Inspection & Training

We have had Ricky Kather on site for a couple of days.  Ricky is a PhD student from Sheffield studying Varroa and why bees tolerate them.  This week she is working with various bee keeping associations who are teaching her bee keeping skills.  Yesterday we went through the material that is covered in the theory sessions of the basic bee keepers course.  Today we visited a number of apiaries including Wood Green.

Inspections today:
Hive 1 - we did not go into the hive as we wanted to give any new queen some space.  Last week the hive was queenless so I added a frame with queen cells from hive 5.  We looked at the varroa tray and found a distinctive domed cap of a queen cell under where one of the queen cells had been.  Looks like one emerged.  Let's hope she gets properly mated.
  
Hive 2 - I thought it might be in need of a super this week.  Wrong, they have not progressed much more from last week.  I suppose the dry weather has stopped the nectar flow.  We did change the landing platform (see picture).  Hive 2 and Hive 4 being side by side had identical doors, which could encourage drifting, where bees return to the wrong hive.  We put on a different door so the colours are the other way around.  I was going to do this on hive 4 but that hive is not very strong.  If bees return and don't recognise the new platforn, i would rather they drift into 4 than from 4!

Hive 3 - Not examined other than the varroa tray.  There was no varroa drop seen.

Hive 4 - Not very strong, brood only on 2 frames.

Hive 5 - we only checked the super to see if they had started drawing the foundation.  Not yet.

Doors now opposite colours

Examining for Varroa

Ricky examining Hive 4