Hive Inspection 1 June 2012

The inspection on 1 Jun 2012 went well.  I was determined to check out the Hive before the street parties commenced for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. After the glorious weather we have been having and after reading Mikes blog about the amount of swarms he has been collecting, it seemed wise to ensure they would not be swarming this long weekend. 

I was pleased to see lots of healthy brood and very little sign of the chalk brood, although we did have to rush the last couple of frames as the neighbours child had come out to play in his sand pit.  JP and I thought we had better get the lid on quick to prevent an incident. 

One of my emergency hair clips in view here, the bees dont seem to mind them.  I have seen you tube accounts of people removing the clips, but once the bees have built comb around them, seems like an extra upset for the bees.  I did add another one on this inspection, the girls had started cross combing one of the new combs at one end, so I snapped it off and started it on a new frame. Although, no pics as we were on stealth mode due to the afore mentioned child. 

 This bar is being filled with honey, and before the end of summer, it will be mine, all mine!!!!

 You can see this clip is well embedded in the structure, to remove it would only weaken the comb.

 You can barely see this brown clip in the middle, the give away is the green wire. So with all this instability of the comb on top bars in mind, and I love my top bar as it is.  But I am moving to Lincolnshire soon and I am concerned that a really big bump may bring all the combs crashing down.  I have invested in a polythene National Hive and I will split the hive with an artificial swarm into the new hive.

 Lots of drone cells on this one, next time I am in, I may break this of as a Varroa check/treatment.

 We didn't see Queen Kylie on this inspection, but I did move the bees and really inspect the combs as I was shown on the Defra Inspection last week. 

 We did find some play Queen cups, on the first sweep we left them, hoping to see Queen Kylie fit and doing her stuff, we did see evidence of tiny larva and eggs, implying that she was about and busy, so before I closed the hive, I nipped them off, I don't think they were charged.

  On this one we saw a bee emerging from its cell for the first time. The next time I inspect, I will do it by video so I can record these moments.

This comb has lots of eggs, and it was the top left of this one that I clipped on with a hair comb as it was cut of due to the cross combing.  

 Is it just me, or is the bee at the bottom left in the gap forming a ducks beak?  Now I see the duck, I cant see anything else.