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Category: Flow Frames

First Solo Flight (and over-wintering my bees)

First Solo Flight (and over-wintering my bees)

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Yesterday I did the full brood inspection as required by NSW regulation for beekeepers in Autumn.   There is a great pamphlet here from the NSW Govt on how to over-winter  bees.  Over-Wintering bees is the name given to preparing your hive for winter.   The first step is a full brood inspection of every frame to check for disease, whether there is healthy colony,  ensure there is a queen and check the bees have enough honey (food) stores for the winter months to…

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The Sun, The Bees. (Raindrops keep falling on my head)

The Sun, The Bees. (Raindrops keep falling on my head)

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It’s been the wettest March on record, so much rain, that the people of NSW eastern seaboard are slowly withering in to a wet clump of humanity.    I’ve check on the bees every day and they were barely leaving the hive.  The flow box was so wet the wood was swelling and it was almost impossible to remove the observation door.    But when the sun came up this morning, there was a universal hallelujah across Katoomba, and the…

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The big inspection (and a broken heart)

The big inspection (and a broken heart)

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On Saturday I planned my first big inspection since my Flow frames have been at bee capacity.   So many things I wanted to check, but the main over riding thing was – do I have too many bees?   I have wondered for a few weeks now if I am at capacity in my hive, and feel like the proverbial rabbit in headlights with not knowing what to do.  What I have done so far is actually nothing.    …

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My first harvest (honey honey everywhere)

My first harvest (honey honey everywhere)

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    I work from home on Friday’s.   So this Friday I decided after much contemplation, research, panic, and inspection I decided to harvest my first honey from the Flow Hive and my bees.    Essentially I am robbing the bees of their food.   🙁 There is a 3 day heat wave here, – getting up into late 30’s near 40.   Insanely hot.    My first concern is for my bees so I decided to trial a…

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Honey, honey, honey. (and my festooning bees).

Honey, honey, honey. (and my festooning bees).

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Oh my.   Finally, almost a year to the day when I first received my nuc and set up my flow hive – I’ve done an inspection and there are frames of capped honey. (pictures below).   Luscious white capped cells of honey.  For so long I’ve been waiting to do an inspection and find capped honey.   I was almost beginning to worry the poor girls where incapable, and worried about what they were going to feed on over…

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Cell building
Buzzing bees (and my excuses for killing some)

Buzzing bees (and my excuses for killing some)

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Today was around 21 degrees celsius and mostly sunny.   It has been very hot just after Christmas getting above 30 degrees celsius   and then cooler,  misty, rainy for a few days.  Today was however perfect so I did a follow up inspection to one a couple of weeks ago when I was concerned about the wax moth larvae I found.    Thankfully I saw absolutely no evidence of anything this time.    The inspection went well.   I found the…

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