Quick Check on the Hives

Even though this is what Russian bees do, I was worried about the queen cups in the OV hive because, while I saw the queen on Sunday, I didn't take the time to really inspect for eggs and a queen that stops laying could be a sign of a pending swarm. By the time I could check the hive today, the sun was already low in the sky making it hard to spot any eggs but I did see young larvae as well as my lovely queen. There is lots of nectar in the top two boxes so I added a honey super.

While in the bee yard, I checked in on the Sasha hive. Again,it was hard to spot any eggs this time of day but there is larvae and I even got to watch the young queen lay an egg. :-) The bees have begun to open and remove the covered brood that didn't hatch but I swear I saw one moving it's head as it cleared away the covering! A bee typically hatches in 21 days so all  brood that was moved when I made the split should have hatched by April 9th. But today makes 31 days and I just do see how this could be possible! It had to be some trick of the eye. Call it wishful thinking!