FritzOAQ
New Bee
I’ve searched internet for whether to move empty frames or not & have read “yes’s” & “no’s.” I’ve also arrived at the conclusion that I have no idea how a newly installed 3 lbs package of California Carniolan Package Bees should progress. So, here’s a rather lengthy description of my situation here in Southwest Virginia USA. The bees arrived 02May2023 & were put into a 10-frame brood chamber with a 2-frame wide feeder filled with 1:1 sugar water place at the edge of the box. I put pieces of wood blocking the entrance at the sides, leaving about 3 inches open at the center. It’s never appeared to be too small of an opening. Over the next 4-5 days I checked to make sure the queen had escaped her cage & that she was laying eggs - all was good. Since, I’ve looked at them every 1-2 weeks. Around 2-3 weeks ago I took the inside feeder out & put one of those quart jar feeders at the entrance. I’ll share the reason why later. So, yesterday, 17Jun2023, the bees have had almost 7 weeks in their new home. Starting at the side opposite from where the inside feeder was, the first two frames have had nothing done to them. The next frame, 3rd from the side, has nothing done on the outer side and on the inner side some comb drawn out in the center partially filled with homey. I can’t remember whether the next frame, 4th, has brood capped over on both sides or just the inner side. The next frame, 5th has brood capped on both sides & I see eggs in some empty cells. I didn’t remove any more frames but did see capped brood on the outer side of the 6th frame. On the other side, where the feeder was, the two frames that replaced the feeder have nothing done. The next frame in, 3rd, has honey & pollen on the outer side & capped brood on the inner side. I didn’t remove any more frames but did see capped brood on the outer side of the 4th frame.
I've always seen bees with pollen going into the hive. I think all of the tree blooming had past by the first week of May. There's plenty of white clover available. We rent a couple hundred acre farm for raising beef cattle. There's plenty of clover in the fields.
This next rambling I don’t think has anything to do with my question but just in case I’m sharing it. Plus, some may detect some humor lurking there. As I said this happened 2-3 weeks ago. When I was digging dead bees out of the inside feeder, I noticed some white worms. I assume they were wax mouths but have no idea if they were. I read on internet that the sugar water could become “old or contaminated.” These weren’t the words used but I don’t recall the exact description. I decided to remove the feeder. As I was pouring the sugar water out, I noticed lots more dead bees that had gone down the opening at the sides of the feeder. I then noticed an O-ring in the grass & what first looked like some white film but turned out to be instructions for assembling the feeder. I found two more O-rings and rescued the instructions. I read where the O-rings were to be used to hooked from side to side to keep the container from bulging at the top when filled. OK, I guess now is the time I try to explain why I didn’t read the instructions. I probably am a typical old white male who doesn’t read instructions when seen. But, ah, that’s the key. I never saw the instructions. The feeder arrived, all put together … at least it appeared that way to me. It was a black plastic container with a wooded board on the top with two cone “strainers” sticking down into the container for the bees to crawl in & out of to feed. I did make a poor attempt to remove the wooden top but decided that, since it was tightly wedged in place, I might have trouble getting it back in place. Sooo, I never looked in the container. Those are the facts & I’m sticking to them! Just to prove I’m not a bitter person I’m refraining from giving you my estimate of the IQ of the people who packed the feeder. I know, it’s probably pretty close to mine. ☹
I think I’ve convinced you all that it’s time for me to shut up & let you experts speak.
I've always seen bees with pollen going into the hive. I think all of the tree blooming had past by the first week of May. There's plenty of white clover available. We rent a couple hundred acre farm for raising beef cattle. There's plenty of clover in the fields.
This next rambling I don’t think has anything to do with my question but just in case I’m sharing it. Plus, some may detect some humor lurking there. As I said this happened 2-3 weeks ago. When I was digging dead bees out of the inside feeder, I noticed some white worms. I assume they were wax mouths but have no idea if they were. I read on internet that the sugar water could become “old or contaminated.” These weren’t the words used but I don’t recall the exact description. I decided to remove the feeder. As I was pouring the sugar water out, I noticed lots more dead bees that had gone down the opening at the sides of the feeder. I then noticed an O-ring in the grass & what first looked like some white film but turned out to be instructions for assembling the feeder. I found two more O-rings and rescued the instructions. I read where the O-rings were to be used to hooked from side to side to keep the container from bulging at the top when filled. OK, I guess now is the time I try to explain why I didn’t read the instructions. I probably am a typical old white male who doesn’t read instructions when seen. But, ah, that’s the key. I never saw the instructions. The feeder arrived, all put together … at least it appeared that way to me. It was a black plastic container with a wooded board on the top with two cone “strainers” sticking down into the container for the bees to crawl in & out of to feed. I did make a poor attempt to remove the wooden top but decided that, since it was tightly wedged in place, I might have trouble getting it back in place. Sooo, I never looked in the container. Those are the facts & I’m sticking to them! Just to prove I’m not a bitter person I’m refraining from giving you my estimate of the IQ of the people who packed the feeder. I know, it’s probably pretty close to mine. ☹
I think I’ve convinced you all that it’s time for me to shut up & let you experts speak.