One Last Chance for Three Hives This Season

New Dmitry Queen is Laying!

Opened the Dmitry hive to find the top box of 8 getting cleaned up and ready for honey because the next 5 are literally full of nectar with the bottom 2 being used for storing pollen. Not looking for the queen through all those boxes, I was more interested in finding eggs and brood, which I did! The queen isn't laying in a strong brood pattern yet but at least this is proof that this hive now has a laying queen and that I have managed to do something right to keep two hives going in the apiary. 

As you can see, there's not much room to for her to lay as the bees are going gang-busters fulling every available cell with nectar. I only need a couple of frames with brood and eggs to give the Datsyuk hive one last chance. It's getting late for the nectar flow so I know I'll have to tend both the Beagle and Datsyuk hive through the winter if they don't get the hive strongly established by fall. Thankfully, the Dmitry hive will have so much honey that I'll be able to use some on the other two hives. 

Eggs and Larvae for the Datsyuk Hive.

I moved this frame along with one other that is full of eggs and young larvae so the bees will have plenty to select from to make a new queen. After 3 days, the egg becomes larvae and remains in that state for 5 days. In the above photo, you can clearly see the white larvae curled up in the cells. In this photo, if you look closely, you'll see an egg or two as well as the little comma shapes of younger larvae. 

Since it is already late May, this will be the last attempt I can make this season for splitting out a third hive. I'm doubtful another emergency queen will be all that strong, but all I hope for is a queen that will get the hive going. I can supplement both brood and food from Dmitry if needed. I'll check in on the hive in a week to see if they've selected an egg or two for their new queen. Fingers crossed!