From: ddhess@bellsouth.net
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 18:13:19 -0000
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Russians: Queens, Drones, Swarms

The bees in my last pic-post were russians (I assume it's been long
enough that most of the original italian package are gone). As you
may have noticed, they've been rather prolific. I think the honey
flow is slowing down, or else they don't like my wax-bead starter as
well as the cardboard, since they haven't added new combs recently.
Between starting them from package this year and making them build
all their own combs I'm not anticipating any honey harvest and
haven't taken the frames apart to look (I want them to brace them in
as well as possible for the move east). There has always been a good
glisten of drying nectar in the back combs when I stick my head in
the hives, so I'm taking that to mean they have enough to eat

On the head-butting issue, I've noticed that tendancy on one of the
hives more than the other. When I was putting mesh floors in, the
one hive pretty much ignored me. The second had like one or 2
individuals that would buzz around my head and tell me to shove off,
and would follow me for several yards (even before I had really
openned the hive much). They didn't sting me, but it makes it less
convenient for showing off the hives to family and friends. Neither
of the hives minded the least bit when I was reaching back with a
staple gun right next to the comb to fix the floor in.

It'll be interesting to see their swarm tendancies - whether they
appreciate all the space I'm giving them or get antsy for lack of pre-
built comb. Their tendancy to hang out and cluster shows up as a
cluster of bees extending through and below my mesh floor in one of
the hives (I just hope they don't build comb through it). There
still seems to be plenty of traffic through the entrance holes,
though.

-Don