NH Honey Bee Diagnostic Network

County:  Rockingham

Town:  Portsmouth

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Source:  Overwintered colony

Queen:     2023 - colony raised queen

Hive Name:  Hillman-1

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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: BeeSmart 

         Bottom Board: closed with mite board

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

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

              - quilt box has weather stripping on bottom to seal seam.

               - 1/4" hardware cloth bottom,

               - TSC pine shavings,

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

         Wrap:  Bee cozy 

         Upper Entrance : 1/2"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:

- This is the strongest colony in the apiary

- 11/3/23 : quilt boxes installed

- 11/11/23:   winterized colony - lower entrance  = universal mouse guard 8 -  3/8" holes

- 12/1/23  : decreased entrance to  5 1/2” x 3/4”

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

- 12/10/2023 13:00 : 4g OAV each hive -- repeated on hive 5 after removing entrance reducer- so that got up to 8 g

- 12/15/2023 11:00 5 Mite count

- 12/16-17/23:  added weight to top of colony

                    wrapped colony in reflectix which created a skirt around the base

- 12/16/23  14:30 : 4 lb sugar brick added

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

- 12/26/23 : 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.shavings were dry

-2/10/2024 14:13~1.5# sugar cake

-2/10/2024 14:19 4g OAV each hive

-2/27/2024 13:57 1/3- AP23 Patties Feed

     

        

 

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