Hive origin: Split from 2014 package
Queen type: None right now, from Italian package queen
Significant events/observations:
5/10/14: Split from 2014 Hive 3 when I found a single capped swarm cell on a lower deep frame, only 1 present in the hive. Not sure if it was damaged during frame removal, it was on the first frame I pulled. I pulled two other deeps with some bees and brood on them and added an empty frame of drawn comb and an empty frame of undrawn foundation. There are probably eggs there if the queen cell is not viable. I did not see the queen still in Hive 3 after the split, but did not see her on the frames I moved over. Good luck, ladies!
5/19/14: No sign of
eggs, did not see a queen. >8 queen
cells present, some ruined during inspection, >/= 4 queen cells remain capped
and ready for the first to emerge. Very
little food in this hive. Not sure if
they are foraging much with all the nurse bees there. There was some liquid food. Not
sure if it was nectar they brought in and will soon have surplus or honey that was on an old frame that they
uncapped and will soon run out. I’ll see
if I can move some honey over sometime soon.
5/25/14: Spotted newly emerged queen, who is still a bit small. No eggs yet, perhaps she is taking mating flights. Rearranged deep frames to encourage larger brood nest. They are building up a supply of nectar, not at risk of starvation.
5/31/14: Some older larvae present, which is weird as I saw no eggs. Spotted the young queen. Will add eggs if none in 1 week.
6/10/14: Queen spotted, saw eggs, larvae, and a small amount of capped brood. Moved from a 5 frame nuc to a 10 frame deep. Ready to take off.
6/22/14: Eggs spotted, Ok on space. No need for a new deep. They have drawn out some partial frames and the brood nest is expanding. Smaller than Hive 7 (swarm caught 6/17/14)
7/14/15: Spotted eggs. This hive has exploded, tons of eggs, out of space. Considering combining with Hive 7 (swarm caught 2014) due to space constraints and probably wanting to requeen that hive anyway. I'd keep this new queen. Great brood pattern.
5/25/14: Spotted newly emerged queen, who is still a bit small. No eggs yet, perhaps she is taking mating flights. Rearranged deep frames to encourage larger brood nest. They are building up a supply of nectar, not at risk of starvation.
5/31/14: Some older larvae present, which is weird as I saw no eggs. Spotted the young queen. Will add eggs if none in 1 week.
6/10/14: Queen spotted, saw eggs, larvae, and a small amount of capped brood. Moved from a 5 frame nuc to a 10 frame deep. Ready to take off.
6/22/14: Eggs spotted, Ok on space. No need for a new deep. They have drawn out some partial frames and the brood nest is expanding. Smaller than Hive 7 (swarm caught 6/17/14)
7/14/15: Spotted eggs. This hive has exploded, tons of eggs, out of space. Considering combining with Hive 7 (swarm caught 2014) due to space constraints and probably wanting to requeen that hive anyway. I'd keep this new queen. Great brood pattern.
8/2/14: So many
bees! Busting out of the lone deep. Eggs spotted.
Needed space so did newspaper combine with upper deep from Hive 7
(swarm) which was not filling two deeps.
The upper deep has 5 frames that were only partially drawn, so this will
give them room to grow.
8/15/14: Combine went fine, bees filling both deeps. Added empty super. Eggs spotted.
8/15/14: Combine went fine, bees filling both deeps. Added empty super. Eggs spotted.