I hived my first ever package May 3rd in a deep. All seems well, there are eggs, larvae and the first five frames are filled. The sixth frame is partly drawn on one side. This past weekend I noticed the queen was back on the first frame, laying a second round of eggs in newly cleaned out cells. The sixth frame through the 10th are still empty; Is that normal and/or is there not enough of a nectar flow going on to warrant anything else? The bees are taking less than a pint of syrup a week.
I'm in upstate NY near Albany.
Thanks,
Adam
They often leave outside frames empty. you can switch the 1st and 2nd and the 9th and 10th, but if they need the end frames, they'll use them. It's also not uncommon for them to favor one side or the other in the spring, depending on where the sun hits.
Is it normal? Yes, but remember there are many variables, some build faster than others, some are slower to build, it depends on what's available, the weather, strain of bees, etc...
...JP