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From: Worker Bee <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: sci.agriculture.beekeeping
Subject: Spring Build up
Date: Sat, 01 Mar 1997 01:17:30 -0600
Organization: Earthlink Network, Inc.
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It is way too early here in eastern NC for the bees to have built up so
much. I looked in on a couple of hives yesterday and they are really on
their way. If we get a really cold snap, I'm sure that we'll lose some
brood. I added a deep super with foundation to each to give them some
room to grow. The hive with a store bought queen(96 to replace a swarm
queen that was not mated) had several uncapped queen cells up high on
the combs. I'm not sure why, but I'll keep an eye on them. There was one
funny looking capped cell that was larger than a drone cell but not
nearly large enough for a queen cell. I broke it open. I also found a
very large number of newly built drone cells in the shallow super where
last year they were worker cells. It was a super with wired foundation
that was full of honey for the winter.
 
The two I opened yesterday have the plastic frames that really keep the
drone cells down. The bees do not glue these plastic frames to the
rails. Great. NO way!!!. The problem is that the little honeys build
comb on it up to the next racks, fill it with drone cells and glue it to
the upper racks. When lifting the upper box all the plastic frames lift
also and have to be very carefully broken loose and lowered back into
place. Not only is it a royal pain, but the queen could be rolled and
hurt.
 
Does anyone have a solution or seen a similar problem?
 
I have a peach tree in full bloom and have not seen a single honey bee
on a bloom and I have 3 hived not 200 feet from it. Last year, my bees
did not work the blueberries.
 
Thanks
 
Don