Tuesday, 23 April 2019

Carry on inspections - every colony holds a different surprise!

Now onto the 3rd colony - I call it Blue/Yellow. This lot are very strong - a large no. of quite feisty bees. They cling to my veil with intent.
This Q. which I didn't see, but then this is not the purpose of this inspection,
has laid on 3 deep combs in the brood box. Very good.  No brood in top super. I put the brood box on the clean floor and gently brushed/shook the bees from each super frame into it.  You can never be sure in this first inspection where the Q might be.  Don't want her above the QX.

As for Red hive's 3 shallow combs of brood.  I chose to place them in the middle of the brood box below the QX.  If I had left them in the top super, previous experience tells me the bees might move up to keep the brood warm and fed, leaving the Q on her own in the broodbox.   Yes, it can happen and she dies!!  However, I need to keep an eye on these 3 shallow combs and when the Q gets laying well I will gradually move them to the edge and eventually replace them with deep comb.
Tomorrow Silver colony gets the treatment. 

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