Filling pattern?

Flow Hive
1

Hi.
I just checked on my flow hive. It looks really great from outside:

k2y63c.jpg421×639 69.1 KB
15qdnx1.jpg476×640 64.6 KB

But here’s what I saw after pulling the middle frame:

:hushed:
There IS a little honey in some of the uncapped cells in the middle, but is this pattern normal? I always thought they’d start in the center and work their way to the sides.
I’m soooo waiting for the first harvest! But I guess I should wait another few weeks?
For comparison same frame two weeks ago:

2 Likes
2

Yes. They cap from corners towards middle.

3

I always see my corners capped first, but they (bees) really aren’t consistent which they go after corners. It’s nice to see a flow frame getting filled though because I’m still concerned about rejection with mine. We’ll see…

4

Seems normal to me, very much like the pattern you’d see in the brood chamber. Seems like leaving room for the queen to lay if she ever got up there. They’ll figure out she can’t eventually :wink:

1 Like
5

Hi Angela, that is quite normal, the only way to really know if the frames are ready to harvest is by a physical inspection.

With that frame in the top photo. If the uncapped cells are dry of honey, you could safely harvest that honey. Sometimes they’ll leave a section like that dry so the queen can lay eggs in it. The bees aren’t aware that the queen can’t fit through the QX.

6

Well blow me down…you don’t read that in any books.
Must be why they build queen cups on the bottom bars of the first super too.
Thanks Jeff :smile:

1 Like
7

Hi & your welcome Dee:) That’s just my theory. I’ll often find drone comb in the honey section ready for the queen to lay in. During swarm season I’ll find drone larvae above the QX. I don’t know how they get there. Maybe a worker becomes a drone layer for a brief period above the QX while the queen is busy below it. I’m not sure if workers carry eggs around like ants do:) That has always puzzled me. Last season one hive in particular had lots of it, every time I robbed.