In checking my bees this morning, for the first time since their transfer into the hive bodies, I discovered that the queen from Hive #2 (which, ironically, is the one I check first) was on the bottom board, DEAD. 

WAH!

Well, anyway, while it is frustrating since I've only had her for five weeks (if one counts today). I think she must have just died (I DID NOT mash her; see picture below for proof) because the carcass was still soft--and you know that insects get a little crisp after being dead for a few days.

I am going to see if the bees will raise their own queen. I'd rather save the $40 if at all possible; but I also want to see how and if they will (which is the natural thing for them to do). I saw no supercedure cell, but if she just died, that may not be exactly surprising yet. So long as they catch a larvae at just the right stage (3-4 days), there shouldn't be any problem.... (I'd cross my fingers if that ridiculous superstition was any good.)

I didn't really take over much stock on how many, if any, eggs were in the hive because at that point I did not realize the queen was dead. I saw her as I was fixing to put the eighth frame back in and close up. So, hopefully, the bees will have enough selection to pick a larvae of just the right age to raise up...

Anyway, in Hive #2 here's an interesting thing to note:

The frame on the right is foundationless. It has been in there for one week and already is pretty near full of comb--which is in turn pretty well full of honey. The frame on the left has the plastic foundation in it. That is the one that I took out to put my experimental foundationless frame in. When I put the bees into the hive body last Monday, I reinserted it into the hive. At the time I initially took it out, it had just a few cells drawn. Once again, as you can see, the bee took to the foundationless with a vengeance and practically ignored the foundation.

So, other than lacking a queen, Hive #2 appears to be doing buzzingly.

Hive #1, like #2, had seen no work done in the super (I forgot to mention that above)...so I went straight into the hive body. I just about had a panic attack (okay, so that is hyperbole), when I noticed a mashed bee on the rim of the hive body. I thought it was the queen! (Obviously, I rather had queens on the mind.) The more I got to looking at it, and comparing it to the workers, I decided that it was not (even though I never did see Queenie). This hive of bees has less 'hair' on their thoraxes anyway, so it's a little easier to confuse them. (Queens have had bald thorax.) 

Not all the frames were filled, but all but one had some noticeable amount of comb drawn on them. 

I saw brood: eggs, open brood, and capped...we even spotted one bee hatching! I literally watched her exit her cell! Daddy tried to get a picture...but she didn't show up...

And just for humour...that is a rather typical Racheal-squinting-at-frames expression. :D

When I closed up, I left behind me two hunks of comb, both with honey, laid against the side of the hive. When I rip it out like that, I leave the comb so that the bees can salvage the honey. I'll bring the wax in and add it to the collection in a day or so.

So, I think, other than my mysteriously dead queen (second one, two different hives, one year), that my hives are doing alright...UNLESS Hive #2 is sick....they were a bit more docile today. Oh dear. I wish I hadn't thought of that...I'll be a little more vigilant on my daily "peeks" at (not in) the hive and see if they seem lethargic or anything...

So my Georgian girls got to move into their new home this morning!

And there you have it! Both my colonies are now in bigger homes. It's exciting!!

Hive #2 (or the S-bees) moved this morning.Or rather, the colony got moved...

And now we have some nasty weather coming through...got to scram!

P.S. Last week's bee-stings are itching like crazy!!

Last week, I got a phone call from Mr. S. In the course of our bee-related conversation, he mentioned that he had talked to his mentor about my decision to stay foundationless. The nuc he had given me was started entirely on foundation, so he was asking the question of his mentor whether or not the bees would take to foundationless. The answer was iffy--on the negative side. So, I decided that I would just give it a try and if they didn't seem to take to it that I would go ahead and buy some foundation. Therefore, last Tuesday, I inserted an empty frame into the hive.

This is the result, one week later:

I confess that I did not expect THAT much comb in the scope of one week. I felt rather cocky and sure of myself that they would take to it (for whatever reason), but I didn't expect to pull out a frame that was almost entirely filled. It humbles me, actually.

I also got actually stung--twice. I had a "half-sting" about three weeks ago, but these were real, full-blown stings. (I went out without long-sleeves and veil, but fixed that after getting stung.) The one on my left arm quit hurting after not very long, but the one on the back of my right hand is still bothering me.

My Georgians were a little more buzzy than usual. I suspect it was because they could sense the storm that was coming in. Anyway, I have five frames of brood in that nuc. I need to get them out soon--I will plan on that for my next hive check--moving them into the full-sized hive body. Same, I think with the S-bees. 

Speaking of hive bodies and such, I got my new supplies yesterday. I got four or six more medium supers (I forget exactly), another hive body--along with the hive stand, bottom board, inner cover and outer cover, and of course, the necessary frames. I have quite a bit of assembly work to do; I intend on starting on that shortly after lunch. I'm already fairly well set up in the garage to do so, I just have to get started. 

I think I may need to supplement a little with some honey/sugar water since it's been so rainy and nothing much is in bloom...