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NOW I will relax!

3K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  brianbonner 
#1 ·
I've been worried for more than a month that one of my two newly installed (April 17) hives was missing a queen because one hive is doing so well/much better in all ways. This morning I went out in shorts and a tee shirt, and I slowly removed one comb at a time. FINALLY, on next to the first comb by the front, top entrance there she was in all her glory. What a beauty! AND I did not get stung or bothered by any of the bees. Now I can stop looking in through the glass every day to see how they're doing.
 
#4 ·
An observation window is nice, but you'll probably never see the queen through it. We have windows in two of our hives and they're best for letting people who are scared of bees see inside. You can't really tell much about what's going on inside without a comb-by-comb inspection. Just remember, if you can find evidence of a queen (eggs and upcapped brood) you don't have to find the queen. Patience.
 
#9 ·
I've seen quite a bit through the window of a top bar hive... from the comb building progress of a newly introduced package to the movement of a cluster during winter. Have also spotted hive beetles and other pests and watched how the bees dealt with them. As far as never viewing a queen through the window I spotted one in the act of laying a couple weeks ago... sure it was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time but it's far from improbable.
 
#5 ·
I'm not sure what shorts and T-shirt have to do with finding a queen. I have 3 top bars and have not seen the queen in any of them not that I have not looked I guess brood is good enough so I don't spend much time looking.
I guess I could try the shorts & T-shirt idea.
 
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