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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 28 May 2001 01:11:07 -0400
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I'm new to beekeeping and need some advice.  On 5/17/01 I installed a new
4lb package of bees in a new hive (single deep with 10 frames of CellRite
foundation).  These bees were purchased from a local bee keeping supply
store.  I was told when I ordered them that they were Italians shipped from
California.  The hive is setup with a one gallon internal feeder, which
sits above the inner cover and is enclosed by a empty hive body with a
telescoping lid.  I checked the hive on Sunday night 5/20/01, the bees had
started drawing the comb, but I did not see any eggs.  I did see the queen
walking in the middle of foundation, she is marked.

This evening I check the hive again, I saw some comb fully drawn out near
the corners of the foundation in the middle of the hive.  I did not see
any "capped" cells, but I saw 3 queen cells in the middle of a frame.  The
cells all appeared to be about the same age.  Non were fully enclosed, they
all had a hole at the end.


I'm unsure how may eggs were present, I only looked at 3 frames.  The two
middle frames had eggs, more on the edges than in the middle.  Pulled an
outside frame and the two middle ones.  Since this is my first (and only)
hive I do not have a good benchmark on what things should look like.

I am concerned about the queen cells.  I don't want to loose my bees in a
swarm, and I'm unsure how to tell if the hive is trying to replace a
unproductive queen.  Any advice on how I should proceed would be
appreciated.

Other information:
- I have not used smoke on this hive
- I live in the pacific Northwest, we have had good weather since the
package was installed (daytime temp 60 - 72 over last 10 days)
- Sugar water mix is 1 to 1, (5 pints water, five lbs sugar) 1 gallon
- Bees are going through about 5 lbs sugar a week
- Entrance reducer is installed
- The hive is painted green, the local bee supply store recommended green
because it would keep the hive warmer.
- As far as I can tell there is plenty of room in the single deep hive body

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