margob99
House Bee
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2009
- Messages
- 400
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Amersham
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 2
Just wanted to let everyone know, after the swarm and cast in mid-May, and thereafter what appeared to be a Queenless, extremely grumpy hive, I've had 3 very stressful inspections and found no trace of a Queen. Today was D-Day for me - to check Hive 1 and, if no Queen, then merge with Hive 2 (the bunch that swarmed).
I went in to Hive 1 and immediately found LOTS of neat consistently laid brood - larvae and capped brood; couldn't make out any eggs, but that might just've been me. Couldn't find the Queen, but that's alright. I know she's in there now.
Phew!
Bees are still tetchy, but not half as grumpy as they were last time!
That said, as a new beekeeper, I am finding a National brood-and-a-half structure really painful to work with. Smoothly and quickly inspecting twice as many frames as I trained on is no easy task. I do not like this brood-and-a-half structure, and am seriously thinking of taking the costly step of changing over to 14 x 12 ...
I went in to Hive 1 and immediately found LOTS of neat consistently laid brood - larvae and capped brood; couldn't make out any eggs, but that might just've been me. Couldn't find the Queen, but that's alright. I know she's in there now.
Phew!
Bees are still tetchy, but not half as grumpy as they were last time!
That said, as a new beekeeper, I am finding a National brood-and-a-half structure really painful to work with. Smoothly and quickly inspecting twice as many frames as I trained on is no easy task. I do not like this brood-and-a-half structure, and am seriously thinking of taking the costly step of changing over to 14 x 12 ...