Hive Visit: June 6

Sorry for the late post. Non-bee-related events kept me from my computer for a few days.

I visited the bees on June 6, and made three important discoveries. The first is that the field test for nosema is far more difficult than the internet would have you believe. Second, is that dead bees can still sting you, which reminds me of Billy Crystal's explanation in The Princess Bride about the difference between "dead" and "dead dead". Third, and most importantly, I am not allergic to bee stings. The dead little guy managed to sting the tip of my index finger while I was attempting to perform the field test for nosema (pulling on his head to dislodge his guts and investigate for whiteness and swelling in the mid-gut). It hurt, as you would expect. Worse, the guts did not slide out easily as advertised. Only by squishing the bee could I get any guts out at all, rendering the field test entirely useless.

Given that I could not confirm nosema, and that the bees seem to be healthy and active, I elected not to re-treat with antibiotics. In part because I worry about the over-use of antibiotics generally, and in part because I want to be 100% sure that no medicine ends up in the harvested honey.

Hive A:

Hive A is going like gangbusters. All but one frame has wax on it, and most of those are heavily waxed. The bees are busy. There is a large volume of traffic in and out of the hive; on this nice warm afternoon, I counted about 3 bees heading inside every second (over 10,000 returns per hour). I added a screened (wire mesh) bottom board to the hive, a second hive body, and a top feeder. No trace of illness, ants or other problems in this hive. Keep it up Queen Latifah!

Hive B:

Hive B, much to my relief has no new poop stains on the outside (photographic evidence is great for confirming this type of thing). The hive looks good and healthy, and every bit as active as Hive A. It is getting difficult to report on the number of frames that the bees have expanded on to, since there are two boxes and I've rearranged the frames to encourage comb production (they say it's easier for the bees to produce comb on frames that are near the middle).

Treatments and Feedings:

Each hive given almost a gallon of 2:1 sugar syrup in my fancy new top-feeders.

Added screened bottom boards to both hives (which helps keep mite populations low)

To Do List:

Finally make that darn apiary sign

Make little A and B signs to help identify the hives in pictures

Thoughts:

Now that I've been stung and not gone into anaphylactic shock, I think I should be able to enjoy beekeeping even more. It's not that I was especially afraid before, but the risk of death does put a damper on most things. And it's not that I'm especially anxious to get stung again, but now I know it hurts a little and then goes away. I'm looking forward to more work without the protective gloves.

On my decision to not treat with antibiotics, I hope I made the right call. The disease is old, the antibiotics are new, and bees have survived the former without the benefit of the latter for many generations. I have to keep reminding myself that I've chosen patience as my guiding rule when it comes to beekeeping.