I have my head on backwards!!!

annette · March 13, 2008, 01:35:54 PM

Went up to visit the hives yesterday and make sure the super hive has room to expand. Well nearly every frame was packed solid with brood. So I went and got an empty super with starter strips and proceeded to transfer frames into the empty super and stupid me, Instead of placing them Brood, Brood, Starter strip, BBS, BBS, I must have lost my mind or had something else on my mind, I placed them Brood, Brood, Starter Strip, Starter Strip, BBSS,BBSS. I messaged MB and he said the problem would not be how they draw the comb, as they will probably draw the comb straight anyway. The problem is the brood is separated to far and they can get chilled. Yesterday the weather was low 70.

I did this in 2 supers. Now today and for the next few days, we are having rainy cooler weather. into the high 50's now.
I am so upset that I did this and now run the risk of killing off lots of brood. With this rainy cool weather now, I cannot fix the problem now.

Next week it should be warm again, but perhaps to late for all that brood.

This is a super hive overflowing with bees and I am praying they have enough bees to keep the brood warm.

My other hive, which is weak, does not have a queen. They are going down in numbers and no brood inside. I gave them a frame of open larva and eggs and a frame of brood to help them along.

It was not a good trip to the hives. My smoker went out to early and the bees went ballistic on me when I was transferring frames and I crushed so many bees trying to get the supers placed back on with all those bees hanging over the edges of the supers. I also got a bit rough with the transferring of the frames with so many bees around I am afraid I crushed many bees inside the supers also placing the frames back in. I needed the smoke,but did not have it.

I pray for this hive that I did not kill the queen. This is always my biggest worry.
My confidence level is very low right now. I pray both hives will be ok
Annette

Scadsobees · March 13, 2008, 02:09:55 PM

I'd guess that they will be just fine. If they are packed in like you said, they won't abandon the brood. Heat rises, and this is at the top. If it gets really cold, instead of festooning in that open space making wax, they will just cover the brood anyway.

Even if you get some chilled brood, it may set the hive back a day but they can recover from that quite quickly. No worse than taking a few frames out for a split, really, when you think about it.

Good to give that brood to the queenless hive. If they are dwindling fast, give them a frame or two of capped brood to bolster their numbers.

I think that you are doing fine with this all. It is so hard when you know what you want to do, but then actually doing it when you are in the beehive and they are flying all around and you don't wnat to have them open too long and you see things that you don't expect and the #$@#@ smoker keeps going out and you are worrying about hurting the bees and ...and .... whew!! I can't wait! :)

Have a beverage of your choice, kick back, relax, they will be fine!

Rick

Understudy · March 13, 2008, 03:00:04 PM

The bees will be just fine.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

annette · March 13, 2008, 07:33:42 PM

Thanks guys,

I am starting to feel much better about it all.

I will give that queenless hive some more frames of brood next week when it warms back up.

Thanks so much
annette

super dave · March 13, 2008, 10:34:46 PM

just turn around and every thing will be alright

annette · March 14, 2008, 12:15:29 AM

That is funny!! I need to be exorcised.

Cindi · March 15, 2008, 10:26:05 AM

Annette, oh no, you always get yourself into a tizzy, things will be OK. I am like you very often too, I get into that state about things, I know, it is an uncomfortable feeling.

The bees protect the babies very well. If the weather turns cooler, then the bees stay home. Their job is to look after the babies, and if there is a whole swack of bees in there, they will all be keeping the brood warm. When the brood is capped over, they can withstand slightly cooler temperatures, when uncapped yet, they need it quite a bit warmer.

So girl, don't worry, the bees have a way of taking care of things in their colony. I think for any kind of "chilled brood", the temperatures would have to be significantly lower than your "cold" days right now, and remember this one thing, which I already told you, if the weather is such that the bees are not flying, there is great numbers within the colony and their job is to keep the temperature just the the beautiful sunny days that were there before.

You care about your bees, that shines through, that is a good thing, and the more you experience all this stuff with the bees, you will find the less that you will worry about. I think that next year, you won't even be worrying about one little thing in there at all, hee, hee. You're doin' just fine, girl. Have a beautiful and wonderful day, tell us more about how your carpel tunnel is doing, I would love to hear. Cindi

Frantz · March 15, 2008, 11:00:11 AM

Annette,
Here is a little tip from us Boyscouts here in UT,for your smoker. I have found this to work extremely well. Take an old egg carton (Cardboard one) and fill the spaces with lint from your dryer. Add a little sprinkle of sawdust on top (helps it to light quickly) and then melt wax on top to hold it all together. This makes an excellent fire starter. Take one little egg space off, just break it off, light it, and drop it into the bottom of your smoker. Now take tightly rolled up and cardboard and put it in your smoker. Close the lid and you are on your way. I can post some pics if you need me to. But this seems to work great and lasts quite a while.
I had my scouts make these a while back and it has worked well. I got the rolled cardboard idea off of someones post here. Good luck, let me know if it is successful for you.

Cindi · March 15, 2008, 11:16:48 AM

Frantz, holy smokers!!! Now if that isn't just the cat's meow. I think that I am going to make some of those fire starters, sounds like they could be a very useful starter fuel, good. I have dried a whole bunch of shelf fungii, I will let you all know how those work for the smoker too. Have a beautifully awesome day, groovin' on our life. Cindi

Scadsobees · March 15, 2008, 02:05:36 PM

One warning...wax in the smoker isn't too good of an idea. Because the combustion is not complete, it comes out really really acrid and nasty.

If you only use a little to get it going, then it should be fine. Once the wax has burned up the smoker should be going good.

-rick

annette · March 16, 2008, 12:30:11 AM

Quote from: Frantz on March 15, 2008, 11:00:11 AM
Annette,
Here is a little tip from us Boyscouts here in UT,for your smoker. I have found this to work extremely well. Take an old egg carton (Cardboard one) and fill the spaces with lint from your dryer. Add a little sprinkle of sawdust on top (helps it to light quickly) and then melt wax on top to hold it all together. This makes an excellent fire starter. Take one little egg space off, just break it off, light it, and drop it into the bottom of your smoker. Now take tightly rolled up and cardboard and put it in your smoker. Close the lid and you are on your way. I can post some pics if you need me to. But this seems to work great and lasts quite a while.
I had my scouts make these a while back and it has worked well. I got the rolled cardboard idea off of someones post here. Good luck, let me know if it is successful for you.

I printed out this post so I can do this. Thanks so much
Annette