Progress of Our Starter Hive

Good morning again. Thank you all for coming back to visit with us in another segment of Ridin’ Out the Recession.

Thank you for the love and concern you have all showed in regards to my wife, and best friend Deb! It is so appreciated, and the concern you show at times overwhelms us! Thank you all so very, very much. We will whip this thing!

This morning I’d like to visit with you about bees, once more.

Our two beekeepers, Sherry (Queen Bee) and her Mother Melva (Mama Bee), were back Saturday. I spent very little time with them as you all know Deb’s situation, and two of Deb’s sisters came down and stayed overnight with us, so we were fairly busy.

Sherry did take me over to check out my starter hive they had given me. After looking into the hive, we found things were actually going really well!

In picture (1) we’re showing Sherry entering the hive to check out the progress of the hive. When doing this she is checking to see if the hive is doing well. She can tell from the individual frames if we’re having success in the hive or not.

Upon opening the hive she stated right off that our starter hive is indeed doing well.

To look back, our starter hive is just that. It was a hive started from existing hives that were doing well.

Sherry found a couple of hives that could have a frame or two of bees taken from them and these were used to provide my hive, or starter with bees, eggs, and larvae, or a start. By doing this, taking a few frames from several strong hives, this enables you to increase your number of hives, bee population and honey production. This is called a split.

In picture (2), picture (3) and picture (4), she’s showing a few bees beginning to start work on new frames. This is done as the frames she robbed from existing hives that had eggs, and larvae, and put them into our hive have begun expanding, or the hive population growing.
Again, the starter is doing well.

The white across the length and width of the frame is wax, or the foundation. Just like a house has a foundation, the frame does as well. The wax is the foundation or start of the comb, which houses the eggs, larvae and pupa. The comb is home until hatch occurs and the adult bee emerges. From egg to adult is 21 days.

Pictures (5,6, and 7) are showing me that the hive is indeed doing well.

Now, if you look back at picture (6), you see what is looking at first glance like simply a healthy frame with plenty of activity taking place.

BUT, if you look even closer you notice something else. If you look at Sherry’s finger, the one supporting the frame, look closely just to the left of her finger on the second comb row from the bottom. Again, just to the left of her finger.

You’ll see something that looks like a peanut protruding from the comb. This is coming from an egg cell just like all the others, yet this one is considerably larger, and again it does resemble a peanut. Do you see it?

This is my queen, and she will be hatching out in 10-13 days. When Sherry split her hive and made my starter, my hive had no queen. No queen, then no hive survival. So what happens, do you remember? Well, the bees simply make another queen, maybe two or three, with the strongest, surviving to become the queen. The hive is back in business again. Picture (7) shows the queen cell as well.

Isn’t that amazing stuff? I’m excited about these bees, and so thankful for Sherry and her Mamma to take the time and attempt to school a “honey bee dummy!”

Those two are just good people, who take the time and effort to take me under their wings and attempt to share their knowledge with me.

I know I’ve told them a hundred times already, but I’ll tell ya’ll again…Sherry, and Miss Melva, thank you two so much. I know when you come out to work your bees I’m in reality a burden, but you’ve never acted as if I was, or even remotely gotten “ill-tailed” with me and it is all appreciated.

Now that I’m through “Kissin Up” to you two, the next time you split a hive, ya’ reckon you could just cut me the queen out too?? This way I wouldn’t lose 21 days to make me one from a dern egg, see where I’m coming from?? Time is money… I mean HONEY!! LOL, Sherry, and Miss Melva!!

You guys have a great day today, ya’ hear? Thanks and God Bless!

Dub and Deb