Davids report from the latest apiary visit.
NB if anyone is checking the hives, from now until Sunday 23rd June, that no-one goes into Hives 1 or 2, as these are currently working as queen cell builders, so please don’t disturb them.
Hive 1 (nearest sheds)
Found to be queenless. Thu 6th June added eggs to raise black bee queens using Cupkit system.
Hive 2
Queen found and put into a nuc box to make this queenless. Thu 6th June added eggs to raise queen cells as with Hive 1.
The nuc was placed down the slope from this hive and Hive 4. It was left closed overnight and opened to fly on Thu 6th June.
Hive 3
Bursting with bees, on a double brood box, and had 12 or more queen cells plus an empty queen cell. Didn’t think it had swarmed yet, due to recent poor weather. Made 2 nucs from it with a queen cell in one and a queen we saw hatch in the other. Left a queen cell in the main hive, just in case, but there may be a virgin queen already there. Reduced it back to a single brood box.
The two new nucs were placed out in locations where they could be put into permanent hives in the future, if wished. They were left closed overnight and opened to fly on Thu 6th June.
Hive 4
Had recently been split and has a nuc box behind it. Both were fine.