I picked up 10 pierco/wood frames from Barry Tabor to use to put a second box on our newest nuc – Deanne. The bees have filled the bottom box and we want them to work on filling another box with bees, brood and honey before winter. To encourage them to move up, I moved up two frames of brood and honey. I couldn’t avoid moving some brood along with the honey. I am hoping that the weather is warm enough that the brood doesn’t chill. (I read somewhere that the presence of drones helps to keep the hive temperature elevated? They do a lot of ambling over the comb.).
At least the heat is cooperating!
I saw the queen again, but there are still a lot of drones and relatively few workers, as before. There are no newly capped larvae yet, although there are new eggs and young uncapped larvae. Because of what I am seeing, I do think this is a new queen and it took her some time to get mated. I can't think of another reason why there would be a lag in new worker bees.
Ayla is feeding them, and we are watching for robbing. Haven’t seen any evidence yet, but as the nectar flow subsides it may start. Which reminds me - we should put on an entrance reducer, just in case. Anyhow, the new super is on, and we will wait for a couple of weeks to see the workers emerge!
I left Polly and Alistair alone after a quick peak into the top.
~ JoAnne
Willow Springs Creative Centre's bee project is now in its second dynamic year here in rural Thunder Bay. Share in our excitement as you read about its progress!
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