Nine Weeks

It has been nine weeks since these bees were installed. The bees did fine while we were gone on a short trip. When we got back, just five days after topping off the sugar water, the bees had nearly used up all the pollen patty and both quarts of syrup we had left them. At seven days, the syrup was gone. And today, no pollen patty at all. The dry days and eighty degree temps really help them get things done.

The inspection was ideal. They had brood in all stages, perfect egg laying patterns, large areas of hatched brood comb cleaned and reset with fresh eggs, and no signs of beetles or mites. There are no signs of any mites at all! I can't believe there are no mites. I figure I must be missing something but they are clean. I have even, recently, taken pics of each frame, zoomed in, inspected bee by bee, and I have not seen any mites. Skeptics take note, powdered sugar treatment works for me. I am sure mites will eventually reappear. But for now, Doris' bees are happy.

There were only two frames left on the outsides of the box that were not being built out with comb yet. The brood box is nearly full of bees. The second outer most frames had partial comb with only nectar in them so I switched the two outside empty frames in one position. I am hoping this encourages them to build out a little farther.

I am going to give them one more week. Next week I am going to add another Brood box below the one they are in. That should encourage them to continue building and growing downward into the next box.

The use of the slatted rack has definitely made a difference in the utilization of the frames. The first few frames are now completely filled to the corners. Now the bees are building them deeper. They seem to enjoy building burr comb. There is chunks of comb holding the lid down each time I open up the hive now. There is also gratuitous use of propolis. They are trying harder to keep me out and it's probably due to their growing numbers. The bees are now spread out across seven full frames (some are more concentrated than others).

I have been leaving one medium super above the inner cover. It seems to have helped them. It has been functioning as a makeshift quilt box holding the air above them steady. It has empty frames which won't absorb moisture like a quilt box, but they like hanging out in there sometimes and this time of year there is not a lot of condensation anyway.

Long Live the Queen!

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