Cautiously Optimistic

Donna Brown
May 15, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Jul 30, 2021

This is my favorite photo of the day. That one little bee in focus is so perfect for the mood.

HIVE INSPECTION & SPLIT 05/14/21

Things finally went as we expected. For the most part.

Per our usual MO, we started with HIVES B, C and D, saving the more complex, big hive for last.

Things were looking good for these three hives: there was activity at the front entrances, lots of bees in the hives boxes and some of the sugar water was gone. Always a good sign. HIVE C didn't quite look as strong as since last week — I can't put my finger on why, just a gut feeling — so we removed the second brood box we put in last weekend. Also, there were a few (larger than last time) ants in HIVE C but not what I would call an infestation. It appears the insect barrier we put around the legs of the stand is working.

With the easy stuff behind us, we tackled The Spice Girlz.

When we last left the hive, we determined neither queens survived the battle royal and since we saw no eggs or larva at all the hive was without royalty. I scrambled early in the week to find a couple of queens, and hopefully form a supplier closer than 4+ hours away. I discover a lovely, independent apiary in Segiun who were getting a new order of queens the next day. Finding queens this time of year, and locally, was like hitting the jack pot.

This time our queens came with attendants and once again I drove the hour home with live bees mere inches away.

Opening the hive, we were pleased to see more nectar, thrilled with all the capped honey, and amazed at the array of different colored pollen through the frames. With the supersedure cell we were unsure if a queen emerged within the last 6 days so we were on the hunt to find eggs or larva. If either of those are present, there is a viable, unknown breed of queen in the hive and we would need to find and dispatch her before installing one of the Girlz above. If not, we would end up in the same situation we are in now. Frame after frame showed no new brood. Huge sigh of relief because just like a few weeks ago it would have been a monumental task to find the queen in a billion (😀) bees. Our plan was to split this hive again to make a new split, HIVE E, and with a little cajoling, switching and robbing frames between 3 hives, we were able to scrape together the 5th hive. At one point we had all but one hive open so we were really trying to work as quickly as possible to lessen the stress on the bees, and us!

With both queens installed Nob Hill Apiary officially now has five hives.

We just need the Girlz to settle in and do what they do best. Be bees.