Joined
·
2,438 Posts
This is the original hive that swarmed and from which I made splits with the queen cells.
I'm pretty sure the last time I was in there there was a lot of capped brood. Unless I'm wrong.
Anyway, one split looks great, saw queen, capped larvae.
Another split has uncapped larvae but I didn't see a queen anywhere. There were only about 5 occupied frames in this hive, so I don't see how I could have missed her. Could the uncapped larvae be laying workers? I don't know.
Another split has a ton of capped larvae. Didn't see the queen but didn't have to.
But this original swarmed hive from which I got all the splits has me puzzled. I saw no queen, and I did see some capped queen cells, flat ended ones, but surely those are just leftovers. But maybe not.
This darn hive may have afterswarmed. Grr. I had already made room in the brood chamber by clearing out the honey frames, but this time the brood chamber looked pretty empty. There were a couple frames of partial capped brood towards the top of the hive. That was it.
I'm tempted just to let these hives be until late August, and then sort out who's what where. I made sure they all have a lot of extra space because there are a lot of bees in all my hives right now. Maybe they'll feel like building out frames, maybe they'll feel like moving their honey all over, maybe they'll just like the feeling of extra space.
I can't figure out why this swarmed hive has so little sign of capped brood and I didn't see a queen anywhere, and I went all the way to the bottom. I'm thinking it must have after after-swarmed when I wasn't looking.
OH WELL. I'm sick of trying to puzzle this whole thing out. I was just in the hives a week ago, and I don't want to poke around and disturb them too much. Since they have more than enough space and no crazy comb or obvious signs of problems, and I cleared honey out of the brood chambers as well as I could, just left a frame on each edge, I'm just going to let them be.
Is that a good idea?
I'm pretty sure the last time I was in there there was a lot of capped brood. Unless I'm wrong.
Anyway, one split looks great, saw queen, capped larvae.
Another split has uncapped larvae but I didn't see a queen anywhere. There were only about 5 occupied frames in this hive, so I don't see how I could have missed her. Could the uncapped larvae be laying workers? I don't know.
Another split has a ton of capped larvae. Didn't see the queen but didn't have to.
But this original swarmed hive from which I got all the splits has me puzzled. I saw no queen, and I did see some capped queen cells, flat ended ones, but surely those are just leftovers. But maybe not.
This darn hive may have afterswarmed. Grr. I had already made room in the brood chamber by clearing out the honey frames, but this time the brood chamber looked pretty empty. There were a couple frames of partial capped brood towards the top of the hive. That was it.
I'm tempted just to let these hives be until late August, and then sort out who's what where. I made sure they all have a lot of extra space because there are a lot of bees in all my hives right now. Maybe they'll feel like building out frames, maybe they'll feel like moving their honey all over, maybe they'll just like the feeling of extra space.
I can't figure out why this swarmed hive has so little sign of capped brood and I didn't see a queen anywhere, and I went all the way to the bottom. I'm thinking it must have after after-swarmed when I wasn't looking.
OH WELL. I'm sick of trying to puzzle this whole thing out. I was just in the hives a week ago, and I don't want to poke around and disturb them too much. Since they have more than enough space and no crazy comb or obvious signs of problems, and I cleared honey out of the brood chambers as well as I could, just left a frame on each edge, I'm just going to let them be.
Is that a good idea?
