Supers in Place--and the First Sting

So here's the latest from my two recent trips to the hives:

Thursday, June 20th.

David and I went out to tackle the jungle sprung up around the hives and on the trail.  David cleared a wide opening around the hives and I weed-whacked paths to the portapotty, the shed, and the white, ladies' mansions.  We also removed the bottom-board covers.

I'd say the queens have been managing, since the majority of the bees now seem to be the black of carniolans.  The Italians we installed with the queens are nearly outnumbered!

Friday, June 21st.

I drove out to the hives with David, my son Morgan, and my grandson Wilder.  We were bee sightseeing, but I also took along the supers.  Wilder is three and a half and was fresh from a trip to the Chattanooga Children's Museum, where he dressed in a bee suit and crawled through giant octagonal cells.

So we put on our veils, fired up the smoker, and opened the hives.  All looked great.  The upper deeps each had three frames drawn out, and one had nearly a fourth full.  We shifted one of the full combs in each of the upper deeps to an outer, empty location, and then we added the supers.  Wilder expertly wielded the bee brush to clear girls off the top board.  It was a this point that the major event happened!  David had earlier found a tick on his shorts and removed it.  Now he believed he felt another tick on his leg and swatted.  And was stung!  In his right hand.  The threshold has been crossed.  Note:  None of us wore gloves handling the hive parts and no one else was stung.  The hives, in fact, despite the wind and the gray sky, seemed very placid.

Last thing, we removed the entrance  reducers.

Hive-Tastic

Hey gang!

Last week, as Claire noted, I went out with her and Nick and Chris and Lauren and Lance to put the second brood chambers on the hives.  I've posted some photos Lance took of the adventure.  (Anyone else who was there, feel free to add yours.)  As you can see, there's a lot of action going on in the hives--we even saw some pupae (not pictured)!

Tegan and I were going to go out today, but because of the rainy weather, we have to reschedule for later this week.  I'm sure the girls aren't ready for the supers just yet anyway since they only got the second deeps a week ago.

I didn't have my summer plans set when we first discussed the beekeeping schedule and since we're going to have to make a new schedule for the upcoming months, I just wanted to let you all know that for all practical purposes, I will not be in Ames from June 15-July 24.  Once I get back, I'll be happy to join anyone on future outings to the Casey Land.

I hope you all get a chance to get out to Casey in the next few weeks.  All the activity is very exciting!

Stef

The supers are on!

Hello apiary enthusiasts!

Our visit to the Carniolans this week was delayed by seemingly constant rain - this May is the wettest on record for the state of Iowa, its 17.48" of rain beating out 1892's longheld record of 15.36".

Nevertheless, during a brief window of non-precipitation, we (Chris, Lauren, Stef, Lance, Nick, and I) managed to get the supers on both hives. Lance served as smoking expert, which - as Barbara wrote - is much more difficult than it seems, and Nick ran into some wild parsnip on the way. Watch out for it when you visit - (it + sun) can cause phytophotodermatitis:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/herbaceous/wildparsnip.html

Chris, Lauren, Stef, and Lance also have some lovely photos of the combs which are now on Facebook, and perhaps could be posted here later (?). The bees are definitely active - but there was still some honeycomb left to pull, so the extra levels seem well-timed for expansion.

Wishing you a summer as productive as the Carniolans'!  
- Claire


Source for weather data: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/viewart/20130531/NEWS/305310043/Storms-put-Iowans-saturated-state