Weekly Beekeeping Update: Inspections, Swarms, and Honey Harvest
Welcome back to another weekly beekeeping update! For those who tuned in last week, thank you. If you’re new here, don’t forget to like and subscribe—it’s free and helps us out massively.
This Week’s Inspections
We’re on-site at the rapeseed fields this week, where the pods are just starting to set on most plants. Looking at the forecast, we’ve got at least another week, maybe two, of prime nectar collection. The bees are still busy finding nectar, so it’s time to check inside the hives to ensure there’s enough space in the supers.
Hive Management and Grafting
While doing our regular inspections, we found several charged cells in one of our hives. After checking the frames, we decided to do a split. It’s crucial not to take too many splits from production colonies as it can impact honey production. We aim to take the queen away and leave the hive with a charged cell to raise their own queen.
Troubleshooting and Progress
Last week, I added a brood extension on top of one of the hives, but I accidentally mixed up the frame sizes. The bees made plenty of brace comb in the gap, so I’ll let them clean up the excess nectar from it instead of wasting it.
On the grafting front, it was a bit of a surprise! I checked the cells we grafted a few weeks ago, and they’re actually starting to hatch. We lost a couple of larvae due to some temperature issues in the incubator, but the rest are alive and well.
Nucleus Hive Orders and Queen Introductions
It’s been a busy day preparing nucleus hives (nukes) for orders. We’ve also introduced some new virgin queens, which successfully hatched, and we’ve got a few more orders ready to go out. After labelling and securing them for transit, they’ll be on their way.
Swarm Management at Liverpool One
We’re back on the rooftop at Liverpool One to check on our two hives. The bees are doing much better than expected, bringing in plenty of nectar. Both hives are starting to store nectar in their supers, and there’s plenty of pollen going in as well. It’s exciting to see them thriving in this urban setting, especially with all the flowers and lavender planted around.
Final Thoughts
That wraps up this week’s update! We’ve got more inspections and grafting planned, and we’ll be closely monitoring the bees as they continue to bring in nectar. Thanks for joining us on this journey, and as always, happy beekeeping!
