Hello Beepeeple!

[Maggiesdad]

Sunday evening check - nothing visible.
Tues evening check,rainy mid 60°s, testy bees! -saw two queen cups two bars in, closed it up really quick because they were pinging off my veil like buckshot! Wish they had fresh pollen and nectar coming in for optimal queen health, but it is what it is. It's been cold and rainy for 3 days now. Very few flights and the girls have the openings plugged up. I'm going to stay out of there until it warms up some.

 

[Maggiesdad]

Peeked at those two bars... it's been one week tonight.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Beautiful!

I'm itching to get into mine, but I'm going to wait another week, since the queen should have hatched this week. Weather is perfect for mating flights, so hopefully that is done, and she's back in the hive laying eggs. I might get into the main hive on Sunday and see how they are doing. Nectar flow is heavy now, so I want to make sure they are storing honey in the super and not making the hive body honey bound.

 

[Maggiesdad]

If you look closely, there's another one above it at about 1:30-2oclock. A worker's in feeding. I"m wondering just how many they drew up! There"s three on the second comb in from the back, and I have stayed out of the main part of the brood nest since I unqueened them, to give them optimal conditions. Now I need to decide how many nucs to make up! I'm really enjoying this. It will be interesting to see if I can pull this off.

 

[Happy Chooks]

It looks like they are just superseding their queen. I've read it's common with packages.

 

[Maggiesdad]

It looks like they are just superseding their queen. I've read it's common with packages.

That's what it looks like, but remember, I initiated it. I just made sure they had fresh wax and eggs before I pulled her. So they are emergency queens even though they are drawn on the comb edges. The fresh comb edge makes it easy for them to bring the larva into the vertical position.

 

[Maggiesdad]

Day nine and they are capped...

They sure do cover them up - it's hard to get a picture without moving them. Time to get the mating nucs set up...

 

[mikiz]

Maggiesdad they are so CUTE!
I can't WAIT to get my own place so I can set up some hives, they seem like so much fun

 

[Maggiesdad]

It IS fun, @mikiz!!!

But I wouldn't call them cute - ! Tuesday the state bee inspector went through all my hives with me, and the queen rearing hive nailed him five times! lol - I said "Dude! Yer rubbing their fur the wrong way!"

Today it got to 95° and I got my first beard.

Even the mating nucs had whiskers... but I didn't get any pics of them.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Cool pictures. I feel bad for the bee inspector,even though he is probably used to it.

We've been humid as heck today from all of the rain we had yesterday. It will be 100 tomorrow, so probably worse. Us CA folks aren't used to humidity! No bearding on my hives yet, but the are certainly fanning the entrance. I'm thinking of removing the plastic insert on the screened bottom board on the split tomorrow.

On Monday I get to check my split for eggs and larva. Wahoo, can't wait!