Week 11, tenth hive check

The weather for the past couple of weeks has been strange. First we had a week with unseasonably cool weather, temps in the seventies, followed by a week with temps over one hundred degrees. The star thistle is now blooming and the bees are bringing in pollen like crazy.

On Tuesday, June 28, I checked the hives to evaluate their health. Both hives now have new queens. Last week I did not see any eggs in either hive. This week I was able to see eggs in Hive 1, as well as larva in all stages, though the laying pattern was spotty. I spotted the queen in box 2, frame 5. Hive 2 had larva in all stages, but I did not see any eggs. I don’t know why they weren’t visible to me, but as long as there are larva there must be eggs.

I feel that the hives are rebounding and hopefully there will be a star thistle honey flow that the bees can take advantage of.  As I will be gone next week I’m hoping to return to hives full of frames with capped brood! Box 2 of both hives are heavy with beautiful white-capped honey!

Hive 2 Stats
Did not see queen
Did not see eggs
Saw young larva
Spotty brood
Saw lots of pollen
Lots of capped honey

Hive 1 Stats
Saw the queen B2F5
Saw eggs and larva in all stages
Spotty brood
Saw lots of pollen
Lots of capped honey