Gee's Bees, LLC

Everyone loves learning about the honey bee, and Pearce Elementary School Second Grade Class is no exception. Great group of kids with even greater questions!  A link to the presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PcYALx4pJgewiawigg562ZOIaek27HiX/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115842545336106841914&rtpof=true&sd=true Pearce’s Facebook Link

It was just warm enough and sunny, Greensboro Weather (2/19/22), the wind was a little much, but we made do, or at least the bees did. All the hives look great with the exception of Hive 25, this one is a little weak looking. They all have 4-6 frames of brood in all stages, placed in the bottom box. We saw queens in all the boxes, except for Hive 25 which makes it even more suspect. We currently have (6) 8F hives on main benches double deeps with new boxes on the bottom. All have new bottom boards and lids, again with the exception of Hive 25. Those are being used for the second-grade presentations. We also have (1) double 5F nuc set on the pallet to be sold. All hives received a full jar of 1:1 syrup with spirulina. Going forward: Run with (4) Production Hives. Only. Split in 2-3 weeks, using double screen board and triple deeps. Use Bob Binnie's system: Splitting Using a Double Screen Board as a reference, https://youtu.be/Z62UwOLfdMo . Incorporate the OTS & Demaree Method in...

We put together some deeps this fine Spring-like day in mid-February. Managed to cob the table saw together enough by bypassing the switch in order to get some grooves cut inside some deep boxes in order to promote the bees to make propolis envelop in their brood box. We've been following some work by Dr. Marla Spivak that there may be some benefit to propolis and viral protection. We'll see, wasn't much of an investment in time so not much to lose. So now that the boxes are grooved, glued, and stapled, we then set out to get them dipped  Eco Wood Treatment . We also got a chance to get the bottoms dipped,  🔨 Bottom Boards , and the lids,  🔨 Lids . All but one lid that was placed on Hive 21 after being toppled by the tree falling incident,  🐝 Storm Damage , we will have to remember to get that dipped when we get a chance to get into some hives. Speaking of which, hopefully, the weather might cooperate enough this weekend. Forecasted to be 58° on Saturday may ...

Time to feed the bees... It was mid-fifties and they were flying pretty good, even some orientation flights? Not sure if they are reorientating or have/had some brood cycle through? Thinking the former, I can't imagine brood emerging on February 9th. Populations look pretty good especially the nucs, not showing any harm from being blown over a little over a month ago,  🐝 Storm Damage (geesbeesnc.com) . We want to get them big and strong, so we can split them by taking a nuc out of them and recombining in time for the new queen to be laying and the honey flow. We need to have our timing down perfectly, so the goal is set pretty high.  The weather is supposed to reach the mid-sixties come Saturday and then crash again on Sunday with a chance of flurries. We might get the chance to take a peek this weekend and get an actual assessment of how they are building up.

It was in the upper 40°'s today so we ventured out back for a peek at the hives. Actually, it was more than just a peek, it was to check populations along the tops, make sure they still had some sugar cakes and put half a pound of pollen patties on them. They all looked good except for Hive 11. Their population at least at the top looked pretty anemic and we are pretty sure something is going on with that hive. We will have to wait for a break in the weather to do a proper inspection and get a diagnosis, but until then we will keep the food on and hope for the best. Hive 11: Really light on bees, and plenty of sugar brick left. Gave 1/2 lb Pollen Patty. Hive 13: Good population, light on sugar brick. Gave 1/2 Sugar Brick and 1/2 lb Pollen Patty. Hive 15: Great population, light on sugar brick. Gave 1/2 Sugar Brick and 1/2 lb Pollen Patty. Hive 21: Good population, still had plenty of sugar brick. Gave 1/2 Sugar Brick and 1/2 lb Pollen Patty. Hive 22: Great population, light on suga...