NH Honey Bee Diagnostic Network

Hillman-6

County:  Rockingham

Town:  Portsmouth

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Source:  Overwintered Colony

Queen:     left behind after 6/9/23 swarm

Hive Name:  Hillman-6

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Hive details:

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    - 8 Frame Langstroth

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

    - Colony faces South

    - Winterization:

         Outer Cover:  Telescoping standard cover

         Bottom Board: closed with mite board

         Top Insulation: 2" foam board in/above quilt box (no inner cover)

         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 were plugged ~ 12/22/23)

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

         Wrap:  Bee cozy 

         Upper Entrance : 3/4" hole (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:

- strong colony

- 11/3/23 : quilt boxes installed

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

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

-12/10/2023 13:00 4g OAV each hive --

- 12/15/2023 11:04  0 Mitecount

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

                    wrapped colony in reflectix which created a skirt around the base

12/16/2023 13:002#12oz sugar brick, removed dry TBH comb

- 12/22/23: reduced top entrance hole to 3/8"

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

- 12/26/23 : checked moisture box - wet - changed shavings.

   (note - the apiary is near wetlands with standing water)

- 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. changed shavings as they were wet

-2/10/2024 13:54  1# sugar brick

-2/10/2024 14:194g OAV each hive. - fed sugar brick

-2/27/2024 18:59 1.5#sugar brick

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Taken on 54F day with cozy removed

quilt box