Added frames

Called George and told him the situation. He kindly came by and trade some of our empty frames for some of his drawn out frames. He helped us add the new frames. We added the second brood box on with some empty frames and some with capped syrup. Found the queen. She is still in the hive. Put on 2 jars of sugar syrup. Now we'll continue to feed and hopefully the queen will begin laying again. We'll check on them next weekend if the weather is nice.

a quick check

The frame here on the left is #2 from the left of the hive...what little they drew out, they decided to fill with sugar syrup, maybe some nectar too. The frame on the right is from the same position on the right side of the hive. This frame is more drawn out. Alot of syrup, some of it capped. And the queen has been here. There is some capped brood. A few cells with pollen. Everyone is VERY busy. Trusty assistant Jim went out to the hive late morning and just stood at a distance watching the entrance. Workers coming and going and what looked like another flying lesson. But, he said you could hear the buzzing. So for today we just checked these 4 outer frames. If these 2 had been full of syrup and brood we would have put on the second brood box. But they weren't and we didn't. The weather has finally been like summer. I'm still feeding them so hopefully they will continue building. Till next time....

still feeding

Still feeding. I store the sugar syrup in a 3L jug. I have filled this jug three times and it's almost empty again! Have to make some more tomorrow night! The photo is some of the last of the milkweed in the area.

looking good....

Everything is looking good. They are storing syrup and pollen. We have many more bees. Plenty of larvae and capped brood. And a lot more eggs. We've had two bee-u-ti-ful sunny days. Saturday on my morning walk I came across a patch of milkweed teeming with honeybees! Finally! Honeybees somewhere besides the hive in my backyard. Now...are they my girls? Or do they belong down the street in the other direction? I believe both. As I watch them so leave heading towards home and some are heading in the opposite direction. So we got the smoker going and checked on the girls back at the hive. Everything is looking good. They are storing syrup and pollen. We have many more bees. Plenty of larvae and capped brood. And a lot more eggs. They are starting to build out the other frames and we saw our queen which always makes us very happy. But we still need to keep feeding sugar syrup. So we filled both jars and put the cover back on. I'll check the jars Monday night. Hopefully the weather will turn for the better and start staying warm and sunny.

more syrup please...

The girls are loving the syrup! On Sunday I put on a pint jar of sugar syrup. Monday night I put on a pint and a 26oz jar. Tonight I check and they were both empty. So I filled both of them. Went back in the house and made some more. We'll see what tomorrow holds.

making syrup

The head bee man Ken ( MA Bee Inspector) stopped by to check our hive. The hive is weak but growing. BUT with all this nasty weather and small number of bees, they have been eating what syrup and nectar they had stored. There is nothing left. No food for babies. No food...no wax...no drawing out empty frames. So we have to start feeding sugar syrup immediately. I had a pint left from earlier this spring. So we put a jar on right away. I made more syrup and will have to keep a check on the jar. Ken said start feeding and they'll start drawing out that comb on those empty frames giving the queen more room to lay her eggs. So glad Ken stopped by,(thank you Ken) we never gave it a thought to start feeding again being inexperienced. Many other beekeepers have already started feeding their hives.

almost out

We have still been feeding the sugar syrup. We checked and they are almost through the candy. Jim pushes a nail through just to break it up a little. The pieces are big enough that she still can't get out just yet. We'll close it up and check again on Saturday if the weather is nice.