That empty comb is so weird. The smaller group of bees has either joined the big one on the left or just all died (maybe because it’s been so cold the last couple of nights?). There were two pieces of comb on the right, but when we removed the queen cage, it brought one of the combs with it. It was partially filled with pollen and some nectar too. Yum! Now the empty comb on the right looks so strange and lonely. I’m sure the bees will utilize it when they build closer to it.
This pic is from last week when my beekeeping mentor came out and opened up the hive to remove the queen cage. Wow, he is the bee-whisperer! He got stung twice and didn’t even flinch or try to remove the stinger. He said that beekeepers live the longest of any profession and some people pay for bee stings in doctor’s offices because it helps with inflammation (like arthritis). It was such a mental shift for me – I almost wanted to get stung to help with my hands.
My mentor thought we should remove the upper supers to give the bees less area to keep warm, so that’s what we did. After he left, I decided I want to store the supers and extra comb grids up on the hive, but with a divider board to so the bees are only working with the smaller space but I don’t have to worry about the rest of the hive getting damaged or moldy in our damp basement. Kent made me a board that evening, and the next day, I — ALL BY MYSELF — opened up the hive again and put the board in there. Once I got over being afraid of being stung, there was nothing to fear, and it was awesome. I love having bees!!
When my mentor was here and we went into the hive, Adele was right here with us and she tried to pick up a bee by its wings. She wasn’t careful enough and got stung on the tip of her finger. She freaked out at first, but after I gave her a bandaid, she calmed right down (I swear bandaids have magical powers for kids with ouchies). I just now asked her if she is scared of bees and she said, “No, I like them.” When I got stung on my hand it was a bit swollen after the first day and it itched quite a bit for a few days after that; but Adele didn’t seem bothered by her sting at all after that first day.
I think I read somewhere that it takes 21 days for bees to hatch out from their eggs and move through the pupa stage into new honeybees. Since we installed our bees on April 8th, we should have our first new bees by the end of this week. I haven’t seen any eggs or brood since I can’t examine the middle pieces of comb (in a Perone hive, the bees’ space is sacred and we don’t open up that part of the hive), but I’ll keep my eyes open for some signs of new bees.
You can read all about our beekeeping adventures HERE.
