Today we examined all our families from the upper part of the hive, without taking the frames off the body-box. The main goal was to understand how and where the winter cluster is formed ...
After this inspection, which cooled the nests of the bees and greatly disturbed them, the Apivox Smart Monitor app was used to check the general state of the bees and to assess the presence of open brood in the nest. We used the General State Control mode in winter variant and the Brood Control Mode.
Beehive E-1. According to the first screenshot, after an external examination at a temperature of + 7C, the bees began emergency heating of the nest. At the same time, there are usual in-hive works. The second screenshot explains, why such a strong heating was required - there is still an open brood in the nest. The graph is high enough in the red zone. Apparently, a large number of bees in the hive allows to continue to grow brood, although in significantly smaller volumes. This is the reason why the free fall of the mites is still does not subside.
Beehive 8-1. According to the first screenshot, we very much bothered the bees of this family. The excitation signal is very strong. But overall state of the family is normal. Emergency heating is not required. This indicates a high probability of the absence of an open brood. The family is engaged in its internal affairs. The second screenshot shows that there is no open brood or very few. The chart is in the white zone, although not very deep.
Beehive 5-1. According to the first screenshot, the family is disturbed and chilled. There is emergency heating. But it is not very strong. In-hive works are proceeding as usual. The second screenshot may explain the reason for the emergency heating. The family seems to have small leftovers of an open brood. The chart sometimes goes into the red zone, although quite a bit.
Beehive E-2. The first screenshot shows that the family was disturbed. There is excitement of bees. And there is also an emergency heating of small power. Bees restore thermal conditions in the nest. According to the second screenshot, there is no open brood or there are minor residues. The chart does not leave the white zone, although sometimes it approaches to a zero mark.
Beehive 5-2. The first screenshot shows that the bees have already calmed down and are in normal condition. The second screenshot shows that with a high degree of probability there is no open brood in the family. The chart is completely in the white zone, but the pulsation of the chart is noticeable. This can indicates the possibility of the care on open brood, but of very insignificant force.
Beehive 8-2. The first screenshot indicates that the family is in good condition. Activity is not high, but they do not use the emergency heating. The second screenshot indicates that there is no open brood in the family or its number is not significant.
So, we can state that in no one family except E-1, there is most likely no brood at all, or its quantity is not significant. If it exists, it should be only the remains of sealed brood. There is no, with high probability, an open brood. The presence of brood in E-1 beehive, will for some time, provoke a free fall of Varroa mites, which can still multiply in the remaining brood.
I would like to note the work of the new type of inner cover. So far, its work can be considered successful. Due to the plastic lattice with gaps of 2-3 mm, normaly used for collecting of propolis, our inner cover makes it easy to carry out acoustic control of bees, although the light somewhat interferes with them, to carry out visual control of wintering bees without opening the hive, and then, if necessary, during frosts, will allow you to put a pillow of moss on top of it to remove metabolic moisture, which can condense at the top of the hive ...
It should be noted that the lattice is about 2 cm above the frames and the bees do not close the holes with propolis. We are also integrated a wired microphone into the middle of inner cover, which allows us to control bees in winter and summer without lifting the roof of the hive.
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