May 15?, 2015 - Mini Hives 1 & 2 - Albert gave me 2 frames of brood for each hive, and I bought 2 queens. It rained for many days after I brought them home, and was very cold.
(Both hives have 2 frames new brood)
May 21, 2015 -
Hive 1 (with the window) was completely dead. Dead bees in the bottom, and black larvae. It was cold right after I got my bees, so I was worried the brood and bees had frozen.
Hive 2 had some black larvae, but was doing ok although I could not see the queen or eggs and larvae.
I put all the drawn comb from both hives into Hive 2 and took Hive 1 up to Albert to get more brood so I could try again. He said to bring Hive 2 with the black larvae in it so he could look at it. I had something the next day so I came home, picked up the bees, and took them back to Salt Lake. I got there after they closed so I left both beehives under the bushes and sent Albert a text the next day on Friday.
(Left both bee boxes at Albert's - the empty Hive 1 with only starter frames, and Hive 2 which had 4 drawn frames and bees still alive, but some amount of black larvae on all 4 frames.)
May 27, 2015 -
Hive 2 - I finally made it up to see Albert because of a busy Memorial Weekend. He looked at Hive 2, and he looked at it and said I had a beautiful black Carnolian Queen, and brood. I didn't know what to think. He didn't see anything wrong, and the hive was thriving. I took it home.
Hive 1 - Albert put new brood in Hive 1, and I left it there so it could make itself a Queen.
(Hive 2 had queen, so I brought it home, Hive 1 left in SL with new brood, all new frames)
June 4, 2015 -
Hive 2 had not had a lot of bees coming and going, so I finally decided to check it out again. It had black larvae in it again. There were no dead bees in it, and all the bees were gone except 5-6 robbing the sugar water and 2 nurse bees on the frames. I couldn't do anything since we had a snowcone event that night and were headed out of town for the weekend the next morning. I saw ants on the ground all around it. I researched Sunday and it said if ants tried to take over, sometimes the bees would leave. I assumed that had happened.
(Hive 2 empty, black larvae. Hive 1 still in SL)
June 10, 2015
Hive 2 - took to SL to get more brood. Albert put new brood in it, and then I asked him why the larvae kept turning black. Was it ants? I needed to know so I could do whatever I needed to do to stop killing bees. He looked, and got nervous and said it was foulbrood. He didn't know if it was American or European. He put the 4 frames in a bag and sealed it off so it could be checked by Joey Caputo, and gave me medicine mixed with powdered sugar. Duramycin - he told me to give them 1 teaspoon now, and check with Joey about future medicine depending on the test results.
Hive 1 - still looks good. Leaving it there a little longer.
(Hive 2 new brood, new frames, medicine, home in Highland. Hive 1 still in SL)
Timberlakes Hives - I need to check the hives at Timberlakes now also.
June 16, 2015
Hive 2 - I opened it up and checked and no foulbrood yet!! The hive was very strong and healthy. I didn't see any queen cups, but I didn't see any in the other hive either that made their own. So excited this one is doing so well!! Hive 1 is still in SL.
June 29, 2015
Hive 2 - Checked today and we have brood in the frames!! I also have a lot of Tiger's Blood honey. That will be quite fun! Luckily, they look really healthy so I am glad the medicine worked. All the frames were full so I added another box. I called to check on the test results before I went to SL to pick up my other mini hive. Joey does not have results back, but does not think it is American Foulbrood (the worst option). Hive 1 was picked up from Salt Lake. It was not quite as full as Hive 2, but I put new boxes on it, and gave them blue raspberry syrup.
(Hive 2 brood in frames, so I have a queen, added box!! Hive 1 brought home from SL & added box)
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