new bees hatching

Hilary and Paul reversing supers, bees like to build up. Only five dead bees seen in front of hives. Many brood cells empty after hatching, arrow points to one just breaking out of cell. Rain expected for tomorrow, so bees fed again.

hilary and jc

Bees fed more 50% sugar solution, cold and rain for previous two days.

something to do when rain and cold

These prelim tests suggest wood chips present sanitation issues that outweigh aesthetics, bees may carry microbes into hive from chips.

. Microscopics compare cba colonies that look like Paenibacilli with Paenibacilli standard.

burr comb

Twenty dead bees were found in front of one hive, 10 were picked up with sterile gloves and will be tested for a few types of bacteria and fungi, but this is probably just normal attrition. The hives are active, the bees and larvae look healthy. Paul and Dorothy are wonderful teachers.

sunny saturday

The bees are good natured, added sugar water to the hive since few flowers out. The forming comb does not have a sweet honey smell yet.

another bee day

70' F, sun, no wind and bees handled without problem. Their legs heavy with pollen perhaps from willows, but no bees seen on the willow trees.

bees

Bees arrived 4/5/10 in good condition, day of arrival, I checked one representative bee from each hive for listeria, salmonella, E coli, staphlococci, streptococci, fungi, paenibicillus and generic SPC bacteria. The bees were clean, too clean, so realized they were probably fed antibiotics to withstand the trip from California and reduce the chance disease introduction to a new area.

background

This equipment swabbed and checked for fungi and a variety of bacteria. Microbial isolates subjected to UV for 5 minutes for 100% kill. The equipment then cleaned by scraping, vacuuming, soap/water and peroxide. When dry all surfaces UVed for 5 minutes. Subsequent microbial counts now down to less than 100 per surface frame tested.

* testing methods BAM, AOAC, APHA