Well I have been into my girls as they have been out busy - worried they may be running out of stores - but all is OK
First Video for 2016
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Very nice video. Nice view of the Queen from 0:41 onwards if anyone wants to practise queen-spotting! 
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Quick glimpse of Emerald at 1:42, just right of centre, if anyone wants to try - nice dark queen. 
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@Dawn_SD did you spot any eggs - I need to up grade my Camera - I want a better lens
Emerald is lower left at 1:28 too. No, I didn’t see any eggs, but resolution, lighting and angle were against spotting them. You were rightly trying to be quick too, and when i freeze the video, the resolution drops. There is capped brood though, and 2 active queens is great news.
Congratulations, thank you for your effort and for sharing. 
Dawn
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I have only been able to spot eggs recently - mainly because I was not sure what I was looking for - pictures are one thing - seeing them for real makes all the difference - like Queen Spotting - practice, practice, practice.
Sapphire is an F1 Carolinian and Emerald’s an F2 Carolinian - Emerald has 25% black bee mixed in - not to see at present but there was a batch of darker bees towards the end of the season
Thanks for the nice video ! Your bees look like the wintered nicely. Wow ! Wish I had a patch of white snowdrop flowers like that. Mine died out because of too much deep shade. I need to get another start of those early Spring blooming bulbs. Keep the vids rolling !
I love the marking of the queen as it makes her so easy to see. I have not seen my queen yet. I know she is there.
Why does a bee leave the hive with pollen 2:35? Made a mistake and went to the wrong hive? or just generous to others?
I have seen bees leaving my hive which I thought was pollen but thought maybe I was just seeing things. I believe bees collect pollen by electrostatic attraction so maybe she can’t reset her charge and let go.
Or the other possibility she is a malingerer. Flys around all day with pollen. Has a drink at the pub, goes to the races etc , everyone thinks she is collecting pollen, when all along she is just a party girl flying around with a load of pollen:
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nice one valli
do they have laws in your area as to how many hives you can put on a block of land?
Thanks Guys - I did a sort of running commentary on my hives last year (Jacey Woods Apiary if you are interested) and have had a few ups, downs (not bad ones) and was able to spot my girls were low on food end of last year and fed early - I’m happy to say I did all the best for my girls but they are thriving despite my ministrations. I must say a Big Thank You to @Cedar and @Stu as I wanted to help the bees and for me this is just beyond a dream being able to help the bees directly and even encouraged 1 of my friends form school days to keep bees - another friend here in the UK is very interested so I hope I’m being a good Bee Ambassador.
I’m going to dig up and split them when the finished flowering - we intend to move house so I want to take lots of goodies from this garden with us. Also gives me an opportunity to get a bigger garden and grow loads of bee friendly plants for every season.
I was wondering that as well - which is why I included it - possibly dropped off Nectar and was going out for more and the Pollen was not completely full in the Pollen Baskets (Corbicula) were able to take more. I have seen bees come in with very little but never really seen them come out with them unemptied? The Hive may have been busy with Nectar carriers and that is the primary job?
Secret Lives of Bees
We can have up to 3 hives with the insurance from the company that comes with the BBKA membership and if you have more then you pay accordingly. I only have the 2 presently but plan on collecting swarms and doing splits this year to supplement my beekeeping obsession LOL 
I have a 100ft backyard - there is another 30 feet behind the trellis - my veggie patch so they are a good 60ft from the house - Hubby wants them to go in there but I want to see them from my bedroom window - I like watching them - sometimes I sit there for an hour just watching them go in and out sat right by the hive
Yeah me too … …(20 characters)
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