Old Costessy apiary visit

Old Costessy apiary visit

The four hives at Old Costessy have survived the winter well and all were busy today. I opened them up for the first time this year. They all have plenty of stores but two were still eating fondant and had finished the last lump I had given them (I gave them a new lump). I think a large amount of the stores they have is fairly solid ivy honey.

The shallow frames at the edge of the brood box had solid blocks of honey at the bottom that broke of and got left stuck in the hive and in the way. I put these shallow frames in as part of my Varroa control as the bees often put drone brood at the bottom of them in the summer that can be brocken off and removed. I now think should these frames should be taken out of the hive before the autumn ivy flow starts and put back in the early summer.

All colonies had laying queens.

Out of the four hives three are 2008 queens and one (Sticky) is a 2007 queen. I put a tray of Apiguard on the three new queens.

Two of the hives are on double brood box - Sticky and the youngest queen.

The one hive on the south facing wall has a brood box and three supers on. I need to take a new brood box out for that one and the one next to it. The one next to it needs to be moved off it's wonky bricks and onto blocks and to that end I put down some new slabs and blocks today. I will move it when I give it a clean floor possibly on my next visit that should be a week from now when I need to put in another tray of Apiguard.

I removed all mouse guards.

All these hive have solid floors.

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