I got the MONEY SHOT!
Today's inspection began like any other, with the exception that I remembered the camera. I decided to actually search for the queen this time using minimal smoke. I got down to the brood nest and this is what I saw.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/Apis629/DSCN6865.jpg
Needless to say, it's a good thing when so many bees are covering the frames. The queen had layed eggs like crazy. All those frames of capped brood are now filled with eggs and larvae. They've even moved some honey up into the supers to make room for egg laying! I did find one thing that tells me things aren't well...a bee with deformed wings. This could be a sign of that dreded varroa mite. There were also some "sick" bees that seemed to stumble on top of the bars. So much for my bragging that I don't have any mites. The good news is that, maybe, the screened bottom boards I installed will help with this problem. The honeyflow has also continues and strengthened with the blooming of the ornamentals in parking lots. Here's the big moment, I found the queen...AND GOT HER PICTURE. Now you can see the mother of the hive. (please excuse the blurrieness)
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/Apis629/DSCN6866.jpgWith an inspection well done, I diagnosed a possible disease, checked how the honeyflow was going, checked on broodrearing and even found the queen alive and well. I think in that last post when I said there was another queen, I caught her running across the top bar and must have missed the dot...or maybe it was one of those "big fish" stories. But, now I have irrifutable evedence that I saw the queen, now to today's topic...What's her name?!
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/Apis629/DSCN6865.jpg
Needless to say, it's a good thing when so many bees are covering the frames. The queen had layed eggs like crazy. All those frames of capped brood are now filled with eggs and larvae. They've even moved some honey up into the supers to make room for egg laying! I did find one thing that tells me things aren't well...a bee with deformed wings. This could be a sign of that dreded varroa mite. There were also some "sick" bees that seemed to stumble on top of the bars. So much for my bragging that I don't have any mites. The good news is that, maybe, the screened bottom boards I installed will help with this problem. The honeyflow has also continues and strengthened with the blooming of the ornamentals in parking lots. Here's the big moment, I found the queen...AND GOT HER PICTURE. Now you can see the mother of the hive. (please excuse the blurrieness)
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/Apis629/DSCN6866.jpgWith an inspection well done, I diagnosed a possible disease, checked how the honeyflow was going, checked on broodrearing and even found the queen alive and well. I think in that last post when I said there was another queen, I caught her running across the top bar and must have missed the dot...or maybe it was one of those "big fish" stories. But, now I have irrifutable evedence that I saw the queen, now to today's topic...What's her name?!
posted by FLbeekeeper at 10:32 AM
7 Comments:
I"m sorry I had to make links to the pictures instead of actually showing them but, they were too big to fit onto the sight without screwing up the template.
Beautiful Pictures. I used to live in FWB. In Mid VA now. Do you have Small Hive Beetles? How are your russians coping with them?
Name her queen latifa!
The hive pictured is actually Italian but, they seem to be "in control" of SHBs given I've yet to find larvae on the comb, or in the hive for that matter. The russians seem to have an alright job dealing with SHB given they've maintained a relatively low population and I've never even seen an adult beetle in that hive.
What ever happened to Elizzzabeth?
I suppose Elizabeth could work. But, Cardbored Knight, I am not naming my Italian queen after an actor who's movies I don't like...then again, most movies I watch involve explotions.
Yeah...but no all the new "arivals" are so nice looking. In that same inspection I found a few with sights of PMS (Paracitic Mite Syndrome). I'm going to try to determine the population of mites with a sugar roll and drone cull in the comming inspection this weekend.
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