miniscule
05-10-2009, 05:40 PM
After the strange visit last weekend where I forgot to smoke, got stung and got out as soon as I spotted larvae, I got a more experienced beek over here to day to help examine the frames more carefully. We inspected all the frames (8) and he became a bit alarmed to see so much drone brood. We started with the frames that had the queen cage between them weeks ago and the frames next to them. Capped honey and lots of drone brood. Disheartening. The drone brood was not on the outsides and was not in any pattern. But the last 3 1/2 frames working away from the queen release site were each increasingly better, less drone, more consistant pattern and the last frame was nearly perfect with flat capped comb in a beautiful oval shape in the middle and pollen and honey on the outsides with maybe 4 drone cells on top right. They were just starting to draw comb on the 8th (outside, northside) frame, so I added another hive body.
What's up with this? Did I have an inexperienced or maybe virgin queen in my package? Are the normal brood frames an indication that thing are straightened out in my hive? Are those domed cells in the middle of the hive for-sure drone brood? My friend who helped today has only a year on me for experience, and he is a bit stymied too.http://www.beesource.com/forums/images/smilies/scratch_head.gif Looking for some opinions. :scratch:Thanks!
What's up with this? Did I have an inexperienced or maybe virgin queen in my package? Are the normal brood frames an indication that thing are straightened out in my hive? Are those domed cells in the middle of the hive for-sure drone brood? My friend who helped today has only a year on me for experience, and he is a bit stymied too.http://www.beesource.com/forums/images/smilies/scratch_head.gif Looking for some opinions. :scratch:Thanks!