July 5.
On June 22, 13 days ago, I shifted a couple of outside frames around inside the uppermost deep in the hope of getting some additional comb development. Also knowing that I'd be on vacation and not be around for the week of June 28, I added the queen excluder and a honey (medium) super to the hive, hoping to see them begin to move into the honey super for me while I was gone. I 've been anxious to check to see if much was happening with those changes. The weather had turned to become very hot 95 degrees on a couple of days, and we'd not had rain in well over 10 days. Today was also one of those days - 94 degrees, and the girls certainly were active ... buzzing in and out of the hive entrance, with many sitting on the entrance board fanning the hive. I was glad that I had incorporated Bob's tip of raising the top cover with small stones. I hope that helped them more easily regulate the hive temperature in the heat. I'd also occasionally drizzle some water over the top of the hive allowing it to drip down to the entrance board ... combination of cooling and drinking.
So I removed the top cover and the inside cover to look at the honey super. Several hundred bees were on probably half of the frames; but, I couldn't easily see any comb development. I had inadvertently made the task of looking at the comb development easier on the deep frames because I had purchased the dark black Pierco frames and the white/yellowish comb was easy to pick up on. The frames I have for the honey super were the yellowish Pierco frames - there may have been some comb development but I couldn't see much there. Regardless, it was good to see the bees on the frames, I assume that means they are paying attention to them and in good time they will beging honey storage.
I removed the honey super, the queen excluder and began looking only at a few of the frames in the top deep. I think they have nicely developed the comb now in all of those frames. Several of them seemed really full of capped honey. I could see lots of capped brood, several "C" shaped larvae, and I think I could see some eggs, it was hard to see by then because of the sweat pouring off my face into my eyes/glasses under the veil. I will do a more thorough inspection hopefully on this next weekend coming up. I didn't spot the queen; but, in fairness, I only looked at 3 or 4 of the 20 frames in the deeps.
After the dogs (Baker and Chuisle) got stung by playing with a ball too close to the hive entrance, I decided to add some chicken wire fencing as a bit of a barrier to the hive.
the queen! I am relieved. I buttoned things up and will let them do their own thing for probably at least 10-14 days before I go in again. Nice job ladies. Can you spot the queen? [ hint; she is only in 1 of the 3 pictures on this post]
the queen! I am relieved. I buttoned things up and will let them do their own thing for probably at least 10-14 days before I go in again. Nice job ladies. Can you spot the queen? [ hint; she is only in 1 of the 3 pictures on this post]
