How do you see eggs?

[David LaFerney]

This probably sounds ridiculous, but is there a trick to seeing eggs?  My eyes aren't all that bad (I need +1s to read comfortably) but even though I've tried I have yet to see eggs - brood all over the place.  Once Kathyp (thanx) told me that drone brood looks like kix cereal - no problem - I now know exactly how much I have (a little, but I would say not too much).  Is there a similar trick to seeing eggs?  I need a frame with eggs tomorrow to proceed with a trap out that I have all set up - platform, hive, moved the entrance, trap cone on the ready - everything all set to go. Moved the entrance because the old one was behind the electrical meter base - if you were wondering.

If I can't see eggs I'm gonna take my best guess.  I've notice that on some frames capped brood is surrounded by progressively smaller uncapped brood in concentric arcs.  I assume that beyond what I can see is larvae and eggs that I can't see.  I'm going in armed with some +2.5 bifocals.

Tips?

[G3farms]

Stand in the direct sunlight with it shining on your back, let it shine down into the cells and the little eggs will just apear. You will have to turn and twist the frame just right to get the sun to shine into the bottom of the cell. They are small and should be right in the bottom center of the cell. I find that the older dark comb makes them easier to see than the newer white comb.

The magnifying glosses should help, the new veil I just got makes it harder for me to see them, i can see eggs better with my old veil.

Good luck with your eggs.

G3

[Kathyp]

i have a hard time with that also.  i kind of tilt the frame around until i get the light just right in the bottom of the cells.  another thing to try is to take pictures of each frame, run back in the house and look at them on the computer, and then go back and get the frame with the eggs.  i know that sounds silly, but it works.  :-D

i have tried the reading glasses thing.  it works, but when i try to walk around with them on, it makes me dizzy.

[sc-bee]

Not tried it --- but bought one to try after reading a post about it a year or so ago.  A small LED flashlight. I bought one the size of a pen that clips in pocket. I still always forget it.

[BjornBee]

Nothing is easier than seeing an egg on black peirco plastic with new drawn comb..... ;)

[beee farmer]

sunlight over your shoulder and in my case... bi focal glasses untill I ssweat them blurry :-\

[Joelel]

This probably sounds ridiculous, but is there a trick to seeing eggs?  My eyes aren't all that bad (I need +1s to read comfortably) but even though I've tried I have yet to see eggs - brood all over the place.  Once Kathyp (thanx) told me that drone brood looks like kix cereal - no problem - I now know exactly how much I have (a little, but I would say not too much).  Is there a similar trick to seeing eggs?  I need a frame with eggs tomorrow to proceed with a trap out that I have all set up - platform, hive, moved the entrance, trap cone on the ready - everything all set to go. Moved the entrance because the old one was behind the electrical meter base - if you were wondering.

If I can't see eggs I'm gonna take my best guess.  I've notice that on some frames capped brood is surrounded by progressively smaller uncapped brood in concentric arcs.  I assume that beyond what I can see is larvae and eggs that I can't see.  I'm going in armed with some +2.5 bifocals.

Tips?

Go to this link,click on the top picture,it will enlarge.You can see the little egg in the middle. In your brood they look the same.

http://www.beecare.com/indexDynFrames.htm?http://www.beecare.com/Bees/Metamorphosis.htm&1

[Pond Creek Farm]

I'm with David here.  The only eggs I have seen have been in pictures.  I look every time I am in the hives, and I still cannot find them.  I do not have the black foundation because most of mine is either foundationless or the white PF-100 frames.  In retrospect, I wish I had bought the black. 

[annette]

I have to have the morning sun coming up from behind.  I have to change the way I look at the cells. It takes some practice to actually look "into" the cell.  You can see a "Y" shape design in the bottom of the cell and the egg. Once you get it the first time, you will be able to find them another time.

[G3farms]

You might even try closing one eye, just a thought.

G3

[David LaFerney]

Hey, thanks to everyone for the advice and encouragement - it worked and I found my eggs.  The reading glasses were no good because I fogged them up right off the bat.  Looking with the sun over my shoulder and turning the frame at different angles the eggs just popped out at me and I knew what I was looking at because of the pictures.  I am now an egg looker.

I started the trap out as per the information that I've gotten from this forum and it seems to be working like a charm.  After only 15 minutes there was a steady stream of bees going into the bait hive, and by dusk - just a few minutes ago - all but a few hard cases have all gone inside.  I even saw a few fly directly into the bait hive.  I took pictures and I'll post in the appropriate place a little later.

[G3farms]

Glad you found them and sounds like the trap out is going good. Good luck with it.

G3

[Kathyp]

good for you.  keep us posted!