BIG PROBLEM in the "beehouse" tonight

My BIG PROBLEM was that I'm not BIG ENOUGH! I have two hives that are now 5 SUPERS HIGH...and every box is FULL and HEAVY!!!!!  Since I super on the bottom...I had to take them all off and restack.  Down works by gravity - but UP???!  By the time I got to # 5 (on top)...I had NO MORE LIFTING POWER!  There I was standing with a 50/75# sticky box of bees (and a husband in the house that doesn't go anywhere near the girls!)....  I grabbed what I had available - a cement block which made me about 8 inches taller.  (and all the while I'm balancing on it - I'm thinking - don't twist an ankle! or fall off!)

If these hives go for another super - I'm going to have to take a ladder out there.  Better yet - I'm going to call a beekeeper friend.

....and of course while I was "keeping" - I'm eyeing the other hives and determining their "futures" for FALL/WINTER.  My early season split isn't doing well.  They requeen, and requeen....they've dwindled to about 1 deep of bees.  By the eggs and larvae - they have a new queen....but I see they're feeding supersedure cells.  Even though they're small, I don't want to give up on them.  If they supersede late - they might try going into winter with both queens. (I've had hives do this before).  (to get them through - I'm eyeing this up for overwintering on top of it's mother hive)  These are the TINY BEES (I'm thinking they're truly FERAL bees and I'd like to keep their genetic line...)

DON'T GIVE UP TOO SOON is the lesson of the year. Of the 4 (of 8) that came out of winter this year, ATHENA was the smallest surviving cluster.  And she's ONE OF THE BEST HIVES THIS SEASON (5 supers)  and NASTY HIVE who's made it through 4/5? winters? - has great population (she's superceded/requeened) - but she has NO INTEREST in making honey for me this year.