Help with Checking My Frames, Please?

[UtahBees]

Hi everyone!

For about 8 weeks my brother-in-law is gone, and he's my bee-keeping mentor. Tonight I added an additional super to his hive, per his request, because all but one frame had been drawn out, and worked on, on the top-most box (super). It was very nice to see a healthy hive, from what I could tell. I just hived my first package 2 Saturdays ago !!

Would it be okay if I ask if a few of you would look over my photos to see if you notice anything out of the ordinary? I would certainly appreciate the check over from an experienced keeper!

This is my photo journal: http://www.flickr.com/photos/barl0w/sets/72157600171024133/

Some things that concerned me:

• The size of some cells (3rd frame east-side top-right)
• 4th frame queen cells on the bottom of the frame

Thank you for the great board! I really enjoy learning here.

Regards,

UtahBees

[LET-CA]

Scrape off the queen cells and you're off to the races.  :)

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Alright pollen, nectaur, honey, queen cells (also I think I see the/a queen on that frame too), brood and more honey. It all looks in order but I'd say they're going to swarm shortly.

[newbee101]

Looks like that queen cell hatched out...

[Finsky]

Looks like that queen cell hatched out...

Yes, and I suppose that swarm has left. Bees are few and combs are too full of food and brood.

Brood area seems fine.

Small hives will be full too soon and they they swarm. If you feed too much, or nature has strong honey flow, , swarming is sure.

[UtahBees]

Thank you so much everyone. I have a follow-up question:

• Since I put a super on top yesterday with 10 new frames, do you think that will keep them there without swarming?
• Should I really scrape off the queen cells at the bottom of the frame?
• What else might I do to keep the hive together?
• Which photo was it that you think you see the queen?

Thanks again!

UtahBees

[limyw]

You have too little population, I dont think they will go up to super. Infact, you should reduce number of frame and not add more frame. Eggs/larva may not able to hatch if hive temp is too low. If you have all frame that have similar pattern as shown in your pics, your colony may not grow in coming 10 days as very little capped broods are present.

[thegolfpsycho]

My peepers are hazy and can't enlarge the pics enough to see a queen, although it looks like a large abdomen center left and a little up on the last pic.  It looks to me like hive has already swarmed.  One of the queen cells looks like the queen already emerged.  If they haven't swarmed, there sure don't seem to be many bees on the frames other than the last one.  At this point, I don't think I would cut the queen cells.  I would wait a few more days until the cold snap is over, and look for eggs to ensure you have a laying queen.  If so, I would evaluate how much room she has to grow the colony and adjust if necessary. If feeding this colony, stop.  

[Mici]

hummm,

guys, are you sure the swarm has left?
the colony that has decided to swarm get's "lazy" they start to save energy, so that colony doesn't build!
if he says he hived the package 2 weeks ago, isn't it normal to have few bees? aren't they just starting to rise in numbers?

besides i'd say he merely "damaged" that queen cell, happened to me last week, pulled out a frame and got all scared "oh dear, i have a rouge queen", examined the rest of queen cells, they were ok, so i checked the opened one again, it was me who opened it while pulling the frame out.

[Finsky]

if he says he hived the package 2 weeks ago, isn't it normal to have few bees? aren't they just starting to rise in numbers?

He hived package 2 weeks ago........Hmm really? He hived package 2 Saturdays ago........Hmm really?  14+4 days = 18 days.

In the picture 4th Frame West Side there are ripe queen cells and one have door open. Queen cell takes 2 weeks to develope. Has it only changed the queen? Has it started queen raising at once when it got frames?

If young queen is the the hive, it destroyes other queen cells and makes a hole on cell side. So you know that there is a queen. I cannot see hole in cells' wall.

However, colony is small and it is easy to see the queen. It has long legs when she walks on combs.

Just wait. Some queen will hatch soon and eggs will disapear. Do you see eggs in the hive?
When new queen hatches, it destroyes at once other cells and she is hanging around queen cells.

If it changes the queen, new queen stings old one dead and then it destroyes other cells.

.

[thegolfpsycho]

This isn't the recently hived package.  It is his mentors hive he is tending.  He's about 30 miles from me, and the highs for the next 4 days are low 50's rain, with chance of snow.  Not a good time for successful mating flight.  Not many bees on super frames, but lots of nectar or syrup stored.  Too much for a small package.  I'm sure they have already gone.  Cutting cells at this time before insuring there is a laying queen may leave them queenless.  And if the brood nest is packed with stores, and the new queen has no room, they will go again when they get back on their feet.

Good to see you back in the forum Finski.  Did you go on holiday?

[Finsky]

Holiday wher, why.

Small colonies are difficult place to beginners. If colony have no room for laying, it swarm, whatever size colony is.

Like we have seen in this forum, by feeding you get hives to swarm.

Beginners like to split their small hives too early and it make things worse. Colony grows slowly but will be full quickly.

********Nothing helps. Who gives these awfull advices........feed feed feed.....split split split ... now, not shake.

[UtahBees]

Thanks again everyone. golfpsycho is correct - this is my mentor's hive. Not my own that I recently hived. That's another discussion another time (mine are doing great by the way, thanks for asking  ;)).

• These we are discussing, are not being fed
• I am not planning to split the hive
• The photos come from my mentor's bees in a super on the top of 3 hives-high. You can see the whole photo of his hive here. It's the hive on the left (if it wasn't obvious):

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/197/470546712_bd4a5656fb_m.jpg

Thus, the other parts of the hive below to top have been built-out by the hive.

I'll check for eggs and for holes in the other queen cells if the weather clears up this weekend. But it may be to premature because of the weather.

I appreciate everyone's comments again. I am learning a ton, having a blast reading the boards, reading a ton of library books, and watching the bees.

Regards,

UtahBees

[pdmattox]

********Nothing helps. Who gives these awfull advices........feed feed feed.....split split split ... now, not shake.

If you can feed,split, and make more hives succsesfully why not do it.  Where i live you can do this year round. If frames fill with syrup, who cares, I just slip undrawn foundation in and let the bees rob those syrup frames.  In the end i get more drawn foundation.  I think in the colder climates you will not get away with this as easily though.  If you are growing like i am you don't have any drawn comb to spare so you make your bees do it as you go.

[newbee101]

The biggest problem is the beekeeper who feeds too much.
Fill up the brood nest and they will swarm.