This was the very first time that I caught a glimpse of our very radiant Queen. It was the first inspection of the hive. This is our new hobby and we are learning as we go.
Full inspections need to take place between every seven to ten days to make sure all the ladies are healthy and that there aren’t any intrusions, parasites or unwanted robbers, etc. It is also necessary to make sure that her Majesty is strong and ruling over her brood. The Queen’s of 2013 all wear a Royal Red Robe and I think that she looks magnificent in all her glory.
Me inspecting Frame Number 1 – decided not to wear the leather bee gloves but instead opted for little rubber-backed builder’s gloves
Me inspecting one of the original frames supplied with the Nuc – the bottom cells are the brood (new bees growing from eggs) the top are their food supplies – capped honey cells
The Queen wears red – she is so majestic, don’t you think?
Queen eggs hatch after only three days and emerge from their cells after around 16 days – they fly for their virgin mating at around 22 days and begin egg laying approximately on day 23 or 24
This is a Buckfast colony
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