My MoJo MaMa Hive

kingfisherfd2 · June 23, 2011, 06:29:58 PM

I'm not sure what this will be probably just a general place to keep an update on my only hive. Depending on what it is doing.
I'm sure that most questions that I have will go into this thread as well.
It started as a cut out. I've had it in a nuc for the last month. I'm guessing that my queen is about 3 weeks old, but she is laying and there is capped brood on the frames.

I moved them in the MoJo Mama Deep Box this afternoon. I also added a full frame of brood that I went and picked up at my friends house. He has one hive that is really strong, but not the friendliest bees. This is the hive we took the frame from.

The bees were orientating to the Deep before I finished putting the frames in.

I will up date with photo's and links to my youtube videos as I gain the proper number of posts.

Looking forward to this adventure in Beekeeping.

phil

kingfisherfd2 · June 30, 2011, 08:11:26 PM

I removed the feeder from the hive today. They hadn't used a quart in 4 days, so I guess there is better then that out there. Also, sugar ants were getting more of it then the bees. I think I need to do something about the ant. oil the blocks?

antaro · July 01, 2011, 12:37:58 AM

I had the same problem and just sprinkled some cinnamon around the hive and the bucket feeder. Ended the ants reign of terror.

mikecva · July 01, 2011, 08:47:40 AM

I had more luck with the cinnamon treatments on the grass and posts then the oil pans under the legs because it keeps raining when ever I put oil out. But the oil does make for some slick ants. :lau:

kingfisherfd2 · July 01, 2011, 10:04:53 PM

I will have to try that. Thanks for advice

kingfisherfd2 · July 14, 2011, 02:31:17 PM

This afternoon I'm heading to Brushy Mountain. Going to buy some of the basic equipment. Smoker, veil, Mediums +Frams.

Need to be ready for them to build for winter stores.

AllenF · July 14, 2011, 07:49:19 PM

The addiction is getting more costly................ :-D Have fun at Brushy. Take pics for us.

kingfisherfd2 · July 15, 2011, 12:20:08 PM

Not too bad.
Pro Smoker and Veil both in the bargain barn. 2 assembled mediums and the sides for the third one also in the bargain barn. hive tool and then frame parts and foundation enough for all of the mediums.

Saved over 100.00

Thinking about taking the foundation and trimming it down so that it more of a starter strip. Anyone have experience doing this? Thought it might make removing comb simpler.

kingfisherfd2 · August 03, 2011, 05:13:07 PM

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1980886361647&set=a.1880493811896.2097583.1227814808&type=1&theater

photo's of my hive. frame by frame. I would load them here if I could direct attach them. Or mass upload them to image shack

Is there anyway around this image shack?

I've also loaded them over at the facebook page.

kingfisherfd2 · August 03, 2011, 07:20:45 PM

Super is has 10 frames of foundation. No activity might not be necessary.

frame one

frame two

frame three

frame four

frame five

frame six

frame seven

Miss Mojo Mama

frame eight

Frame one is at top of the image moving down.
the ninth and tenth frames are undrawn wired foundation.

L Daxon · August 04, 2011, 12:59:55 PM

Thanks for the photos. I always like to see other peoples "stuff".

kingfisherfd2 · August 04, 2011, 04:17:52 PM

I am hoping that I might get some advice on whether or not I need to be feeding at this point to get them prepared to go into winter.

Frame 2 was in position 3. The bees were cross combing between frame 3 and 4. so I separated them. They do use the frame still, but they aren't building the foundation out.
I am tempted to start feeding 1:1, Four of the frames in the deep are empty. I added the super for 2 reasons. I was thinking the added space might help the hive temperature. I also thought that they might rob the frames of wax to draw out the lower frames.

Any advice about these things or any other thing you might want to suggest?

Buffalo Bee Farm · August 04, 2011, 05:00:49 PM

Im in central Va and we still have a few months left before winter, however, especially with a new hive you need to start preparing them now.

I notice 3 big things with your hive IMO:

1) lack of brood, you have some but not a ton.
2) Lack of pollen stores, they need pollen to feed brood, but they need bees to forage for pollen, if you have small hive beetles feed dry pollen sub, otherwise through a pattie on them. and keep it coming.
3) Your hive is DRY, i see little to no honey stores at all. FEED 1:1 as much as they will take it.

Right now in my area we dont have enough nectar flowing to make the bees draw comb, you must feed to draw foundation. Dont under estimate what they will take, in some cases they can use a 1/2 or more in a 12 hour period!

If your climate is anything like mine in central VA, i would feed NOW both pollen sub and syrup and continue to do so until you have a solid deep and medium drawn and filled with bees, brood, and stores.

Maybe i am seeing the pictures wrong, but IMO that hive is in danger of failing this winter, if not fall with no honey and very little pollen and comb.

Some might say you can overwinter it as a nuc, but this would take intense feeding all winter of fondant and still a risk.

Do you have a local mentor?

kingfisherfd2 · August 04, 2011, 07:41:05 PM

I have one friend, that has kept bees for about 3 years.

I've only been given very limited help from him. I've basically been left on my own to fend for myself.

I will start feeding them again.

Buffalo Bee Farm · August 05, 2011, 10:02:30 AM

i would make sure you attend a local club and find a mentor that you can work with, both him/her visiting your hives and more importantly you work with them.

kingfisherfd2 · January 25, 2012, 01:33:02 PM

I got into my hive today. She is going like gang busters. The mild winter so far has kept them going and the hive seems to be bursting at the seems literally.
My deep at the bottom of the hive is slightly warped and the back of the hive has opened enough to let bees come and go. So there is the reduced front entrance and a second rear entrance. I have a Leatherleaf Mahonia that has been blooming now for close to a month. My bees have been working it and I think that the Medium is full. I cracked it off the deep today. I would think it is close to 30 pounds. I noticed when I pulled it off that there were a bunch of huge larva that were between the medium and deep.
I'm almost tempted to add another medium, but I don't have anything with drawn comb so I think I just need to wait until say March or late February.
They are bringing in what looks like 3 different kinds of pollen. Not sure what else is blooming but they have found it and are working.

yockey5 · January 25, 2012, 03:54:11 PM

I hope it continues to do well. They will need pollen and honey (sugar syrup) very soon as we approach brood rearing time.

backyard warrior · January 25, 2012, 10:11:41 PM

You always want to draw your frames out completely and have lots of honey going into winter. If they arent drawing comb you need to feed them till its all drawn out. chris

kingfisherfd2 · February 23, 2012, 05:12:10 PM

Just came back in from my hive. I have added another medium, and checker boarded the frames between the two mediums so that a frame of foundation is above a frame of drawn comb and below and above on the one next to it. So every other frame is drawn comb.

There is a lot of drone comb that has been drawn and I have also seen them forcing drones out of the hive. This is the first appearance of drones in my hive. I am hoping that the additional space that I made available to the bees will help them with a jump start on this early spring that we seem to be having. The Drone comb sections are really wild looking too.
Got my first sting of the year. On my belly through my shirt. Not very bad at all.

Hemlock · February 23, 2012, 08:44:30 PM

Hi kingfisherfd2,

Out of curiosity, did you see regular capped worker cells in that hive? Just asking to make sure you don't have a virgin or poor queen.