#2 is queenright, I think

There is plenty of honey in #2, mostly in the top box.  There was a small patch of sealed brood on one frame in the top box, just as there was in #1; this was worker brood, however.
In the bottom box there were 3 or 4 frames with capped brood.  I did not spot the queen nor see any larvae, but I am certain that I saw an egg.  So I will optimistically conclude that #2 is also queenright. 
Since the small swarm seemed to come from one of these hives, it looks like the bees knew what they were doing.... as usual.

Whats the haps in #1?

I am not certain that I know, but I will tell you what I saw today and what I think it means.
After I added two more angle braces to the hive stand legs, I decided to take a look into #1.  It has been two weeks since one of the hives cast a swarm and I wanted to see if both #1&2 were queen-right.  Even though it is an overcast day the thermometer is over 60 degrees.
In the top box are 8 frames full of capped honey so it seems the feeding was successful and it was okay that I stopped.  There was one small patch of capped drone cells, about a dozen, in one of the frames.
In the bottom box I saw plenty of capped brood and larvae of various ages, including less than a week old.  Even though I could not see eggs and did not spot the queen, I knew she was in there doing her duty.  So I conclude that #1 is doing well.
I then reassembled the hive (lifting again the very heavy top box).  Then I looked at the front of the hive and saw that the entrance reducer had been pushed back, far enough that bees were able to go in and out at one end.  I tried prying the reducer back into place with the hive tool, but this only succeeded in aggravating a few soldier bees.  Then I tried prying up the bottom box, but it was all too heavy.  Off went the 40+ pound top box.  I was then able to lift the bottom box but unable to move the entrance reducer.  This attempt stirred up even more bees.  I needed another tool to lift the bottom box so I could use my hive tool to move the reducer.  I got my

pry bar which has a flat, sort of thin end.  By first using my hive tool to lift the box a bit, I was able to insert the pry bar and lift the bottom box higher.  Of course, not only did the box move sideways, but also even more soldier bees were recruited.  I tried to shift the reducer, but there was too much propolis and after several attempts I abandoned that plan.
By this time there were bees flying all over the place with many landing on the netting of my bee suit.  Even though Ultra Breeze does not claim that their suit is sting-proof, I think I truly put it to the test today.
I finally just tipped the bottom box on end and moved the reducer by hand.  Then, nearly deafened by the high-pitched buzz of attacking bees, I put the hive back together (lots of heavy lifting).
I took the empty top feeders out of all the hives.  Angry bees followed me back to the shed where I used my Honey-B-Healthy spray on them.
After this overcast, possibly rainy weather passes, I will take a look into #2.

Breaking news. Cluster update

The queen has left her rock and is on the back of #2.  The number of bees traveling with her seems less.

The queen is not visible but is probably to the left of center under the ledge where a bunch of workers are facing inwards

Is she trying to get back into the hive?  I just asked Professor Seeley if queens do that.  From where she is, she can get between the beetle trap and the screen bottom.  Workers in the hive can feed her and spread her pheromones just like when a queen is in a queen cage.
I have no idea (or should I say many conflicting ideas) on how to deal with this situation.

Swarm lost...and found!

To recap: in the past couple of days, one of the hives cast a small swarm (perhaps as a supersedure).  I captured it in a nuc box and it soon thereafter left for the apple tree.

Then, yesterday morning, the cluster was gone and we all wished them good luck.
This morning, when out in the yard, I saw unusual activity around #3 hive stand.  I was trying to see what was going on when I noticed something even more unusual on the opposite side of the bridge.

 

What was going on?  I looked closely and saw a number of scouts dancing.

If you look at the video closely, you will see something special.  Here is a hint:

Here is the answer:

This cluster is just too small to survive.  There are not enough bees to take care of any brood let alone build comb for the queen to lay eggs in.  They seem to be deciding on a new home and will soon leave.

Wish them luck

I went out this morning to check on the cluster and the tree was empty of bees.  Unfortunately, they were not in the  bait box either.  Let us hope they survive in their new home.
I wrote to Professor Tom Seeley regarding my theory and he replied: I don’t have a good answer to your question.   I don’t think that the bees rejected your home because they hadn’t spent enough time in a cluster, but that would seem to explain what you have experienced.   It is certainly a testable hypothesis!  
I would set up some experiments to test it, if I had the space, supplies and undergraduate students!

A second surprise

Just as I finished the previous blog, I heard loud buzzing from the back.  There was another swarm around the lemon tree.  Then it moved back towards the apiary, hovered over the rose garden and then clustered in the Red Delicious apple tree.

