May 24, 2014

Joe and I went to the hives, smoked them, took the feeder boxes off the top and added them with their top bars to the bottom of the hives.

Looked at one frame - to show Joe what it looks like - and all is well!
Here are some pictures:

 this is the top cloth on the top box after the 2 jar feeder was removed - these bees are covering their honey which was exposed when we pulled off the feeder - they were building comb onto the screen. they grab their honey and take it back to the comb inside the hive but we did get to taste some YUM!!!

 now I've pulled off the cloth you just saw in the first picture - the bees are on the top of the bars as well as on the combs.

 isn't their comb pretty and perfect? I am pulling up one top bar with its attached comb and bees

 there are pollen patties (pieces of them) still on top of the bar - 2 of the bees are seen eating the pollen patty

 the top cells hold honey

 the puffy looking capped cells are drone cells - after the 5th instar of a larva, the bees cap the cell so it can pupate. the "flat" caps are worker bee cells and the ones that are depressed are pollen

 a lovely little wood tick on the outside of the hive

we put zip lock bags with sugar syrup on top of the bars of the 3rd box (the one we just placed). I am going to ask my dad to build me 2 feeder boxes