Medicine

The other day we did a quick check on the hive and added Apivar strips, a medicine to help combat Verroa Mites, a killer pest. These strips will be there for 42 days, which is two full growing cycles of worker bees, this will help keep them under control. They are hard to see but we have taken many pictures lately and after looking at them close up we haven't seen any. After the strips come out we'll be feeding them for winter and getting ready to cover them up. I also removed the shallow super I put on earlier to see if they would start drawing it out but they didn't. I'll try next spring to see if we can get some early honey.

Lots of them, looks healthy. You can see the two strips.

A cloudy day, they are still in the hive.

Busy drawing comb, covering brood and making honey.

You can see the honey in the cells.

Just walking about.

They are easy to handle, like a cat.

Getting Ready For Spring

I thought I'd get a head start on making more hive bodies (supers) and frames, so next year when it comes time to split the hive we'll have the parts to start another colony. I still have to make the bottom board, inner and outer covers, along with a stand. I still have time, but for now I made 20 frames and 3 medium supers, we still have 4 frames from before so now we can fill the three supers. Once everything was cut I just used the assembly jig for the frames, add a little glue and nails and then I put in the new permanent foundations. The supers were easy to construct, I applied a primer/sealer coat and then three coats of exterior grade paint, on the outside only.

Supers are done, frames next.

Add a little paint.

Frames glued and nailed together.

Foundations are in and we're ready to go.