Today was finally the right combination of: warm, sunny, I had no place to be urgently, and I could wash my hair and not put my styling products in (I have come to the conclusion it smells to the hive like their alarm pheromones. It's not a good scene when a bee is STUCK IN YOUR HAIR. Which has happened more often than I care to admit. Sometimes, I am a slow learner). Finally I could inspect Beeyoncé's hive.
Back when I removed the insulation panels, I had put in some comb from the other hive that was empty. It has been well used, with honey stores being formed in the back of the hive and a ton of new brood. Lots and lots of both worker and drone cells. As I moved forward in the hive I found some larvae and, finally, Queen B herself. Everything seems fine for now, but it does feel a little crowded in there. I'll have to get back out there soon to make sure they're not getting ready for a swarm. So far, I didn't see any queen cells. There is also a little cross-combing going on which, if I have to split the hive, I can remedy.
I am still pondering whether this is the right hive setup for me. At some point, I would like to get some honey and maybe, with a modular hive like a Langstroth, I could accommodate the changes in population better. I have no idea how to convert an existing colony from a top bar hive to a Langstroth and I'd also have to get a bunch of new equipment. For now, I will continue to ponder.
Back when I removed the insulation panels, I had put in some comb from the other hive that was empty. It has been well used, with honey stores being formed in the back of the hive and a ton of new brood. Lots and lots of both worker and drone cells. As I moved forward in the hive I found some larvae and, finally, Queen B herself. Everything seems fine for now, but it does feel a little crowded in there. I'll have to get back out there soon to make sure they're not getting ready for a swarm. So far, I didn't see any queen cells. There is also a little cross-combing going on which, if I have to split the hive, I can remedy.
I am still pondering whether this is the right hive setup for me. At some point, I would like to get some honey and maybe, with a modular hive like a Langstroth, I could accommodate the changes in population better. I have no idea how to convert an existing colony from a top bar hive to a Langstroth and I'd also have to get a bunch of new equipment. For now, I will continue to ponder.
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