1wk checkup -> Awesome!

[fr0sty]

So I'm just starting out and I installed a package of bees last week on totally brand new equipment and foundation.

Today, I did the first checkup and opened up the hive and was pretty happy with what I saw.
I saw about 5-6 frames drawn out, eggs, and the queen! Seeing the queen was a total relief, because I had been thinking the entire week how screwed I would've been if the queen was dead or gone.

I switched the entrance reducer from the smallest to the next biggest and also refilled the feeder with medicated syrup.

When should the next checkup be? in another week? 2? Anything else I should do?

Oh yeah, I was thinking about feeding them grease patties as well, it's a 2:1 of sugar to crisco right? and what are K-wings?

[Brian D. Bray]

So I'm just starting out and I installed a package of bees last week on totally brand new equipment and foundation.

Today, I did the first checkup and opened up the hive and was pretty happy with what I saw.
I saw about 5-6 frames drawn out, eggs, and the queen! Seeing the queen was a total relief, because I had been thinking the entire week how screwed I would've been if the queen was dead or gone.

I switched the entrance reducer from the smallest to the next biggest and also refilled the feeder with medicated syrup.

Sounds like they are building up well, congratulations.

When should the next checkup be? in another week? 2? Anything else I should do?

A good routine to get into is to inspect the hive every 10-14 days.  It is close enough together to spot problems and possible swarming signs (queen cells) and far enough appart to not significant progress.  Make yourself away of the 80/20 rule of supering, when 80% of the frames are covered with combs and bees super the hive as the remaining 20% can be finished in just a few days during a honey flow. 

Oh yeah, I was thinking about feeding them grease patties as well, it's a 2:1 of sugar to crisco right? 

Grease patties are principally for treating traechel mites or pollen substitutes, sugar shakes work better for varroa.  Grease patties are also a good Small Hive Beetle (SHB) lure along with pollen patties. During the late spring and early summer chances are the bees will ignore the patties which will draw the SHB. 

and what are K-wings?

K-wings are workers with deformed wings.  The defect leaves 2 wings extended so that the 4 wings together make the letter K.

[fr0sty]

Around how long will it take for them to fill out the second brood super? and I was told that once all ten frames in the brood super were drawn out, to take one out and only have 9 frames. Does anyone else do this?

Do you think that I'll be able to get any honey this year?

[jdpro5010]

I doubt you will be able to get honey this year.  Myself, I would leave ten frames in the brood boxes although a few may suggest going to nine after the frames are drawn out.  I see no advantage to going to nine frames in a brood box.  I do see an advantage to doing 9 frames in a honey super though.

[jeremy_c]

Around how long will it take for them to fill out the second brood super? and I was told that once all ten frames in the brood super were drawn out, to take one out and only have 9 frames. Does anyone else do this?

10 frames in a brood box, 9 in a honey. In a 9 frame box, the bees will draw the comb out so it's deeper. This actually means that you can pack more honey into a box than if you were to go with 10 frames in the same box. Now, for brood, the extra comb they draw out is useless as the brood does not need that much room to rear in. The extra space in the cell is of no value, so you loose capacity in a brood box if you go with 9 frames.

Jeremy

[Brian D. Bray]

9 frames in the brood chamber means one less frame of brood means less bees to forage.