After being inspired yesterday, I was all 'organised' for what I needed to do. My usual hive buddy was doing what teenagers do on a bank holiday so Mr TB offered to help. He insisted that he did not need a suit and but would wear a veil for a bit, then take it off to take the pictures. "They won't sting me....", you can see where this is going....
This was the pic of hive just after I removed the follower board. Oh if only we could turn back the hive to this point! As you can see the first comb is a small one and it was not braced and moved away nicely. The next comb in was braced to the comb behind, I got out the hive tool and tried to ease them apart, making tiny delicate cuts as I went. Then disaster..Comb down. Panic set in and family members were despatched to find a hair clip to reattach it. I think I am going to have to keep a supply in my bee box.
One bodge job later! and the comb is returned to the box. It worked before and here is hoping luck is on my side again. By this time, I just wanted to close up, but I did want to move the combs nearer to the far holes, and I still have Queen cells and disease to look for. It was also about this time that Mr TB started regretting his bravado and had run screaming, after being stung on the side of his face. The first sting down...
After my previous efforts at formalising the comb, training the bees, and knowing that I had just used my last hair clip, I decided to leave the next 3 combs (above) braced together. Probably my wisest choice of the day.
Here is the comb I fixed to bar with the first hair clip. They are gradually taking over my hive. The bees don't seem to have minded and have filled in the gaps nicely.
Think this is Queen Kylie, I saw her early on, but I was distracted with the broken comb saga. When it was time to properly inspect the bar I expected her to be on. I couldn't find her again, luckily we had the pics to review at our leisure. Also, by this time, my photographer, Mr TB had been stung and had lost interest, my daughter:-
who was taking notes, and had had a sore head before we started, wilted. The bees were very agitated, and I had just been stung on the neck, and the smoker had gone out. Enough was enough. I piled all the bars back on, moving the cluster a little further down the box, put the lid back on, and we had coffee watching them calm down. Which didn't take too long. Not a text book inspection, but hopefully we will get better.
Final Count:
- 13 small comb
- 2 medium
- 14,11,17 clumped together brood comb
- 33 1st hair clipped comb
- 16 hatching worker brood
- 18 starter comb
No Queen cells, no sign of any disease.
Thanks for reading,
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