In my best Prof. Farnsworth. "Good news, everyone!" (Regarding inspection today)

[JoelinGA]

Sorry for the Futurama reference there but it seemed to fit in my head.

Well, I had been very worried about my girls this week (2 hives I hived 6 weeks ago). I found my first SHB last weekend, and then found larvae on my mite screen board Monday. So I ordered traps and waited. Trying not to disturb them too much this week while they are dealing.

Today I get one of my traps, there was a glitch in the order. So I shrug it and decide to go ahead and do an inspection today and get it installed.

I open up my first hive (Pegasus). This one I didn't find any adult SHB in last week, but did find an adult that fell on my mite screen board when I did that check Monday.

I did find two adult SHB. One of them I managed to kill, the other kept sneaking behind frames and I lost it eventually. But what blew me away was the change in my hive since last week when I opened it up. Talk about population explosion! There was not a frame in my bottom deep that wasn't covered with bees, and they were already making work in the top deep. It was insane!

Also, funny thing. I have had hive top feeders on both of my hives since I hived the bees. They have barely touched the things. So today I grabbed my inner covers with the plan to take off the feeders and swap them out. Well those bees in Pegasus were all in the hive top feeder and had almost finished the sugar water. I actually had to refill it.

So I finished up Pegasus and moved on to Galactica. This hive I was worried most about as I found those larvae on it's screen board.

Pop open the outer cover, same as Pegasus. Bees are actually in the feeder in mass. They haven't drunk it down as much, so I'm guessing they just started using it?

Also Galactica had a heck of a population explosion since my last inspection. I couldn't believe all the bees I was seeing.

I couldn't find any signs of SHB like I thought I was. I took a look at all the frames for some sign of damage from those larvae I saw, but I couldn't find a thing. Do bees clean it all up if it's just a couple of larvae?

Found 2 adults and killed them both, one had just landed on the ramp to the entrance, it died quickly. Also found another that looked like it had been sealed up in propolis.

Found both my queens too, and great brood patterns. But what a relief, I really wasn't sure what I was going to see inside Galactica. I still can't believe the difference between the populations of last week and this week though.

I went ahead and installed the AJ Beetle Trap in Galactica, so will see how that goes. I should get my other ones next week (ordered 4, guess I just needed 2l). But will throw the other one in Pegasus next week.

The tally was 4 adult SHB total (that I'm aware of), killed 3. Also killed a tick that decided to drop down on me.

But yeah I'm a much relieved beek right now! :-D

A question, how long should I keep using the hive top feeders?

Also, I'm seeing these big domes on the frames. They don't look like the pictures I've seen of queen cells. But they do stick out a bit more from the capped cells around them and light tan in color so I figure they are some form of capped brood? Wish I my camera battery was charged so I could get a picture, will get one next time.

[doak]

Good going.
The high domes are drone cells.
doak

[JoelinGA]

Thanks doak, I was wondering if I was seeing drone cells there.

[doak]

Workers tend to build drone cells any and every where they can find a little space if we don't give them a frame drone foundation.
When drones are no more needed this year the cells get filled with honey or pollen.
doak

[Moonshae]

When the population is small, it's hard for them to make a dent in the syrup...as the population increases, there are a lot more bees to bring the syrup down.