24 days- minimal comb

[debay]

I just left my hive. I have eggs/larva/capped brood. What I dont have is a lot of comb. I didnt get any good pics of the frames. They just dont seem to be making a lot of comb. I was hoping to put on my second super. Its been 24 days and they have come to a dead crawl on making it. They are filling out the frames that they made the most progress on, but the others, its kind of shotty. I tried mixing in some of the empties, but that seems to have slowed them even more. any suggestions.

[Scadsobees]

Where are you located? (fill in your location!!)  Do you have a honey flow going on right now? 

Are you feeding them sugar syrup?

How's the queen's laying pattern...and how much brood is in there?

The bees need young bees to generate wax.  That means from the time that they started, 21 days later is when they will start getting young bees (3 weeks from egg to hatch).  Since the live expectancy of a bee is around 6 weeks, (3 in the hive, 3 foraging) it would make sense that 3 weeks in the foragers have started to expire while the house bees are moving into foraging (less wax producers), and the young bees are just starting to hatch (not making wax yet).

As long as there is sufficient brood and the queen's laying pattern is good, you should be fine.  Make sure to be giving them syrup if they need it and keep an eye on them for the next couple of weeks.  You should start seeing the pace pick up again, barring a queen issue.

Rick

[debay]

Where are you located? (fill in your location!!)  Do you have a honey flow going on right now?

They seem to be making honey. All the frames they have drawn have capped honey. One of them has all honey and pollen.  I am in Newport NC.

Are you feeding them sugar syrup?

Yes, I actually have two feeders going. How long should I let the sugar water sit?  If they dont drink it all in a few days, should I dump the old and give them all fresh syrup? Whats the shelf life of a pre-mixed gallon?

How's the queen's laying pattern...and how much brood is in there?

[/quote]

the laying pattern seems ok. one egg per cell. healthy looking larva. no sign of mites, beetles, or moths. There are some cells in the middle of the pattern that have dry pollen, but I think that may be left over from before she started laying. Of the 4 frames or so that are drawn enough for brood, all but one is pretty full. The tops are capped honey, the centers brood.

The bees need young bees to generate wax.  That means from the time that they started, 21 days later is when they will start getting young bees (3 weeks from egg to hatch).  Since the live expectancy of a bee is around 6 weeks, (3 in the hive, 3 foraging) it would make sense that 3 weeks in the foragers have started to expire while the house bees are moving into foraging (less wax producers), and the young bees are just starting to hatch (not making wax yet).

3 weeks. then there is my issue. My hive has only had capped brood for a little over a week or so. That time line makes me feel better. I should know that already. Ive been through enough books and bee paraphernalia that I must have overdosed and let some leak out. Ill keep that in mind and just watch them to see what happens.

As long as there is sufficient brood and the queen's laying pattern is good, you should be fine.  Make sure to be giving them syrup if they need it and keep an eye on them for the next couple of weeks.  You should start seeing the pace pick up again, barring a queen issue.

Rick

thanks for the info. its very reassuring.

[Daddys Girl]

What kind of foundation?  I've had some problems getting them to take the Pierco that came with my hive kit.  Spotty drawing of comb despite plenty of sugar syrup to feed them, etc.  The bees are drawing new comb on the small cell foundation like gangbusters.

On the Pierco I just installed, at the suggestion of another beek, I repainted it with fresh wax and will know at next hive check if that overcomes their slowness to take it.