Bees revving up

The Moon looking like a multi-layered cake.

Having sorted out the hive ready for the new season last time, I wanted to check up on the bees, mainly to see what their thoughts on swarming were. Unfortunately, I had to do the inspection myself. Having grown used to Goulwenn's help and company, I must say it was a much less fun affair without him.
 
The bees are very busy and working in the super, but not many of them yet, so they definitely have enough space. The brood box was very busy, as last time, with only two to three frames not having brood on them. I did not see the queen this time, despite her mark, but many eggs, which show she is around and busy. As last time, there were a number of queen cups, but more the ones bees build for practice rather than ones which really have a queen in them. I did open one to check and make sure and there was, as expected, nothing in it. So the bees are merely warming up, but don't really want to swarm yet, which would make sense, as they have just had an increase in space. However, towards the end of the inspection, I saw a queen cell that looked serious and - sure enough - on examining it, I found a larva inside! I took her out, giving me time till next week, if the bees are serious about swarming. The number of drones in the hive suggest they are, so we'll see what next week brings.

Although I did look diligently I now hope I didn't miss any other queen cells. Time will tell!

While closing the Moon up again, I took a look at the wild comb. The bees have been busy repairing this and developing it and it now covers most of the eke. That should be lovely wild comb honey.

The wild comb with its bee architects

Bees gone wild!

As we've had a few fair days, I thought it was time for the first full hive inspection, with the express intent of also finding the queen (before the hive population explodes), so we can mark her. As always, I was ably assisted by Goulwenn. In fact, this time I let him do the hive inspection himself and I was the onlooker and (much crummier) photographer.

As soon as we opened the roof, we knew we were in trouble when we saw comb almost blocking the hole in the crown board (the hive's ceiling, so to speak).

This is not good news!

Goulwenn had great difficulties lifting the crown board off and it soon became clear why.

Goulwenn has reached his ceiling!

The reason - wild comb

The bees were obviously more active than I thought - and certainly not as lazy as I had been. Although temperatures had not been really inviting, the bees, safe in their Celotexed home, had decided differently and started redecorating the hive. The eke, which is always left on the brood box over winter in case feeding becomes necessary, had been filled by the bees with wild comb. Unfortunately, by lifting the lid, we did destroy some of the comb, with brood in it - but what an awesome sight! This is how bees fill a 40x40cm cavity!

Bees gone wild! This is what wild comb looks like.

Having discovered that, we were then somewhat at loss what to do with the wild comb. We decided to keep it (would be so unfair to destroy it; would also kill too many larvae), but make sure the queen could not lay in it. So, when we reassembled the hive, we put a queen excluder on the main brood box, so the queen will stay in the brood box (we knew she was in there - of that anon), and the wild comb on top of that. When the larvae hatch from the wild comb, which the bees will probably extend further (once you've started a DIY job, why stop in the middle, right?), no new ones will be laid there, so the bees will probably fill the comb with honey. Wild comb honey! Looking forward to that. Anyway, this is what the final set-up then looked like.

How we put the hive back together again

Goulwenn searching for what is so hard to find

Before we put it all back together like that, we had to find the queen. Never an easy task. I think the last time I saw the Moon queen was some time in 2013. Of course, it was a different queen then.

Goulwenn went through the frames once and we both looked - nothing. We decided to go through them again and - amazingly - we saw the queen, scuttling around where we least expected her. She let herself be trapped quite easily and then I put her in the marking cage. While I held her carefully pressed against the mesh, Goulwenn painted a little green spot on her abdomen. All done!
After the marking ceremony, she was reluctant to leave the pad and a court of her bees immediately gathered round. Eventually, she slipped off the pad and disappeared into the hive.
We put a super on the hive, so the bees would have enough space, and then closed all up. A successful, if somewhat unexpected, first inspection.

The queen in the marking cell

One marked queen, with attendants

The newly marked queen holds court - on a pad

Queen disappearing down a seam. Can you spot her abdomen?

Maintenance and Repair

The Moon busy again

It's been a quiet winter, so not posted for a while. However, I have been doing little things, but none of them worth posting as yet (there is a larger project in the pipeline, but it's not ready to be unveiled yet).

As the weather is improving now, I decided I need to attend to a number of issues urgently.
First of all I removed the Celotex from the Moon. The bees are out in strong numbers and I think they should no longer need the extra protection. It still gets cold at night, but there is enough forage available for them to eat their way through that, I think. Also removed the mouseguard, so the hive is once again working as usually. As it was windy, I didn't open the Moon up, but intend to on Monday, not least because I have to mark the queen.

Various hive bits in the process of being de-propolized

Second task was to go through all the supers and frames and clean them a bit. I scraped off the remains of the dead bees, wax and - mainly - propolis. It was harder work than I thought, but the hive tool is great (love the hive tool!) and after a few hours all wooden surfaces were tolerably smooth again. At some point I think I should burn the wood slightly (I think that's what they say you should do). Will try that next year.

Finally, I had some repairs to do on the Star brood box and roof. Due it having fallen over, the roof was broken and the brood box slightly damaged, too. Fixed both of those best I could. The equipment is now as ready as it will ever be. Roll on the good weather!

Fixing the Star