Overview

Split (new) Hive 1 today. It was our only remaining colony. It overwintered well on top of the boat house. We moved the abandoned hive which had been at the base of the trees near the dock and boat ramp up onto the roof of the boat house a few weeks ago when we found it abandoned. We moved six frames to this hive today.

Photos

None.

Observations

Hive 1

• 15 or 16 frames
  • 4 well-stocked honey
  • 5 or 6 mostly empty honey frames (added two weeks ago from harvested honey out of abandoned hive)
  • 5 brood

Very active foraging – roughly 1 in 5 returning foragers carrying pollen.

Good pattern of capped and uncapped brood with large proportion of capped drone brood.

Very good population. Orientation flights observed yesterday. There were so many, I thought it was a swarm in progress, but they never balled.

Good population of walking drone.

Good build-up of new white wax on frames added two weeks ago. Repairs to comb damaged during honey harvest nearly complete.

Several queen cups, but no occupied queen cells.

Eggs found.

Queen not found.

Inspection was calm. No smoke needed.

Actions

Performed walk-away split taking three brood, two honey, and one mostly empty in-work honey frame to (new) Hive 2 (formerly abandoned hive from near the dock that was moved to the boathouse roof when we found it abandoned). Brood frames moved – one mostly uncapped with unhatched eggs observed, one mostly capped worker, one mix of capped worker and capped drone.

Planned Actions

Wait for good weather day approximately 10 days from now, and inspect both hives for – new eggs or queen cells.