It's the first time I've tracked her down since we got bees again. I am useless at spotting queen bees, there are so many bees in the hive and they are all jiggling about so it is very difficult to spot her for more than a few seconds.
As soon as I saw her I reached for my queen marking pen, only to realise my pockets were empty and the pen was in a drawer inside the house. How frustrating..
You can see why it can be difficult to spot her, I don't think I even managed to capture her in this shot!
An iphone is the beekeepers must have tool for the 21st century.
I took a couple of frames out of the brood chamber that were full of old wax which is currently not being used. I have some new foundation to put in them and they will go in tomorrow morning. We are going to be making our own beeswax candles with the wax, which is obviously very special and exciting.
We will keep you updated.
Wish me full supers!
Martin
How do you spot the Queen? I apologise if you have explained this somewhere and I have missed it.
ReplyDeleteWhen you mentioned candles I had forgotten you had bees! How wonderful to use your own beeswax! Just imagine, a home grown dinner by home grown candlelight...
Mo
Hi Martin, bees are fascinating aren't they? My hubby is a beekeeper. We don't have a hive at the moment, due to work commitments but hoping to next year. For now, he helps out a friend who has 15 hives! Do show your candles when they're done, would love to see them. Lesley x
ReplyDeleteBees are fascinating aren't they. Thanks for your kind comment Lesley. 15 hives. Would love to see pictures of that! I hope you get your own hive soon!
ReplyDeleteMo - the queen in theory should be easier to spot because she is almost twice the size of the other bees. But in reality a whole brood frame of bees make her almost impossible to distinguish. Therefore if you get chance to mark her you should so that it is easier in future and you can quickly ensure she is healthy and laying eggs rather than wasting time trying to find her. We will post photos of our candles including the whole process. We shall probably do it on Sunday evening now.
Thanks so much for visiting and asking great questions. I hoped I answered them ok. Let me know if you have anymore and I really will be glad to answer them as best as I can.
Thanks again and I hope you both have a great weekend.
Martin
I remember we used to keep bees on our allotment when I was growing up. I was the only Girl Guide in the county of Middlesex with her beekeepers badge! You must be vigilant this time of year looking out for new Queen cells. There is also an old tradition that you hold a key in one hand and the other hand on the beehive and you 'tell the bees' all your family news!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Martin! Mo
ReplyDelete