8 days, it took off for the Asian Pear tree. I started thinking something was wrong with Bee-atrice…then it dawned on me…maybe I was the problem. Maybe I should just back off and let nature take it’s course…thirteen days later (while I’m away), a huge swarm picks out Bee-atrice. She later tells me, SHE rejected those little swarms, not the other way around. I guess she didn’t want to hurt my feelings.
June 9. 2014…lots of bee traffic at the entrance.
June 10, 2014…This is the first time I’ve ever seen 94F degrees (34C) register on the thermometer. This is the optimal temperature for brood. Three days ago it read 60 degrees (the ambient temperature)
June 9, 2014…the bees can be seen through the observation window. If they stay, we’ll be able to watch the comb building process.
June 16, 2014…10th day, natural comb can be seen already, through the top side entrance.
June 19, 2014…Day 13, this is where the bees hang out at night while they are waiting for the comb to be built.
June 19, 2014…Day 13, in this slightly out of focus shot, you can see how far the bees have built the natural comb…almost to the top of the observation window…a length of about 14 inches (35 cm).
Drones dropping down every time I uncover the observation window…
Adventures in Natural Beekeeping 