First Year Hive Inspection - Would Like advice

[sarafina]

Ok, I peeked into my one and only hive and it looks good so far.  I added a second deep on top of the original one about a week ago and the girls have been flying like crazy all week.

Here is what I did and I would like the experienced beeks to tell me if I am doing anything wrong or could do it better.  All opinions are appreciated, even contradicting ones  :-D

1.  Blew a few puffs at the entrance and waited a bit.  Lifted the top cover off, blew some smoke in, put it back and waited a bit.

2.  Took off the top cover and set it on the ground.  I have landscape cloth down so it is pretty clean.

3.  Took the inner cover off.  Pulled the frame closest to the wall and set it in an empty hive box on the ground.  It has new foundation and nothing drawn on it (as expected).

4.  I pulled a couple of the upper deep frames and looked - mostly nectar and some capped honey.  Still drawing out the foundation and about 4 frames out of the 10 were drawn out pretty good.

5.  I lifted the whole deep box and set it on the empty spare hive box on the ground.

6.  I pulled a couple of frames in the bottom deep - looked great - lots of capped brood and capped honey.  Bees weren't too happy so I didn't disturb too much.  Put the frames back.

7.  I lifted the upper deep and put it back on the lower deep.  I had read somewhere that if you slide the boxes most of the bees will move out of the way and fewer will get crushed.  After I did this, I noticed a bunch of bees on the lower deep side wall that had gotten bumped or shaken out of the top deep when I did this.  Is this a problem?  What if the queen was in that group?  I did not see her but I wasn't looking too hard.

8.  Put the inner cover back on and the top cover back on.

9.  The empty hive box had a bunch of bees hanging around so I set it in front of the hive so they would find their way home.



How often should you inspect and should I do anything different than what I did?  I will be getting my starter strips set in my super frames soon as I think they will be ready for another layer soon.  I plan on doing the crush and strain if I get any honey this year.

Thanks!

Sarah

[doak]

Just shake the stray bees off in front of the hive near the entrance.
I usually puff a couple squirts of smoke on the top of the box I am going to sit another one on.
Smoke it then replace the box quick and easy.
I would inspect about every five to seven days, just a peek in to the top box, to make sure they are not running out of usable space.

Now is the time to get a couple honey supers ready for when and if you need them.
May want to think about getting another colony or two.
This will give you some idea if you have a colony that is not doing so well, and some extra brood in case one is a super colony. I call it sharing comparing. :)doak

[KONASDAD]

as a beginner, inspect almost weekly, to learn and observe. You will find the queen usually near the majority of brood. Your hive sounds like its doing well, so enjoy. If they have already drawn the lower deep and most of upper, you might even get a little honey this year depending on flow.
I use inner cover as a stand for other boxes/

[Moonshae]

You usually don't have to worry about the queen being on top of the frames. Normally when you open the hive, she tucks down along a frame somewhere. I say usually and normally because when I inspected one of my new hives this year, she went with the inner cover when I pulled it off. They had built burr comb through the hole and she was on that. So, it doesn't hurt to keep an eye open, but you don't have to worry too much.

[sarafina]

Thanks for the reassurances - I would have 3 hives this year if I could have afforded the woodenware and the cost of the packages.  Next year I will expand with either a split or buy another package.  I am thankful for this forum since I do not have another hive to compare it to. 

I noticed that there have been a lot of bees hanging around the entrance this week.  I have been sick with a bad cold and didn't feel like donning my gear to remove the entrance reducer (set on 4") or the Bordman feeder I wasn't using anymore.  I took them both off today and it hasn't made much of a difference in the bees.  Is this something to be concerned about?

[doak]

I thought every one hung out on the porch in Houston in the spring/summer. :roll:
Just kidding.
It is the heat, partly. It is common in early to late evening
If this colony does well, you could split about the middle of June to first of July
Buy another or let them make one.
That is, if you are not expecting a big honey crop. But big enough for two colonies.
All depends on what kind of nectar flow you have during mid summer till fall.doak