Inspection Report - 05/10/2020

Inspection Report 05/10/2020

OVERVIEW

This inspection was to see how the bees were doing with the change of weather and to determine if we can split the colonies back into two.

COLONY 1 - West Facing

This inspection was to do several items:

  1. Remove final winterizing

  2. Add sugar water feeding

  3. Split out bees

  4. Determine space requirements

  5. Varroa Mite Treatment

Remove Final Winterizing

On the last visit I removed most of the winterizing from the hive, this is the tar paper that was wrapped around the hive to help keep cool air out. This time I removed the lower tar paper that was preventing air from blowing under the hive and into the colony. Now that it’s warmer, we do not need this winterizing anymore and want to encourage airflow.

Add Sugar Water Feeding

I decided to skip this step after seeing the size of the colony. They were not in any need of supplemental feeding from sugar water, and are building a lot of honey without the need to feed them. Also, the colony is very large, so feeding might encourage rapid growth, which we do not want right now.

Split Out Bees

Because the colony is now very strong, and there were a lot of bees, I decided it was time to split the colony back into two. If you remember, last fall we combined the two colonies into one to help them get through the winter. Now that it’s spring, and the colony can support it, I split them into two again.

I will monitor the split closely to determine how they are reacting to the split.

Determine Space Requirements

I also determined that the colony is growing fast enough that they could use another box to help them grow, and not become too clustered. This was done in two ways, one is by making the split, the second, is by adding a box.

Varroa Mite Treatment

Finally, I did a quick treatment to kill any varroa mites that may be growing in the colony. This is extremely important to help keep the bees healthy going into spring.


COLONY 2 - North Facing

This colony was just placed from a split from the West facing and will need to be monitored going forward. There isn’t much to do at this point, but ensure that they stay protected and well fed while they establish themselves.

Recommendations: Monitor the West facing colony to ensure the queen is continuing to lay eggs and stay healthy. Watch the newly created North facing colony and ensure they are protected while they start to grow.

Jason Kardong