Visit from the bee inspector 25 August 2011
There has been an outbreak of European Foul Brood in the area, and so the DEFRA national bee unit has swung into action, prioritising visits to apiaries within 5km or so of the outbreak. My apiaries were on their list!
Initial alarm that there might be something wrong in the hives, but a welcome opportunity to make the most of a visit by an experienced beekeeper and inspector going into winter.
The good news was that the hives were in the clear and I learned a lot from both watching him go through the hives, but also about their health and what they needed to get them into winter.
Hive 1
Found already marked & clipped queen. Brood was present. Put in second apiguard and varroa count board to reduce ventilation for apiguard to work better and to enable a count after a few days. This hive is currently on a brood and a half. Moved half brood to bottom as queen has not filled out brood box after the Pagden manoeuvre had been done but there was brood and stores in the half brood. It is possible that there is succession with queen cells torn down that were in the half brood, but currently the marked queen is still in residence.
Action: frames in brood box still missing messing up spacings. Add two brood frames. Check if spacers available.
Hive 2
Marked and clipped new queen who has BIAS. Some varroa still present but put in 2nd batch of apiguard and put in varroa count board to reduce ventilation and to allow a varroa count.
Action:
Need to remove second brood box now that hive has merged.
Hive 4
Found new queen, clipped and marked. BIAS. Put in second apiguard and varroa count board to reduce ventilation for apiguard to work better and to enable a count after a few days. Possible additional brood frame to add. There were only 9 brood frames in the box and work required to reduce down frame width, though it was possible during inspection. Removed an old Maisemore brood frame that was manky. Possible take down onto one brood box, but not vital. Learned more about Bee spaces where they were wrong in brood and on super in this hive, causing additional cross bracings on top of frames. They were just fractionally out, but enough to cause eventual issues and glueing up by the bees.
Hive 5
Found, marked and clipped queen. Put in second apiguard treatment.
Action: Need to put in varroa count board to reduce ventilation for apiguard to work better and to enable a count after a few days.
Hive 6
Found marked and clipped queen Put in second apiguard.
Action
Need to replace base from horrible solid base and cheap mesh combo and add varroa count board to reduce ventilation for apiguard to work better and to enable a count after a few days.
Bad varroa with several mites seen, may need 3rd treatment and definitely oxalic acid in November. Running v short of stores. Some in super. Need food soon.
August 25th, 2011
Topic: Apiary 2, Hive 2 Apiary 2, Hive A original, Hive B (Swarm bees from Malvern), Hive D - Padgen from nucleus, Hive F - Worcestershire hive Apiary 2 Tags: None
