While I’ve done at least four hive checks in the past month, I apologize for not posting any photos. The colony has grown at an alarming rate. I’m not certain, but I think the last time I posted photos, four of the 10 frames had yet to be drawn out. I started feeding the bees last month, placing four jars (about the size of a tall peanut butter jar) of simple syrup (1 part purified water, 1 part organic sugar) into the top hive box. A week after putting the jars in, they were empty…the little ladies just lapped in up!
I had read in the Dadant & Sons book that between the 3rd and fifth week I would see an enormous change in the number of bees, and boy they weren’t kidding. All 10 frames are drawn out, nine on both sides and the 10th on only one side. At least five of the frames are filled with brood. The queen is laying like crazy, and I’m glad to say she’s laying in a very healthy pattern — brood in the middle and honey on the outer quadrants.
I had my teacher friend Beverly and Ben over this time and Ben was our documentarian. Beverly is a science teacher at my school, and she really wanted to see the whole process because her students are reading about the disappearning colony problem. Ben teaches English, but while he was living in Virginia he helped a friend out with his hives and now he wants to get his own!
I did see a couple of queen cells at the bottom of two of the frames. I’ll have to ask Ken about them because they’re dark black in color. I’m not sure what that is. However, there are tons of little rice grains (eggs at early stage) in one frame, and on another frame there are uncapped larva at a more advanced stage. Then there’s tons of capped cells. So she’s been busy! There’s also one whole frame of pollen-packed cells, so I have a feeling there’s a new autumn bloom cycle starting. Every day I see the girls coming back with their sacks packed with bright yello pollen.
I replenished their syrup supply and will peek in next week to see how they’re doing. Here are some pictures that Ben took.
I placed these three jars in the hive seven days ago. One is already completely empty.
HONEY!
