From: Micky Lee <mlee4321@juno.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2001 22:33:05 -0500
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: A success story

Hello all,

I will post progress of recovering from the flood over the next few days
but first I must report on some good news.

I had one colony that came through winter very small. I put it in an
observation hive. It had a small amount of brood on one frame and about
a four inch circle of bees. That brood got chilled and they moved up on
the 6 5/8 inch Illinois honey frame. The circle of bees was now down to
about two inches. I fed them honey and carried them outside on warm
afternoons. It gradually grew to cover that frame and I moved it to an
Illinois box. I filled it with frames I had cut the comb out of. They
built comb all the way across the box.

I got ten sheets of 4.9 from Dadant. I cut a sheet in 16 pieces [four x
four] and installed one at the bottom of each frame. And placed it on
top of the first box.

I expected them to begin drawing comb around the starter strip. Instead
they began drawing the 4.9 as manufactured.

I have a colony of 49ers much sooner than I expected. I will try and keep
this queen brooding at least through June. In this area we do not expect
bees to draw comb after the first of July as the honey flow is very low
in July and August. When the flow picks up, in the fall, they will fill
the brood nest with honey and pollen for winter.

It is possible to keep them brooding by opening the brood nest and
feeding. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

Wish me luck.

Micky