Further update on the bees - the news is not good I'm afraid :-/ My bee supply lady said I had done all the right things, but the colony didn't make it. I may not have gotten them closed up into the hive box soon enough and they got robbed out by other hives, or the queen didn't make it, or something, but I saw less and less activity in the hive over the last few days, until I was watching it Wednesday, and didn't see any honeybees coming or going, but lots of ants and yellow jackets - a normal hive would never let them in... So I suited up and went into the hive, and found NO signs of live honeybees, just lots of bodies on the bottom board. It was a gamble trying to salvage the hive, and I lost out. However it was an interesting experience. I have melted down the combs for the wax, but that isn't much to get out of the deal.
Even worse, one of my other hives, that I knew wasn't doing well, totally died off on me, and when I opened it up, discovered that it had no honey, about a dozen workers, and a major wax moth infestation. I've sealed it up with some mothballs to kill the moths, and will go back in shortly to see what I can salvage - possibly some of the comb, certainly the wooden ware parts. I need to check the other hive (which does look like it's doing better) to see what it's status is, but may end up having to clean it out as well.
On other fronts though, the news isn't completely bad... Some of you may remember the big pile of wood that I got in for the Hearth Party - including those really big logs. (pictures below) I had been worried about how I was going to get them cut up into rounds with my little saw, especially now that I've gone to a 12" bar on it (and glad that I did, with the short bar it's turned into a really nice cutting machine) However I have a fellow that I know through town gov't, who is a "wood guy" among many other things. He came by with his collection of Stihls (I think he has about 10 w/ bars from 18-48") and helped me cut all the remaining big logs into rounds. I think I have two or three fairly small logs left out of the pile to cut up, and I've gotten about half the pile split. Today I went over to his place with my little saw and helped him chop up a big pile (1-2 cords I'd guess) of small 2-10" stuff that he had acquired, and he taught me a lot about hand sharpening a chain (instead of using the grinder) and helped me dress my old 16" bar so that it is useable again. He might even be willing to let me borrow one of his gas splitters once he gets them fixed... Glad to have been able to help him out, as he's been teaching me a great deal.
Gooserider
Even worse, one of my other hives, that I knew wasn't doing well, totally died off on me, and when I opened it up, discovered that it had no honey, about a dozen workers, and a major wax moth infestation. I've sealed it up with some mothballs to kill the moths, and will go back in shortly to see what I can salvage - possibly some of the comb, certainly the wooden ware parts. I need to check the other hive (which does look like it's doing better) to see what it's status is, but may end up having to clean it out as well.
On other fronts though, the news isn't completely bad... Some of you may remember the big pile of wood that I got in for the Hearth Party - including those really big logs. (pictures below) I had been worried about how I was going to get them cut up into rounds with my little saw, especially now that I've gone to a 12" bar on it (and glad that I did, with the short bar it's turned into a really nice cutting machine) However I have a fellow that I know through town gov't, who is a "wood guy" among many other things. He came by with his collection of Stihls (I think he has about 10 w/ bars from 18-48") and helped me cut all the remaining big logs into rounds. I think I have two or three fairly small logs left out of the pile to cut up, and I've gotten about half the pile split. Today I went over to his place with my little saw and helped him chop up a big pile (1-2 cords I'd guess) of small 2-10" stuff that he had acquired, and he taught me a lot about hand sharpening a chain (instead of using the grinder) and helped me dress my old 16" bar so that it is useable again. He might even be willing to let me borrow one of his gas splitters once he gets them fixed... Glad to have been able to help him out, as he's been teaching me a great deal.
Gooserider
