Hive Inspection Febuary 2014

New Beekeeper Alyssa experiencing the joy of pulling a full frame of honey.

It was a slow blog year in 2013.  Due to legal restrictions we shut down the Backwards Beekeepers Hotline and bee rescues dropped to almost zero.   The calls are being referred to HoneyLove.org. This is a great group in the Los Angeles area working to get beekeeping approved in Los Angeles.

It has been a non-wet and often Summer-warm winter.   The bees had reduced activity but never stopped working all winter long.  Given the weather, an early inspection and honey collection was the plan.   I had great assistance from Ceebs Bailey of HoneyLove and new beekeeper Alyssa Archambault. 

It is good to have an attentive student,

Top box #6 (medium) had some comb but no capped honey, This is #5.

Lots of cross comb but that is a beek problem not the bees problem, these bees seem to like it.  It is their house.

Maybe the prettiest frame and another right behind it.

Ceebs pointing out something to Alyssa.

Ceebs showing Alyssa how the comb on one side is off set to the opposite side by looking through the comb towards the sun.  One on one mentoring is the best.

Some of the bees were just too busy to pay attention to us.  They were very calm when we worked #6-5. When we got to #4 they were much more active but some smoke helped and they calmed down a lot as soon as that box was replaced on the hive.

My water source, a small water pump in pot filled with rocks.  I have never seen a bee on it since it was put up about two years ago but it is there if they choose to use it.

While we worked the bees were still doing their thing too.

Last year the #5 box was solid capped honey.  This year that box had a lot of cross comb and blank spaces but we made up for that by pulling 4-5 frames from #4.   Rain is predicted for tomorrow and that will be a good time to crush and strain the honey.  I will not have any bees lurking about in the rain.
Thanks again to Ceebs and Alyssa who made it a much easier and pleasant inspection and collection.   Welcome back to The Buzz In The Dale.