NH Honey Bee Diagnostic Network

County:  Rockingham

Town:  Portsmouth

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Source:  2023 Swarm

Queen:     5/26/2023 BetterBee Carniolan

Hive Name:  Hillman-4

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Hive details:

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    - 10 Frame Langstroth

    - Stack:  Slatted Rack, Deep, Deep, 1 1/2" shim, 1x6" quiltbox 

    - There is ~ 2 1/4" between top of frames and quilt box

    - Colony faces South

    - Winterization:

         Outer Cover:  Telescoping standard cover

         Bottom Board: closed with mite board

         Top Insulation: 2" foam board in/above quilt box

         Moisture System: 1x6" home made quilt box above shim

               - 1/4" hardware cloth bottom,

               - TSC pine shavings,

               - 1" vents (4 on each long side) (vents plugged ~ 12/22/23)

               - ~3 1/2" of shavings in the box

         Wrap:  Bee cozy 

         Upper Entrance : 3/4"x3/8" (in the shim)

         Lower Entrance : 3/4”x 3/8” (standard small entrance reducer) with two brad nails driven down center

         

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Notes:

- weak, high mite count in October

- 11/3/23 : quilt boxes installed

- 11/11/23:   winterized colony - lower entrance  = 5 1/2" x 3/8" - screened w mouse guard

- 12/1/23: reduced lower entrance to 2” x 3/4”

- 12/8/23 : reduced lower entrance  3/4" x 3/8" 

-12/10/23:  4 g OAV treatment

-12/15/23 :  Mite count: 5

- 12/16-17:  added weight to top of colony

                    wrapped colony in reflectix which created a skirt around the base

- 12/17 : 2 lb sugar brick added

~12/22/23: plugged quilt box holes with foam and zipp tape

- 12/26 : checked moisture box - dry

- 1/26/24:  tried to replace quilt box with insulation - but too many bees clinging on the bottom of the quiltbox.  put in sugar brick - these bees were really angry.

shavings were dry

-2/4/24 - replaced quilt box with 2" insulation

- 2/27/24 13:58 : fed 1 # sugar + 1/6 AP23 Pattie

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