Drone-smashing? Pfah!! When it is only a couple, I don’t don’t give a fig. There are plenty more to go around, and it might save the hive a couple of dozen microlitres of honey!
Those bees are just so smart! Do you think they knew that it didn’t belong in the area where they keep only honey? I posted a video on my Instagram sweet_henny_bees . This wouldn’t let me do the video.
Maybe, or if they have any hygienic tendencies, they could have detected Varroa etc in the pupae and decided to dispatch them. They probably won’t remove the cocoons though, so after you harvest, you might want to go fishing with a fine pair of tweezers and pull them out.
Great advice, thank you! I was looking at where they were located and the cells are not “puffy” anymore so that explains why it’s still there. I seriously love my flow. I would not have captured that video without the window!
You can upload a video to you tube and then post a link in a thread. That way we can all have a look at a clip.I thought instagram was a fence builder thing
Cheers, Peter
Watch “Bee cleaning” on YouTube
https://youtu.be/U9XcJxadd2w ; Watch “Cleaning 2” on YouTube
https://youtu.be/ELuajJdptMs
Here’s 2 that I just uploaded.
On several occasions I spoke about a worker laying eggs above a QX, while the queen is happily laying below the QX. I know that’s not the case in this instance . However I took a couple of photos to show what I’ve been talking about.
The first photo shows a few drone brood in drone comb. The second photo shows where drones have recently emerged from their cells.
This is my first robbing since I uploaded those photos on the thread “Honey Flow South East Qld.” on May the 27th. It doesn’t look like being a big one. We’ve had a lot of rain in recent weeks.
Plus the bees are in winter mode. Well, most of them are. The fact that some of the bees are producing drones shows that I need to think about swarm preventative measures in the not too distant future.
cheers
Finally a day with a blue sky, not even a breeze and 23C, that was all I needed to check my hives and happy with what I found. A couple of hives were honey bound and lots of uncapped nectar as well as capped frames. I found 2 hives with comb built in the roof and both has queen cells in use so I knocked them down and took frames of honey off and replaced them with stickies and cleaned up the lids. Good areas of capped brood and very few SHB so I’m a happy chappy.
I figure it won’t be long till it is busy again with the flowering at the moment and lots of flying seen today. It was good to get time at the hives on such a great day.
Cheers
Yes it’s certainly great to see the sun. I only found one hive full of honey out of 19 hives that I checked yesterday. There’s lots of fresh honey coming in, going by a couple of frame shakes I did. I was all set to get an early start, however I sat & watched tv too late last night. The tennis followed by Q&A. The gum trees are coming into flower. No more late nights for me. cheers Pete.
I believe Mann Lake recently bought out Kelley"s. I was down in Clarkson, Ky. at Kelley’s last month. It is really a nice store. I also go to Dadant’s in Frankfort.
My lawn is soggy, the Dog is soggy from all the rain we have had. But the sun is out today for us as well.
I know what your saying Jeff, no more burning the midnight oil and bouncing back at day break for me. My hives are getting very busy now with a lot of nectar and pollen being stored. I had 25mm of rain last night and the wattle is flowering well and I also note the gums have buds forming so we might have an early Spring flow coming.
Think I might have a few more splits very soon going on inspections I have done in the last few days, noting a lot of drone cells and bees in the roof. I really like doing preemptive swarm management here, where the bush is so thick a swarm could be close by and not seen.
I know the Ekka cold winds aren’t here yet but I’m sensing a good Spring season
Cheers
Sounds like what your having is what we have had across Queensland, some areas had gone without any rain in many years and then floods where cattle drowned. But that happens in Australia where if the weather balances out we really worry.
I’m noticing the same thing Peter. We got some rain the other night, I doubt if we got 25mil. My rain gauge is grown over with dragonfruit branches. I need to reposition it.
I’m making frames today to do more splits this afternoon. I think that will be a daily occurrence for the next few months.
Cheers
Never found wood trimmed metal excluders in Oz.
@Dawn_SD Bee Positive sell stainless steel QX’s with wooden trims, they sell for $25.
Cheers
Was that comment really meant for me? I don’t think I will be ordering from Oz…
@Webclan Sorry Dawn, it was a reply to Weber commenting she couldn’t the timber edged metal QX in Australia, I goofed by replying to you inadvertently.
Cheers
Thanks Peter, I looked up their eshop. They seem to only sell the timber framed QX for 10 frame boxes.
Coming thru Byron on my way to Sydney and he is only 12 klms away so if he has 8 frame units I can get them for you and drop in on my way. How many do you want.
Cheers