Inspection Report - 04/10/2020

Inspection Report 4/10/2020

OVERVIEW

The last several months have been difficult due to issues with access to the Google bees, but now that this has been resolved, inspections will be more consistent.

The last several inspections have been to prepare the bees for spring and remove any winterizing that was done to get the colony through the winter. Also, inspections were determine the health of the colony in preparation for spring growth.

WINTERIZE REMOVAL

Last fall, I applied winterizing techniques that aided the bees in during colder and wetter weather. This included adding a specialized top to help absorb moisture, as well as wrapping the hive in tar paper to reduce drafts and winter wind.

The last inspection removed these tools and returned the hive to standard configurations. This makes it easier to inspect and maintain a healthy colony going forward.

SPLITTING THE COLONY

During this inspection, it was determined that the colony is growing quickly, and would need to be split into two colonies. The reason for this is to help propagate the species, as well as reduce the tendency of the colony to swarm, which is a method of propagation.

By splitting the colony into two, it accomplishes several things. First, it reduces the size of the colony, and thus reduces the tendency to swarm. Swarming is natural and the colonies way to increase the species.

Second, splitting enables us to create another colony on the Google roof, which then helps to keep both colonies healthy going forward. Having two colonies means that if one colony gets into trouble, you can borrow from the other to support it.

Main Colony - Parent

New Colony Hive - Split

GOING FORWARD

The next few inspections will determine how the newly created split is doing, and to continue to support the health of the parent colony by continued feeding and monitoring of the queen.