NH Honey Bee Diagnostic Network

County:  Strafford

Town:  Lee

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Source:  2023 Spring NUC

Queen:     Queen replaced June 17, 2023

Hive Name:  Lee-Hive-1

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Hive details:

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    - 10 Frame Langstroth

    - Stack:  Slatted Rack, Deep, Deep,  Medium, Inner Cover

    - Colony faces South

    - Winterization:

         Outer Cover:  Mann Lake Winter Cover

         Bottom Board: closed with mite board

         Top Insulation: above inner cover has  3" of polystyrene

         Moisture System: The wintering cover has a 3/8 by 1/2 entrance of which gives the bees access through the center hole in the inner cover hole in the center. This allows the upper entrance in the inner cover to be closed and still allow airflow through the beehive.

         Wrap:  Bee Cozy over Colony Quilt (R 11.7)

         Upper Entrance : currently closed

         Lower Entrance : 3/8" x 5/8"

         

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Notes:

- Plan to do a vaporization in December

- 11/20/23:   winterized colony -   upper entrance is closed. Will open to 1/2" x 3/8" at some point during winter; Will add ¾” x ¾” shim when bees are up

- 12-10-23  OAV treatment 1 mite dropped.

- 1-25-24 Bees down south west corner

 Humidity readings were averaging 84% . A gap between the Mann lake yellow and my pink insulation. This gap allowed a cold spot between the insulation. Causing the moisture to condense shown in the mold, moisture drops and the plywood delaminated. As the sides of the hive had an R-value of 11.7. The cluster was still down on the west side away from the airflow. More moisture shown on the East and North. I modified the top insulation by making a rabbet around the outside edge to allow the pink insulation to sit on the yellow insulation. This helped to stabilize the colony’s humidity.

-2-27-24 Bees up a little, fed a sugar brick .40 Lbs.

            Cleaned the mite board

            Humidity readings were on the rise again 84%. Inner cover was removed and replaced with a 5/8 shim and the

Mann lake yellow insulation was removed. A second new modified top insulation was made by making a rabbet around the outside edge to allow the green insulation to sit within the Mann lake winter inner cover. The Mann lake winter inner cover replaced with a dry one. The insulation has a 5/8" x 1/2" dado located on the southside heading north to the elongated hole in the inner cover. Above the 2" insulation is 1" insulation. R-15.

-2-27-24 Wet inner cover weighed 2.57 lbs.  

              Wet wintering inner cover weighed 4.02Lbs.

-3-3-24   Wet inner cover weighed 2.29 lbs.

              Wet wintering inner cover weighed 3.65 Lbs.

-3-3-24    Bees flying using lower entrance, open feeding dry pollen in the yard

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