Honey Bees 3.1.15

Here is a look inside the hive through the windows Jim installed.

This is the second deep of the “blue” hive. I have no window in the bottom deep and it’s too late to add one now.

This is my Top Bar Hive….it looks full of bees. March is swarming month….don’t think it will be long before some of these look for a new home. The white comb is new since the Red Maples started blooming in Dec. There is comb behind all the bees on the right. They started building there last year.

This is the bottom deep of the “pink” hive….

This is the second deep. A few days ago it was all empty comb and a quite a few bees cleaning. Today it looks pretty busy. Hope the Queen is starting to lay up here.

This is the most bees I’ve seen in this deep since last fall.

Since both Langs hives have 2 deeps for brood nest, I don’t expect them to swarm right away…but the Top Bar looks like it is running out of room.

There is also a super on each Lang hive and when I checked them a few days ago there was still a few frames of honey. I’ll keep checking but if there is no more frost to kill flowers and buds they should be fine.

I am trying to keep from having to feed them…but have saved 3 quarts of honey from their hives to give back if necessary.

I left the “robber screens” on the fronts of the hives. The hives are strong enough to defend themselves but if there is a killing frost and nothing to eat the bees that live in the woods will be looking for a place to rob. There are also several hives within 3-5 miles and they will travel that far if no feed nearby.

Here is a video of the blue hive doing orientation. I wish I could capture all the bees in the air. I was standing about 3 feet from the pink hive when I did the side view and they didn’t bother me…but you can’t imagine how many are flying around. Especially if the weather has been bad and all 3 hives orient at the same time! Amazing! I love these gals.

I have never seen the Raccoons bother the hives but I do have ratchet straps over each one in case the bears visit or we have high winds.