First Top Bar Hive -- is this normal?

very few eggs? Eggs can be hard to see especial on very new comb. Did you see the queen? 10 days is a bit long without eggs but I'm not sure if its abnormal yet Nice hive btw

yes thay have to put the pollen/nectar somewhere while thay are waiting for the queen to be released and start laying if she was relased on the 15th then today the 21st makes 5 days. so by this friday you should look again and be able to see larva. thay are much easier to see than eggs.

Thanks! I usually pride myself on being able to see eggs... ...in Langstroth equipment! Ironic, because at 45 yrs old and just beginning to need reading glasses, eggs have not been overly hard for me to spot, usually. But I could be missing some for sure.

TBHs are a new venture for me--which is why I asked the question. I looked hard and swear I saw a lot of empty cells. I do plan to swap this queen out with a local girl... ...after our local girls emerge and prove themselves in mating nucs. I have had Georgia queens perform less than optimally in the past. So I figure changing genetics in this hive will give 'em a fighting chance through winter.

With a Langstroth it's easy enough to angle the comb to see the eggs. With a TBH you may find a flashlight is a hand way to ge the tight to the bottom of the cells without tipping the comb sideways...

Finally saw brood (open brood as in 2-3 day old larvae). How exciting to have a TBH. It's like being a beginner all over again.

My thinking is everyone who is hopelessly addicted to the disease Apis mellifera should try keeping bees in a whole variety of equipment, from Warre to skeps to BS to Langstroth. Skeps are illegal in some states but not all.

The point is that you get a good glimpse of what works really well for you and it's extremely educational.

I agree tb hives are fun they are the closest thing to a feral hive that you can actually check up on.