tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818083065326199225.post6346256547716424988..comments2023-10-03T10:59:54.876+01:00Comments on Yatton Area Bee Project - YABeeP: End of Season meeting - 17th October 2009Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-818083065326199225.post-55101985251613392132009-10-30T19:46:53.220+00:002009-10-30T19:46:53.220+00:00Update on Juley's Warre Hive:
I have made a c...Update on Juley's Warre Hive:<br /><br />I have made a couple mouse excluders out of a chopped up quality street tin. I fitted the first one to just decrease the hole a bit today. The bees didn't seem too bothered - a couple came out to see what was going on.<br /> <br />After some news from other YaBeep members at the beginning of August that their bees had stopped in one box I started to worry that this may have happened to mine. So I had peered inside and seen that the bees were moving into the second box. But only just! <br /><br />About 6 weeks ago I had overcalculated it seems and had thought that the bees had started making comb in the third box. I hadn't reckoned with them being set back so much by the poor summer, and had been convinced that they would run out of space.<br /><br />When Robin and I had gone to add the 4th box mid September in fact there had been no need. The 3rd box was empty.<br /> <br />So following the 18th Oct meeting I thought that I would reduce the size of the hive down to two boxes, so prized the 2nd and 3rd box apart, tipped the 2nd box up to look inside. I had lifted the top two boxes to remove the 3rd box and they had felt a lot heavier (in Sept my boxes were pretty light, and I had decided to feed the bees). Looking inside the 2nd box it is stuffed full of comb. Not very tidy - but definitely 80% full.<br /> <br />So now I have reduced my hive down to 2 boxes, which look fairly viable to me, and have a mouse guard - I will fit the second guard to make the hole about half the size again in a week or two, this will surround the entrance hole with metal too. <br /> <br />Some lessons I have learnt - 1. my boxes are too wobbly - I am straightening the one not in use, when it has dried out, and the new one I made earlier today will be perfect.<br />2. The spot I had picked is too damp. The 3rd box was just starting to slowly rot. I will raise the whole hive further off the ground - the breeze blocks are very damp, so will add another layer either of bricks or treated wood. I think that the damp will be my biggest issue over the winter.<br />3. In future I will measure the base of the hive with a level. Mine is definitely not level - though clearly the bees are perfectly happy.<br /> <br />Now I look at the bumble bee box that harboured honey bees for a while alongside a warre hive box I realise that my bumble bee box was rather on the deep side - just the door was too big - no need for mice to chew their way in! So actually it was pretty much a dual purpose box - I just never thought to check it for honey bees - shame.Juley Howardnoreply@blogger.com