Bitbybit
New Bee
I posted yesterday regarding one of my hives swarming, fortunately while I was trying to get up the tree to capture the cluster they returned to the hive. The only reason for this that I can think of is that the queen was clipped and did not make the flight. (This was not something I had thought to ask the nuc supplier) I have now gone through the hive and have not found the queen, she was marked so even slimmed down for swarming I should be able to spot her. The hive is as follows:1st box - 3 frames of sealed and unsealed honey, 1 frame capped brood with 2 queencups in middle of frames lava in both, 1 frame half with capped brood half empty hatched cells, 1 frame mostly capped brood with some uncapped brood and 4 sealed queen cells - 2 in the middle of the frame 1 on the side of the frame and 1 on the bottom of the frame. 1 frame mostly sealed brood with some unsealed and 2 queencells on the bottom of the frame both sealed. 3 frames of capped and uncapped brood 4 empty playcups,1 frame mostly uncapped brood with 1 queencell in the middle of the frame with lava,1 frame mostly uncapped honey .
2nd box - 4 frames foundation, 1 frame drawn foundation, 2 frames drawn foundation with unsealed honey, 1 frame drawn foundation with a small amount of unsealed honey, 1 frame sealed and unsealed honey, 1 frame pollen and unsealed honey with some capped drone cells, 2 frames foundation with some drawn.
I would be delighted to hear my options. I have an empty hive from a second nuc that failed and access to land many miles away if required. I would like to go into next winter with a second colony but I will purcahse another nuc if splitting the hive makes no sense.
2nd box - 4 frames foundation, 1 frame drawn foundation, 2 frames drawn foundation with unsealed honey, 1 frame drawn foundation with a small amount of unsealed honey, 1 frame sealed and unsealed honey, 1 frame pollen and unsealed honey with some capped drone cells, 2 frames foundation with some drawn.
I would be delighted to hear my options. I have an empty hive from a second nuc that failed and access to land many miles away if required. I would like to go into next winter with a second colony but I will purcahse another nuc if splitting the hive makes no sense.