Lots of Activity at the Hives Today! Wax Moths, Drone Larvae

Beautiful day today and while I was out walking the farm, I stopped by the hives for a quick look. WOW! So much activity going on in front of the hives! Bees were flying every which way. My first thoughts were robbing, but that was not the case. Think it was just a traffic jam for the ladies trying to get out and do thier business on this beautiful sunshine day! If you click on the picture you will see how many are flying just outside the hive.

When I opened the outside cover on Hive #1, I found a WAX MOTH! Not good! They can and will destroy your hives! I think they were able to get in while I was ventilating the hives during that super hot spell we had last month. I was trying to move the moth so I could take a picture when one of the bees snatched her up and immediately killed her!

Still slow going as far as comb building is going. But I have been assured that this is perfectly normal. Tons of pollen being brought back into the hives. Look at this picture...Amazing to see all of the different colors of pollen the girls bring back. Again, click on the picture to enlarge it to really see!

Both hives are still going strong. Take a peek at the sheer number of bees that are loading this hive...

And finally, loads of drone larvae on the bottom of one frame! Couldn't believe how many there were! Also saw a few baby bees being born again today! Doesn't matter how many times I see it, it still is simply wonderful to watch!

Pennsylvania State Bee Inspection! Varroa Mites, Sugar Rolls, Babies are Born, and Honey Bound Hives!

The Pennsylvania State Bee Inspector came to visit the bees today on the farm! My mentor, Mr. Fine had given me her name and told me to have her come out and do an inspection which is required by PA State Law.  Bonnie came out and was absolutely wonderful!  Thank goodness I had Travis with me so he could remember details I couldn't.  She was such a wealth of information!  My inspection report came back very very good!  Found one varroa mite on Hive 1 doing a sugar roll and Hive 2 she found one while looking at frames actually on the bee itself!  How she was able to catch that was beyond me!  She gives Travis a run for his money on being the best spotter ever!  Here is a pic of me and Bonnie...notice she does not wear gloves or a suit and I am completely covered from head to toe!

The sugar roll consists of taking a frame (making sure the queen is not present on it), shaking them into a bin, scooping out a cup, putting them in a mason jar with a screened lid along with a tablespoon of powdered sugar.  Gently shake and roll the jar so the bees are coated with the powdered sugar.  Then shake out the powdered sugar onto the bottom of the bin or your telescoping cover.  The mites will free from the bees and will fall onto where you are shaking them while the bees remain still inside the jar.  This is a noninvasive test that will sample your varroa mite count.  The bees can be dumped right back into the hive, No harm, no foul!

Now here is a pic from Hive 2 in which she found a mite on a bee within a frame!  I am so amazed that she spotted that!  She is VERY good at her job!!!

As she was going through the frames, she spotted a baby about to hatch!  Look at this picture...Do you see it?

It was exhilarating to watch a baby bee being born/hatched!  She was wobbly when she came out and Bonnie just directed her in the right direction! Travis and I could not believe how lucky we were to witness that!

And finally, it was definitely time to add a few supers to the hive!  I have stopped feeding the sugar water and added one medium super to each.  There was really very little room left for the queen to lay her eggs because it was so filled with honey and nectar.  So I finally know what the term "Honey Bound" means!!  You can see in the picture that each cell is either filled with capped brood (the larvae or baby bees!), capped honey, or nectar.  No room for the queen to lay eggs!  Hopefully they will work on the super next and she will have plenty of room to do her thing!!

Picked up my "girls"!

The girl's are officially home!  We went over to Mr. Fine's home today where he has so many hives!  Another gentleman was there to pick his hives as well which is why I changed my plans and  picked mine up this evening as well.  I wanted to watch the process of Mr. Fine transferring the honey bees from their nucs into our hives.  It was wonderful!

It was so scary but so much fun!  There were bees flying everywhere, landing on my suit, crawling up my veil, all over my gloves...I will never forget that moment as long as I live.  The sound was incredible.  I put my hands on quite a few nuc boxes to feel the vibration.  Magical.  Simply magical. 

This is my mentor Mr. Fine.  He patiently answers each and every one of my questions without fail.  Notice he never wears gloves!

Getting the other gentlemans hives ready.  He was also such a trooper for allowing me to tag along on watching and filling his hives.

Arrived home a few minutes later and heaved the hives onto their stands.  Notice my husband standing quite close with no protection on at all.  They are quite gentle.  He also was my photgrapher for the evening as well as Travis Jr. here at the end.

I did make one error...when dropping off of my equipment last night, I had forgot to leave the inner cover.  Once I returned home with the girl's, I had to add one to each hive.

Biggest highlight of the evening....I didn't get stung!!!!!!

I am becoming a beekeeper!!!

As of 6:00 Am, June 6, 2011 I will be an official beekeeper!  I have always wanted to keep bees but just couldn't seem to get the courage up.  After meeting Mr. Fine my bee mentor, and watching him the past two years as he and his daughters have so eloquently spoke at various functions, after reading countless beekeeping books, after researching the internet night after night, reading millions of posts on various forums, researching through countless beekeeping supply catalogs, finally finding just the right equipment, after hounding poor Mr. Fine with question after question...I finally feel I am ready!

I just dropped off my two hives at Mr. Fines home and by morning, he will have moved the two nucs into my hives!  Cannot wait!  I am wondering how the girls will  survive the two mile trip home from his home to my farm?  I hope they are not too riled up!

Here are pics of my two new hives!  In my living room!  The shallow supers are already at Mr. Fine's house.  By tomorrow they will be out in the new pasture filled with my new girls!  These were purchased from Brushy Mountain.  My bee suit was purchased locally in Washington county at Bedillion Honey Farm in Hickory PA.  Great people at both places!  Mr. Bedillion took the time to give us a quick tour of his honey farm and it was fascinating!