A second swarm on the same day, in October?  My suspicions were aroused, and once I had looked into the nuc, my suspicions were confirmed.  The box was empty save for a couple of bees, three bee corpses and a few rose leaves.  Why did they leave/swarm again?
I have a theory.  I had put them into a "hive" very soon after they had left their mother hive.  Perhaps they were still in a swarming state of mind and therefore were compelled to leave.  As you all may recall, once before I had a captured swarm in a nuc box that left it in short order.  I previously attributed it to my having disturbed them (like a bear), but now that it has happened twice I believe it may have to do with bee behavior.  They may need to have some time clustered before they are ready to move into a new home.  I will write to Professor Seeley to see what he thinks.
In the meantime, I took the frames and feeder away from the nuc box, taped over the hole and put lemongrass oil in a pierce baggie inside and a drop on the porch (in order to make a bait box).  Tomorrow or the day after I'll test my above theory by shaking them into the box once again (assuming they have not move in on their own accord).

A surprising occurence

Over the past two days I have been checking the hives for honey supplies and doing a sugar-roll mite count.  So far I have done #2 & 3.  Each had 6-7 frames of capped honey in the top box.  Various sources recommend different amounts of needed honey stores but I think for this area 8 frames in the top box is what is needed.  So I will continue to feed for a while.

"Ghost bees" returning to the hive after sugar-roll count

The mite count:  #3, 8 mites = 2.67%;  #2, 5 mites = 1.67%.  Randy Oliver treats if the count is over 2%.  I had counted #3 first and I figured I would see what the average for all 3 hives was before deciding to treat now with Apiguard (thymol).  However, here comes the surprise.
As I was preparing to check hive #1, I saw a swarm around the hives in front of #1&2.  It was relatively small and eventually settled on Marilyn Monroe. 

Small swarm cluster

I fetched one of my nuc boxes to capture the swarm and had to scrounge up five deep frames for it.  I had one unused frame with foundation, one foundationless frame but the rest were only mediums.  Then I found one black plastic frame and even though I do not like this kind, any port in a storm.  Then I came across the frame for queen grafting that I received at the class at Davis.  I pried off the rack holders, inserted a sheet of foundation and voila!, a fourth frame.  For the fifth I used a drone frame.
Next, I had to provide for a way to feed the bees.  I wanted to use the entrance feeder, but the entrance opening was too small.

The entrance feeder width compared to the entrance width

The solution was to take the bottom board off the box and re-cut the opening.  (I made it about 1/8th inch too wide and closed the gap with a wedge of wood.)  I closed both openings with duct tape.
Now that the entrance was blocked by the feeder, I needed to make another entrance using a hole saw.
Next I needed to prepare a spot to put the box and protect it from ants.  I used a couple of bricks in a Styrofoam lid and a moat of motor oil.

Now all was ready to capture the swarm.  I had earlier placed the nuc box beneath the cluster and put a couple of drops of lemongrass oil in the box.

Box in position and ready for bees

Now that all was in order, I grabbed the branch and shook and SHOOK.  Then I banged the branch with the drone frame.  The bees tumbled into the box and many took to the air.

I waited a few minutes and then looked at the branch.  There were just a few bees there and they were not clustering as they would if the queen was still there.
Feeling confidant that the queen was in the box, I carefully put in the five frames, put the top on and carried the box to the potting table, its new location.  There I removed the duct tape and placed the entrance feeder.

Hmm, one problem.  The full feeder was so heavy that it was tipping a bit and even prying the box slightly apart.  I could foresee disaster!   The solution: a piece of PVC pipe in a bath of oil in a cap from a lemonade bottle.

I took another look at the branch where the cluster had been,

and later on, there were no bees left.
Needless to say, the mite count and honey check was not done on #1.  I suspect that it was #1 that swarmed because there seems to be a lot more bees and activity at #2's entrance.  If I am correct (at least 50% chance), then I need to leave #1 undisturbed for a couple of weeks to give the new queen time to hatch, mate and start laying.  I did fill its feeder.
I do not really expect the swarm to survive; it is just too small, probably under a pound.  I am more concerned about the mother hive.  Is it too late in the year for her to successfully mate?  I only see a few drones in the hives, nothing like the numbers in late spring.  As with most things in life, time will tell.

Olea's hive seems to be doing well

It was time to remove the Apivar strips from Olea's hive a couple of days ago and I took the opportunity to look through the combs.
The bees have been eating the hard sugar patties I made.  It takes them several days to finish off a patty, unlike their cousins in hives #1-3 who go through a half-gallon of syrup in a day.
There was honey in bars 11-16.  Some were almost filled with capped honey and the rest had all or mostly uncapped honey cells.  There was brood on bars 4-10;  I did not see the queen.
I have no more patties and I filled the other hives feeders today.  I will not feed them again for a few days (we will be out of town) and will check how they are doing towards the end of the week.  They just might have enough honey stores to get them through until the eucalyptus bloom.