[Millenia]

Due to weather and my work schedule, I haven't been inside the hive in two weeks. Packaged bees were hived 5 weeks ago and boy what a difference 2 weeks makes. Last time it looked like 3 to 4 frames of bees, now I have at least 6 with lots of overflow. I put in one foundationless frame two weeks ago between two drawn out frames and it's drawn down to within an inch of the bottom. It has some capped drone in it and a bunch of larva. It looks like all of the combs are bigger. Did they make an entire frame of drone comb? I went ahead and took another outside empty frame, pulled the foundation out of it, and inserted it the same way on the other side.

I took some advice from here and put food coloring in my sugar water. I can definitely see some green in some cells. Time to quit feeding?

I still haven't found the darned queen but she's obviously in there. They haven't filled the 2 and 9 frames with completely with comb so it isn't quite time to put the next super on but I'm getting ready. After this population explosion, it may not take them long.

My husband (who won't go near the hive unless I beg for help) built me two deep nucs. I still have to paint them but I've ordered one extra deep box and a bunch of deep frames, some with foundation, some without. I plan to get a second hive soon in preparation.

If I put a second deep on top of this one and wait until they fill it, can I just take that deep and start my new hive with it? I'm in Georgia and most people seem to winter with only one deep.

 

[Michael Bush]

It's May and you're in Georgia. I can't imagine there isn't plenty of nectar... I would have quit feeding a month ago there. I would have quit feeding two weeks ago here...

 

[r hayden]

Millena, I'm just a little north west of you. With the rain we just had and the great weather we'll have for at least the next ten days no need to feed.
Tulip poplars are opening left and right, and the hive activity has gone from ho-hum last week to "outa-my-way-coming in heavy" now. Landing board looks like 285 during rush hour, only the bees are moving faster!
Clover, privet, and blackberrys are also opening up.

Not sure if it's best to add a second deep and then split, never done it. Last year, started with 2 nucs, I just pulled several frames of capped/uncapped brood with nurse bees and put them in a deep hive. They made their own queen but I think she didn't survive her mating flight....ended up buying a local queen. That hive is really strong now.

 

[JRG13]

Yes, they built all drone comb, I would've left the foundation in on the other frame personally.