Monday, March 29, 2010

Ready to start priming and painting hive bodies so they're ready when the new packages of bees arrive in two weeks. After spending some quality time assembling hive bodies, I opted to order preassembled and painted honey supers, trading much higher shipping costs for a couple days of my time.

Checked in on the two overwintered hives, and both were doing well, if a bit inactive in cool weather. Each had consumed about 1 gallon of medicated feed syrup, which was conveniently what I'd brought along to refill. Two more gallons for each hive, and that's the spring nosema treatment taken care of. I also checked in on the two baited swarm-catcher hives, and both appeared empty and unmolested. Hopefully, at least one will catch a swarm -- optimally, this would get me up to eight hives with the two that overwintered and the four new packages.

Need to be ready to handle the new packages (finish priming and painting hive components), make another 5 gallon batch of medicated feed syrup, and take a weed-whacker to the bee yard this week or next.

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

It must be spring...

I climbed over the retreating snowpack and checked the beehives today. Hooray! Both hives are active and flying. I'll need to get feeders on next week, as well as get the baited hives for swarm catching out. In early April, four new packages arrive, so I'll need four additional hives ready.

Time to start assembling new hive components.