Pages

30. Oktober 2006

Putting The Hives On Stands For Overwintering

Days are passing very rapidly. Since on 12nd October, a few times I visited the apiary and I pulled out screws from hives and covers which I screwed them for safety carrying. I have found some queenless hives and united them with others. When carried the hives first, we have put down them on ground. This could cause to nosema desease, I had to put them on stands first. But there were many jobs should be done. My hives generally with double chambered so bee were filling second chamber with honey and the brood chambers were empty. If the hives stay with this position, that to say, bees, honey in the second chamber and empty combs in the brood chamber cause to get mouldy of the empty combs in the brood chamber, at the same time, coming in and going outs are being difficult for the bees, their way is being long. However, bees prefer upper chamber for overwintering because it is warmer than the first brood chamber. Shortly, I have to change them honey filled combs and the bees to the down and the empty combs, semi-filled combs to the up chamber. Doing so, I have to put a canvas with a hole nearly 5 cm radius just the midst of the canvas beetween brood and the supper. In the spring, bees are going up to eat semi-honey filled frames and I can put there some cake and syrup just upper of brood area. By the way, you can ask me : "Why do I put empty combs in the hive's second chamber over brood chamber?" Because I dont use any chamicals to protect combs against comb worms and I haven't got a proper place to put the empty combs. No sulphurdiocide and no paradiclorobenzen. Bees are protecting their empty combs with natural ways. May be this is giving my honey a special fragrance, clients and friends frequently tell me.
Anyhow this weekend I have finished to prepare them for overwintering. I meant, I put them on stands to protect earth's decaying process the hives and the bees from nosema desease. But some hives need paint, madication and overall covering on stands, coming weekends I have to look at these jobs too.

16. Oktober 2006

Works done for overwintering


At the end, we have carried hives to the owervintering place in Demircihalil Village. So I want to thank especially to my friends who helped me, Mr. Semih Baydemir, My sister's husband Osman Kumit and his nephew Sezgin Tomruk, Mr Ridvan Ulus and our lorry owner Mr. Sakir Kılıcel.Last Thursday I begun the day with some diffuculties, especially TUrkcell my telephone service provider did not give service that day. Organisation is pretty diffucult to connect others come together. Anyhow my moustache eating continued short. But I really got angry with Turkcell GSM operator because it is being two important days carrying the bees and no service. Anyhow our lorry was a little one so we turned two times within the same night. Thanks God weather was cold so bees had entered their hives early. So our job got easy. And last sunday I went to get order the hives, to put them on the stands with a very carefully work. In order to not topple down again. Anyhow, the ground is not so much soft like the plouged field in Kavakli Town. I made a watery system for the bees. There were open and closed cells on the combs. Meanwhile I had taken 6 item tins to the new apiary and opened their lids then all bees come to eat the tins. It was a good view. bye :)