July 20, 2011
Mid 70’s, sunshine today. Another hive check during late morning to see if there is brood…cannot see any brood cells after going through each and every bar/comb…hmmm…nor did I see the queen although I did not do an intensive search but quickly moved through the hive to check for brood. Yesterday there were a few bees bringing back pollen but most were without. During the few minutes I observed the bees coming and going at the entrance today I did not see pollen carriers; however, there seems to be an abundance of drones compared to what I’ve seen in the past. Does that mean anything?
I did see several chewed out queen cells on B9 (see picture below of left and right sides of B9). Notice the capped honey cells and open honey cells; comb is dark so brood was there earlier.
B10&B11 seemed to have some capped honey cells on B10 left. The combs do look to be separate from the bottom view and also on the bars looking at the side view, so I’m considering separating the bars next time I’m checking the hive. Comb on B11 appears to be attached to spacers on both sides whereas B10 comb seems to be only on B10 at the sides but maybe going across to spacer or B11 toward the middle. ??
Took pictures of both sides of B3 to see if brood in evidence upon closer examination—cannot see it because bees covered the entire comb. Notice the side and bottom edges of the comb and how it is formed to the exact shape of the hive...cool.
The comb is very dark which leads me to believe that it has been used for brood more than once; I’ve read that the queen prefers new comb for egg laying. Perhaps I should look closer at the more recently drawn comb, i.e. B10, B11. Did not see anything in the cells of B12 today.
Question: When does one remove used comb in top bar hives? Research indicates that beekeepers feel that honey placed in the dark brown cells does not taste so good…I hope to assess that for myself someday soon.
Also, perhaps it is time to gather the TBH newbies in our area for discussion about what we are finding this first year—will ask Ken to suggest people. Now that I’m back and plan to be around for awhile, it seems a good time to get this going. Also, will attend the Salem
Just finished reading Plan|bee by Susan Brackney, a good book with some basic info and history of beekeeping. My favorite book so far of the many I've read and which has really useful basic info is none other than “Beekeeping for Dummies."
And while I’m mentioning information sources, here is a list of websites that I’ve found particularly helpful during the past few months as I climb the steep learning curve. Each one had good information at the time I needed it, and some I continue to return to for current questions...but still have questions to which I cannot find answers--that's where talking with others is really valuable.
http://yardcraftjunky.com/store.htm (Hive builder, Ken)
During the next hive check, I plan to photograph both sides of each comb for a snapshot in time of the hive…with help from another bee lover!
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