HSC after 24 days

[flathead]

http://zacharyfarmsllc.com/hsc-after-24-days.jpg

[BULLSEYE BILL]

Cool. So what happened to the queen cell?

[Dave W]

Hmmmmm,

Is that a spotty brood pattern?

What are the dark cell in MIDDLE of the brood?

[flathead]

Dave W muses...

<Hmmmmm,
Is that a spotty brood pattern?
What are the dark cell in MIDDLE of the brood?>

Not sure why exactly, but it looks like she hesitated to lay in the plastic and the bees stored pollen and honey all over.

Do you think it is something more sinister?

Go here and there is a close-up of the center of the frame posted here and other frame pics.
http://zacharyfarmsllc.com/hsc_after_24_days_.htm

The side of the frame shown here is to the outside of the brood nest. If you look right below the frame in the pic you can see some of the frame(still in the box) next to the one I am holding. She did a much better job on that one and they did not store as much in the center.

Bullseye asks:
<Cool. So what happened to the queen cell?>

Not sure it was queen cells now. They look open just like before and almost round.
If you go to the web page above, the last frame pic has two next to each other.

Here is a close-up.
http://zacharyfarmsllc.com/hsc-after-24-days-qc.jpg

[Beorn]

Sorry, what does HSC stand for and are those dark cells brood cells?:o

[drobbins]

Beorn,

HSC is a new product available which is a fully formed plastic honeycomb that is a little smaller than what people have been using
the theory is that it will help with the mite problem
it's a grand experiment
read along, you'll be intrigued
welcome to beesource

look here

http://www.honeysupercell.com/sblog/

Dave

[Dave W]

I viewed the websight photos, GREAT SHOTS!

I am sure (subject to change :)) the "bubbles" ARE queen cells.

Some dark cells ARE filled w/ pollen, BUT some appear to be dark larvae. I would double-check and check again. Put a stick in a few, see if they "rope" out. Any larvae that are NOT brilliant white, indicates some kind of problem.

Are any frame sides "fully drawn AND SOLID (w/o missing cells)?

[drobbins]

I don't have any pics of mine but it looks about the same
very spotty
I'm guessing it's just going to take a while for them to fully accept it and lay a good pattern
I started 2 packages on it and they seem to be building up just fine
there does seem to be a lot of burr comb between the frames, I think they kinda have a need to draw wax
I have em in 1 medium box now and I'm debating whether to give em another box of HSC or a box of SC foundation

Dave

[BULLSEYE BILL]

After working with Permacomb for as long as I have, when I see your picture I see a normal looking frame from a newly installed colony. All is fine with your frame of brood.

When a new package or swarm is put onto fully drawn comb the bees are in a reorganizing mode. The foragers are bringing in nectar and pollen for the newly lain eggs and are not quite sure where to put the groceries. It's not like they don't have choices, there are lots of cells already drawn everywhere! What they do know is that they need to put the stores next to the eggs. Sometimes they bring in more than what they need in that area and the pollen is not all used right away. The queen keeps laying, the larva gets capped and their attention goes elsewhere to the larva that needs tending. After a couple of cycles you will notice a more organized area of brood surrounded with the pollen band and honey outside of that.

Those few empty cells that everyone freaks out over calling it Shotgun or Spotty laying pattern is not always a problem with the queen. It could be hygienic behaviour. At any rate when the queen needs to be replaced the bees are likely to take care of the problem or it will be noticeable by you and you will.

As for the queen cells, I see them all the time, bees like to have emergency cups around but I normally see them on the bottom of the frames. If it makes you feel better you can scrape them off, it's ok, they will make more. I look inside them and if I see a larva and royal jelly I pull the frame and another with brood and stores and make a two frame nuc. It's always handy when you need to replace a queen ;)

The cells in your picture are supercedure cells (high or in the center of the frame) and they may have thought that the queen needed replacing, hence the question asking if they finished the queen cells or tore them down.

Dave suggested checking for AFB, but on a newly installed package on clean new plastic comb it would be highly unlikely. I think it is only pollen in those cells.

[Keith Benson]

I don't have any pics of mine but it looks about the same
very spotty


Same here. I was wondering if it was the queen, but I think it is more a fiction of the stuff being new. But Bullseyes explanation makes a lot of sense in retrospect.

Keith

[Dave W]

Bullseye Bill (or anyone)

>Some dark cells ARE filled w/ pollen, BUT some appear to be dark larvae . . .
Why would some cells have dark larvae (in middle of frame)?

>Those few empty cells that everyone freaks out . . .
Well explained :)

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>Some dark cells ARE filled w/ pollen, BUT some appear to be dark larvae . . .
Why would some cells have dark larvae (in middle of frame)?

Dave, are you looking at Flatheads pictures? If you are you have a lot better sight than me. I can't see anything that I can identify as anything other than pollen. Sorry.