A little update from the recently (re) supered hive. I’m getting more confident and made it to 4 frames inspected before the nerves made me put it all back together. As I understand it from countless threads on here, thats about what I should be going for anyway?!
Juggling frames, smoker, and phone for pictures is proving a challenge still. Respect to those that manage it all easily. Focus on keeping the frames safe means I only snapped a few of the inner brood frames.
The point was a general inspection but also checking in after the issues with the ‘expert’ inspection from the last thread.
Super
nothing stored in the super yet after 2 weeks
they’re definitely completing the cells in 4 of the frames and propolising all the little gaps.
Brood box - from the half that I went into:
1 heavy and full frame of honey on the outer edge. The issue of comb connecting to the outer wall of the box isn’t as bad now with the frames centered more in the box, therefore not so much honey dripping from broken comb when I removed it.
outer side of second frame is solid capped honey and the inner side is 70% honey with the rest being capped brood in a semi circle from the bottom centre.
the next frames were both more or less identical. Lots of capped brood, some larvae and a little pollen. A couple of the larvae in their cells had little specs of brown which looked a little like propolis had dropped in.
I couldn’t see any eggs. To be fair, there weren’t many open cells and I did only go through half the box.
Since I haven’t been in for 2 weeks, I assume the queen is fine (didn’t see her) as there are more capped brood and larvae since last inspection. I’m not too worried but this wouldn’t be one of my normal posts without at least a couple of questions:
Should I be worried about the lack of eggs?
The larvae with specs… a problem?
As always, any advice appreciated.
If you only inspected 4 frames, you can’t worry about the lack of eggs, as you don’t know that there are not any eggs! Those frames have a nice pattern of capped brood, so it looks like your queen has been laying well.
I don’t see any “specks” on larvae. If you mean the uneven, sort of melty-looking larvae, I would suspect that is chalkbrood. In small amounts, that is pretty normal in a hive. If that isn’t what you meant, perhaps you could circle one in your photos, or give us a clue where to look.
Hey Robert, You will only know if there is no eggs by looking at all the brood frames. Guessing your a bit nervous and working slowly so after checking frame 4 I would have given a little more smoke to calm the bees down again and checked the other 4 frames. Lift each frame and check them holding them over the brood box so that if the queen fall off she will hopefully fall into it but more often she will just move around to the shady side of the frame.
What I am seeing in the pics is lots of brood cells and worker bees with nothing there of concern. I’m not seeing the specs of brown on the larvae.
I’m sure your queen was moving across the hive as you were doing, She was moving to stay out of the light and away from the movement going on, from my experience she is often located on frame 6 or 7 and even 8 and virtually never on 1 or 2, finding here willing to be found isn’t in her game plan.
Cheers
The specks of brown were on a frame I didn’t photograph. May have to figure out a way to set up the camera while I’m inspecting so it can take good shots without me fumbling around too much.
I’ll go back in this week and get to all frames, keeping the smoker handy and staying lit.
As an aside, the Slatted Rack I ordered from the US (thanks @Dawn_SD) arrives with visiting family next week!
The current budget attempt at controlling overheating in midday sun, in this 35 degree weather, cost a total of $8 from Bunnings.
2 metres of off-cut shade cloth (which still allows airflow) with a couple office clips to keep it off the ground and secured to the roof.
Those frames have a nice pattern of capped brood, so it looks like your queen has been laying well.
