The Wally-Gee Bee Journey 🐝

[WallyG74]

I know it’s early, but today’s inspection was not very encouraging. There was very little capped “anything”. A few brood cells here and there from what I can tell. I tried to locate the queen, but that’s another skill I’ve yet to develop. They are only working on the drawn comb that my friend gave me. My new foundations are empty.

 

[WallyG74]

Ima get em on sugar water and see if we can pep them up a little bit.

 

[Apis mellifera]

They're good! I circled the queen. What you have there is a young queen thats probably already mated and is laying or is going to start laying soon. I would be happy with that new colony. I would definitely feed them as her field force is a little small, but thats okay you're in the South and have time to build them up before winter. Up here I would have to add a frame or two of capped brood. Now you can do biweekly (or weekly) checks and make sure they are growing. You could do an oxalic acid dribble and give them a clean start before they have capped brood.

 

[WallyG74]

They're good! I circled the queen. What you have there is a young queen thats probably already mated and is laying or is going to start laying soon. I would be happy with that new colony. I would definitely feed them as her field force is a little small, but thats okay you're in the South and have time to build them up before winter. Up here I would have to add a frame or two of capped brood. Now you can do biweekly (or weekly) checks and make sure they are growing. You could do an oxalic acid dribble and give them a clean start before they have capped brood. View attachment 3513887

I’m so glad you found her. That’s what I was hoping for. I don’t have that trained eye and my dang back was hurting bending over that box. I took pics of both sides of all 3 frames with bees! Thanks so much!

 

[WallyG74]

They are a very calm colony. A few puffs of smoke and they start fanning, but no aggressiveness whatsoever.

 

[Apis mellifera]

They are a very calm colony. A few puffs of smoke and they start fanning, but no aggressiveness whatsoever.

Don't worry, when they get big, they will sting you.

 

[tripletfeb]

They're good! I circled the queen. What you have there is a young queen thats probably already mated and is laying or is going to start laying soon. I would be happy with that new colony. I would definitely feed them as her field force is a little small, but thats okay you're in the South and have time to build them up before winter. Up here I would have to add a frame or two of capped brood. Now you can do biweekly (or weekly) checks and make sure they are growing. You could do an oxalic acid dribble and give them a clean start before they have capped brood. View attachment 3513887

How in the hell did you find her? That's like the craziest "Where's Waldo" ever!

 

[sdm111]

They're good! I circled the queen. What you have there is a young queen thats probably already mated and is laying or is going to start laying soon. I would be happy with that new colony. I would definitely feed them as her field force is a little small, but thats okay you're in the South and have time to build them up before winter. Up here I would have to add a frame or two of capped brood. Now you can do biweekly (or weekly) checks and make sure they are growing. You could do an oxalic acid dribble and give them a clean start before they have capped brood. View attachment 3513887

Good eye. It only took me a couple seconds but didn't want to say anything

 

[tripletfeb]

Good eye. It only took me a couple seconds but didn't want to say anything

 

[ColtHandorf]

Those that had bees already established when Spring hit this year only had a small advantage over me. That last nasty freeze put a damper on the Spring flow. I find myself looking for nectar sources to bridge the gap to the great golden rod flow of late summer and early fall. To my surprise, we are literally covered up with a favorite of the honey bee. Beech trees are mega abundant in these woods and there’s a giant one in my front yard! I know the bees will figure it out, but this is mainly for my sanity. Today, they were very active around the hive. I even got booped in the back of the head. I didn’t get stung, I just got in the way. Every day I have to resist the urge to open the hive and see what’s going on. My plan is to let them go for a month before I look again. I hope to find a colony of bees wishing for more room, because I’m ready to grant that wish!

Maybe you could install a bee camera? Or get one of those creepy glass hives.