20.07.2012, around 11.30 am, weather was relatively calm, cloudy/sunny, little wind so I decided to inspect the hive. My main reason for inspecting it today was to find the Queen. The supers are starting to have some honey in the 4 & 5 frame, the are starting to fill the others plus they have just about finished sorting out the new foundations. The brood box – 4 frames from E-W full of bees, eggs, larvae, capped brood plus the first frame has melted on top right corner so folded over but as it was full of brood I left it, on it I have found 3 Queen cells, no eggs so left them. Bees were very calm, smoked them, if I use too much they get agitated ( need to use less smoke)
I probably will have to do something with the damaged foundation + frame. Will have to get advise from one of my beekeeper friends.
They are bringing in quite a bit of pollen, which comes in all sorts of colours, from lemony yellow – orange – green. They seem pretty active as long as the weather is good. Wasps get attacked if they try and get into the hive. Last time I fed them I read somewhere to put a little bit of Olbas oil on the entrance the smell distracts the wasps it worked for a while. The wasp trap is doing fine.
Fed them on 16.07.2012 mix of 3:2 sugar syrup.
Would like to feed them again this week, although they are forecasting good weather for a couple of days so might leave it while the weather is fine.
To do: inspection on the 29th or 30th July.Check the Queen cells, stores, brood, health.