Hive Inspection #1: Ants, skunks and sweet honey.

We did our first hive inspection after installing the nucs. This was two weeks after the install. Rosario walks out just to check the area around the hives each day, but this was our first time opening up the hive and checking out all the frames.

Scraping off the burr comb.

With a hive inspection, its best to approach the hive from the side rather than block the front entrance that the bees use. We stood to the side and removed the telescoping lid which had a bit of burr comb on it – a sign that there is probably lots of burr comb on the inner cover. Burr comb is excess comb that is built in places other than on the foundation – we had lots on the top bar of each frame and on the inner cover.

The inner cover was sticking to the top of the frames with burr comb and sticking to the corners with propolis. We used our hive tools to gently pry off the lid. The burr comb on the lid had lots of bees working on the comb and producing honey. Instead of trying to scrape them off while they were still working, or having to smoke or brush them, we just laid down the lid (bee side up) by the hive entrance and by the time we had finished looking at the frames most of the bees had walked back into the hive making it simple to scrape off the excess comb. We also scraped off the comb on the tops of the frames. The unfinished honey was so sweet and light tasting which was probably due to its high water content, being uncapped.

Wax foundation on the bottom, drawn out comb towards the top.

The frames looked great – there were eggs, larvae, capped brood and open cells so it looks like our queen has been busy laying. The brood kept a pretty good pattern of being centered at the bottom of the frame and arcing out into honey. The bees have been busy drawing out comb on the wax foundation of the new frames. We didn’t spot the queen, but there were several big clumps of bees near the brood area that she may have been in. Also, our queens are unmarked and I’d like to mark both of them on our next visit to make it easier to spot her.

Scratches near the entrance. 

In the second hive we actually saw scratch marks at the entrance of the hive. My guess is skunks. Skunks like to sit at the entrance of the hive and knock – the bees walk out to see who is there and get swiped up and eaten. There were not as many bees in this hive which may help support our skunk eating theory.

Ants breaking down the wood of the inner cover. 

Also, when I lifted off the lid I saw some very large ants around the inner cover. I brushed them off quickly with the bee brush and saw that they had actually started to eat through the inner cover – there was saw dust from their chewing to get at the honey inside. I turned the cover around and have since learned that if we cut back some of the brush nearby that should help control some of the ants – my mom had the same idea so we will have to do that on the next trip.

The second hive also had more junk on the bottom board – I’m not yet sure that this is an issue, but it was a clear difference between the two hives. One question I have is how to clean a bottom board that doesn’t slide out? Should I purchase a tray or is there an easy way to do that?

We spent some time watching the bees with their pollen baskets walking around the hive. We then put the hive back together, set up the straps and added a bit more sugar water to their feeders. I think with the heat we are having this week we would do well to fill the feeders with fresh water.

We took home the burr comb and honey – the honey tasted so sweet we just ate it with a spoon in the kitchen. Can’t wait for the honey harvest. 

Burr comb and honey for taking home.