The Wasp Threat

Watch the following movie, about 1 minute, for several appearances of wasps/hornets looking for an opening. So far the actual attempts to land and get in the hive, a couple which i have observed, have been thwarted.

Maria hive movie.

Maria Hive Swarms

Semi settled swarm on maple branch in my back yard. Perfect spot actually.

Maria hive swarmed. Arrived in back yard about 1330 fortunately just in time to hear the sound of swarming bees. Quick glance showed me a ball of bees settling about 6 feet up in the small maple next to the house. A drift of bees seemed to connect that ball with the Maria hive. There were quite a number of bees in the swarm, so that they hung in two joined but distinct catenary curves (middle of photo, slightly above right; and note all the bees flying around). Wind was gusting so the one inch branch waved about fairly dramatically. Chris came over to assist. We used two cardboard boxes, and one hive body in attempts to get the bees which kept gathering back on the branch. First a large box, then a smaller one, and finally the hive body. Turned out the queen was in the first box all along. That queen should
have been easily spotted, because Maria has a red dot on her back, but we never did see the queen. Possibly a newer queen in that swarm?

By dark all the swarm went in the big cardboard box. Next morning 6/11/14 we took that box and the prepared hive body out to the DA site, and set it up on a separate hive stand. (Photos available.) The hive body has 10 bare plastic frames.

Early in the morning some of the bees were able to find ways out of the air slits or the top and generally stayed with the box. We finally managed to get almost all of them away from the box and dumped on the hive. After bringing that box home and putting it back down, empty, where it sat during the night there were still several bees that kept turning up and visiting it.

It would appear from past experience and this particular exercise that the queen in a hanging swarm is going to be somewhere in the middle of that ball, and is very likely to be dislodged into the waiting box. So if you
get a really good shake and dislodge 75% of the bees and they drop into the bottom of the box, chances are
very good you have the queen. There is always some queen scent on the branch where the swarm came to rest, so a lot of bees keep going back to that spot. By sundown, however, they should all be in the box.

From left to right: DA West (doing pretty well), DA East (seems weak), Queen Hotel (2 suites), M614 new swarm.

Queen Hotel: Inspection of queen hotel showed two pretty good looking sets of bees with plenty of honey
resources left. They have eaten maybe 10% of what they were left. No larvae were spotted. Neither did we spot the queen. The bare frames were not being worked on very much. Just one suite showed any activity on the bare frames.

New M614 swarm in background, Queen Hotel foreground. Bees in the new swarm haven't yet all got into the new box.

Youth Home Art on Display

Finally got the Montana (Helena) Youth Home kids art up on display. It's at 6th and Last Chance in the window of the Goodkind building. See photo. These pictures are for sale at VERY REASONABLE prices. The scanned original paintings are printed on aluminum, super permanent and durable. Sizes vary, but are approximately 2 feet x 2.5 feet. Prices $56 to $66. The artist kids receive the profits on the sales. It's not much, but it means a lot to them. (Donations in excess of the stated price are acceptable.)

This exhibit is up through month of June. Go down. Check them out. Have some ice cream at the Big Dipper across the way. Many thanks.

Spring is Coming

Swarm hive enjoying a 60 degree day with sunshine.

Swarm Hive Still Active

A couple weeks of cold. One night -17. Huge amount of snow, more than anytime in last 10 years. Snow up to the landing board. Turning warmer today, high above freezing. I waded out with the snow shovel to remove snow off the top of the swarm hive and from the landing board -- slant of the hive i think lets water
run back into the hive. Scraping with the shovel caused a couple of bees to come out of the 2nd story bore hole. I assume as a defensive response. Both fell into the snow and perished. I tried to save the first bee, but she was unable to take off, it was about 13 degrees, then the 2nd bee responded so i figured better to just leave them alone and limit their reasons to come out.

Ok, Back in the Hive Everyone

The hives for the last week have looked like this. And it's still coming down. And getting colder. Sigh.

Swarm Hive

Maria Hive, under a cap of snow, behind the wood windbreak.

More Housekeeping Notes

A little cooler today, less sun. Helped out Swarm hive by taking out opening bar and sweeping out the ground floor with a stick. It wasn't as wet in there as i had feared. Still, quite a few dead bees. Swept out some live ones too, so had to be a little careful. Interesting how there are usually some live bees down
at the entrance, even if no one is out. Am guessing, looking at the dead piles, that Maria and Swarm have had about the same number of deceased. Swarm is not clearing out as well, but that is probably a consequence of location of hive. Be very interesting to see how they come out in Spring.