I checked Hive North this morning to see how they were liking their new home. The bees were all still a little sleepy, as I checked them before any foragers had started out for the morning, so the hive would be a bit full to begin with.
The center 6 frames were completely covered, at least 2 deep, in bees.
This brood chamber is a little full.
I decided that this was a little too cramped, so we headed up to Beez Kneez again and picked up 10 more deep frames so that Hive North can start out with a full brood chamber right away.
The blackberries are still blooming at Hilltop, so there’s a chance that the new hive will be able to get a big head start on their winter food stores.
While we were at the store, we picked up another honey super (box and frames), so that we can start rotating out full frames of capped honey with empty frames of foundation, as Hive West and Hive East fill them. This also gave me the opportunity to measure the Western bits, so that I can add them to my SketchUp. There are only 3 pieces of new woodwork (and of course the foundation piece) between the Western and Deep parts. The frame sides are shorter, and the box sides and ends are shorter, too. I gave them the full measurement treatment anyway.
The air nailer, Kristi, and I made short work of 20 foundation frames and one super box. Kristi added wax to the frames, and I went out to install the deep frames on Hive North.
I pulled the center two frames (full of bees) from the lower brood chamber, to “bait” the upper chamber. I added two empty frames in positions #2 and #9 in the lower chamber. Everything went together pretty quickly, and now Hive North has lots of room to expand into!
There were plenty of bees buzzing around the hive entrance, looked like young bees making orientation flights. I saw a few bees in the local blackberry and fireweed, although I’m not sure which hive they’re from.
Side note: When I checked the hive this morning, there was a very large bee (not a drone) hanging out on the outside of frame #1 all by herself. She seemed pretty large to me; I think it might have been the queen. She’s not of much use at the moment, as there’s no place to lay yet, so perhaps she’s just staying out of the way.
Or maybe it was just a large-looking worker. Shrug. In any case, the bee wasn’t marked. I’m wondering more and more whether this is someone else’s swarm that dropped in because they smelled the two hives. I still have to do a full inspection of Hives East and West, but one way or another, we’ve got 3 hives now.
Okay bees, keep up the good work.