http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/photogalleries/100510-bees-flower-sandwich-nests-pictures/
Check out this link to see the most beautiful bee nests made of flower petals.
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Bailey Comb change
I realise that it is ages since I wrote and we are in the middle of a bailey comb change on Adele hive.
This means that you move the bees in stages from the old set of frames and old wax to a new brood box with all new wax. You have to feed them throughout this process so that they have enough energy to produce all new wax brood nest in a few weeks.
Stage one you place a new brood box and new foundation on top of old brood box and a feeder with sugar syrup. a good tip is to put a queen excluder between the bottom brood box and the floor to stop the bees from absconding.
Stage two - when the bees have drawn out some comb you trap the queen in the top brood box. continue to feed.
Stage three - 24 days time all the brood in the bottom box will have hatched and you can remove it and dispose of the old wax. Replacing the new brood box on a clean floor and add a super.
Last week we though we had achieved stage two because although we could not find the queen we saw eggs in the top box so hoped for the best and put the queen excluder between both boxes.
I meant to check last wednesday but it snowed.
So today I thought I'd just have a quick look. Was sure I would see eggs in the top box and I would be able to shut it all up and go away content. NO EGGS!
So had to start looking for the queen which is never easy although I knew she was definately in the bottom box. Eventually I found her on the last frame as always in a huge mass of wax making bees so I
put the frame over the other brood box and eased the whole lot of bees into a frame and into the box. I didn't exactly see where the queen went but shut everything back up and hoped and pray that all is well.
I notice in all the books it doesn't actually tell you how to move the queen from one box to another and is quite difficult doing it by yourself with a heavy frame of bees in one hand and wearing your marigolds.
Fingers crossed all is well and stage two is now complete.
This means that you move the bees in stages from the old set of frames and old wax to a new brood box with all new wax. You have to feed them throughout this process so that they have enough energy to produce all new wax brood nest in a few weeks.
Stage one you place a new brood box and new foundation on top of old brood box and a feeder with sugar syrup. a good tip is to put a queen excluder between the bottom brood box and the floor to stop the bees from absconding.
Stage two - when the bees have drawn out some comb you trap the queen in the top brood box. continue to feed.
Stage three - 24 days time all the brood in the bottom box will have hatched and you can remove it and dispose of the old wax. Replacing the new brood box on a clean floor and add a super.
Last week we though we had achieved stage two because although we could not find the queen we saw eggs in the top box so hoped for the best and put the queen excluder between both boxes.
I meant to check last wednesday but it snowed.
So today I thought I'd just have a quick look. Was sure I would see eggs in the top box and I would be able to shut it all up and go away content. NO EGGS!
So had to start looking for the queen which is never easy although I knew she was definately in the bottom box. Eventually I found her on the last frame as always in a huge mass of wax making bees so I
put the frame over the other brood box and eased the whole lot of bees into a frame and into the box. I didn't exactly see where the queen went but shut everything back up and hoped and pray that all is well.
I notice in all the books it doesn't actually tell you how to move the queen from one box to another and is quite difficult doing it by yourself with a heavy frame of bees in one hand and wearing your marigolds.
Fingers crossed all is well and stage two is now complete.
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