Middle questions :)

2210 Views 10 Replies 8 Participants Last post by NasalSponge, Jan 30, 2010

rand

Discussion Starter · Jan 29, 2010

I did another weekly inspection today and finally, my wifes are not angree
as it was in the two previous inspection.
My bees building speed got slower, i think because i stopped feeding
and the weather was cold a little bit.

1. I saw & read that drone cells are usually in the bottom corners of the frames. Today i saw few drone cells in the middle of several frames -
does it mean anything?

2. can a brood frame become an honey frame ?
I saw a brood frame that was full of brood two weeks ago and now my
wifes started to capped honey in the middle of the frame, were brood
should be in a normal classic structure.

Thanks alot
Randi

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Omie

· #2 · Jan 29, 2010

Randi, I do not have enough experience as a beekeeper to answer your questions well, but I can suggest that when you say 'my wifes' what you really mean to say is 'my girls'....meaning your bees. We often refer to our bees in English as 'the girls' but never as 'the wifes'. It does sound kind of funny.

Just trying to be helpful.

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Beeslave

· #3 · Jan 29, 2010

Can you post a few pictures of what you are seeing?

Q1- Drones in the middle of frame can mean that your queen is failing/or failed,but it could be a drone cell and that is why it is there and the queen is fine.

Q2-Is there a natural nectar source for the bees now? They could be filling the brood nest because of swarm preparations, queenlessness, lack of room or other reasons.

Pictures would be helpful.

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rand

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 29, 2010

Hi,
Thank you for your replies.

Omie: Here in the Middle East we have more than on wife so that's why chose wife instead of girls

, but thank you for the correction. I wish i could express my self better in Engls - trying my best and improving from post to post

Beeslave: I didn't take pictues this time because it's a little bit difficult working alone and taking pictures. I thought on this today that there must be patent that makes it easy to picture with out using the hands ??

There is nectar outside but not too much. I think you are right and one of my queen is not functioning well because i saw few eggs only in 10 frame hive and the founation building tempo is slow.

I will check again the next week and will try to picture.

Thanks
Randi

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JOHNYOGA2

· #5 · Jan 29, 2010

Randi,
Since you're located in southern Isreal, about the same latitude as northern Florida here, you've got daytime temps in the mid 70's. You posted some time ago that one of your hives almost flooded, so with abundent water, I'm guessing you have a lot of things starting to bloom.
Yes, Brood frames do become honey frames when the bees are bringing in lots of nectur, but the problem, if one exists, is that the queen should be putting eggs everywhere. I agree, maybe you should check her performance on your next inspection.

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Beeslave

· #6 · Jan 29, 2010

In the few cells you seen eggs in there was ther only one egg in each cell or more. If you are seeing multiple eggs you may have laying workers.

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Countryboy

· #7 · Jan 30, 2010

I thought on this today that there must be patent that makes it easy to picture with out using the hands ??

A frame rest slides over the edge of the box, and has two fingers to hang the frame on. This is an easy way to hold the frame while you take pictures.

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rand

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 30, 2010

Hi again

Countryboy: thanks for the simple tip that i wasn't think about

i will check it next inspection.
JOHNYOGA2:
I do have Temps range from mid 70's to 60+ in day time
but we have here semi desert conditions that are not ideal
for massive blooming as it should be after such rains we had.
The ground is poor in nutrition, nights are relative cold to days
and a lot of dusty winds over hear.

I wasn't thinking to beekeeping in this area if my location wasn't an organic seeds company that have 70 dunams (17 acres) of diverse growths that my bees love to get nectar from and pollinate

I will give my queen a chance one week ahead and check if she got out from her depression and started to act as a real leader and laying machine.

Good day
Randi

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Brent Bean

· #9 · Jan 30, 2010

Like mentioned before drone cells in the middle of the frame could be the queens age. If she is at the end of her reproductive life span she will start laying more drone eggs then eventually all drones. Have you noticed any queen cells? The workers in most cases will detect the slow down in the queens productivity long before the beekeeper dose and start producing replacement or supersedure queens. If this is the case take action soon when a hive becomes overrun with drones it can take a long time to get the hive back into being productive.

Bravo on the wife’s, don’t think I could handle more than one, my wife often refers to my honeybees as my girlfriends.

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Michael Bush

· #10 · Jan 30, 2010

>1. I saw & read that drone cells are usually in the bottom corners of the frames. Today i saw few drone cells in the middle of several frames -
does it mean anything?

Drone cells are build wherever the bees can find a spot with soft enough wax to tear it down and rebuild it. No, it really doesn't mean anything.

>2. can a brood frame become an honey frame ?

Yes.

>I saw a brood frame that was full of brood two weeks ago and now my
wifes started to capped honey in the middle of the frame, were brood
should be in a normal classic structure.

They may be backfilling in order to swarm. I would look for queen cells and other indications of swarming.

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NasalSponge

· #11 · Jan 30, 2010

An example of what Countryboy is talking about....

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