New beekeeper needs help!
Hello everyone! New beekeeper as of this year near Athens Georgia. Ill try not to keep it too long but kind of at a loss on next steps/ what to do next. I feel like I’ve done a good bit of research and have a good understanding of most things at my level in beekeeping (but I know I have a ton more to learn) but nothing like real world experience to shake that faith haha. So I have 3 hives I’ve started all from nucs, from April- May. All progressing at different rates which is fine and expected. So been doing inspections each week like usual and can’t tell if we’re in a dearth about to be in a dearth or what? I saw a little bit of pollen today but they seem to be slowing down on production of honey, and filling brood boxes with honey pollen and nectar. I still see a good amount of brood and eggs in each hive as well. So my questions I have and where I’m stuck is as follows
But first a few random questions I have:
What else can I do about hive beetles I have 2 traps per box and still see a good many. Reduce space? Swiffer sheets as well.
I test for mites (alcohol wash per 300) and in hive 1 I had 3, hive 2 8, hive 3 6. Definitely know I need to treat but should I do OA vapor, varoxsan strips, or apiguard (I have all 3) I’ve done research on all three so well versed just need validation and confirmation on what to use.
I’ve noticed my bees have started to fill each bottom deep with a good bit of honey nectar and bee bread. Is this normal this time a year? Still decent brood as well.
When we’re in a dearth or approaching a dearth how much do we feed and how long? Should I worry the bees backfill everything if I keep feeding or should I put a super on and let them fill that thing full for the winter in a dearth? (Using inside the hive feeder to prevent robbing)
Hive 1 (newest nuc or last to be installed): -2 full deeps building good and all frames have been drawn or touched. Since we’re approaching a dearth (or in one anyone local please let me know) should I add a super or hold off? Worried about room/ space and don’t want them to swarm I just know in a dearth they stop laying and reduce population so don’t want to give them to much space and give beetles take over (currently dealing with a good many hive beetles right now as well).
Hive 2: this hive I got as a medium frame nuc so I started it out as that and transitioned it to two deeps then swapped them and put the medium on top of the two deeps and added a 2nd super which is where it currently is at. The medium I originally had it in still has brood in it with a queen excluder under it.
Upon inspection today I found a charged swarm cell near the bottom. It had royal jelly in it but it was the only one in the entire hive. I cut it away because I found plenty of eggs in my 2nd brood box. Why would they swarm to close to the dearth? Did I not give them enough room. Their 2nd honey super is all drawn out and barely has nectar in it. Should I take it off as well since we’re close? Like I said I was trying to transition my medium I got them in originally into the two deep and use that as a honey super for fall but still had brood and just last week found the queen to put a excluder on. Could the swarm cell just be since it was originally a brood box the bees may have thought they need to swarm or maybe they needed a queen? Like I said I saw eggs today so she’s been in there the past three days and laying good. Should I be thinking of a split soon? Also what would my next steps be here?
Hive 3 (2 deeps and 2 honey supers)
so this hive has been my strongest and most productive hive I got 4 frames of honey today. So I have a hive beetle problem I think I opened it up on the 2nd honey super (top) and immediately killed 12 running around this super isn’t all the way drawn out they seem to have stopped which is why I pulled a few frames and figured I’d take it off the keep the space tighter to control the beetles better. Was this a smart move? I left them I’d say a good amount of honey almost a full super I feel like they will finish filling by next week or I can feed to help them. I plan on leaving 2 deeps and a honey super for them. My question for this hive is like above they were filling th bottom brood full of nectar bee bread, packed nectar and honey and still laying good but definitely not every frame should I throw the 2nd super back on or let them do their thing I’m just worried about not doing anything and they expand and want to swarm. Also could be overthinking things since it’s my first year and not many years of experience.
So all in all kind of stuck on what to do next with the above and in general what goes on this time of the year I know it’s the dearth and I need to treat but timeline wise should I go to every two weeks for inspections and let them do their thing until the fall flow and preparing them for winter? I have a bee club meeting tomorrow so talking to a bunch of people there but wanted to ask your opinions as well. I know it was a lot but thank you for taking the time to read and help a fellow beekeeper out!