Wall removal, continuation


When I checked the hive during the next couple of days, I saw that although there were some bees inside the hive on the comb, the vast majority of bees had formed into a cluster on the outside and back of the hive. That was somewhat disturbing and disappointing to see because it was obvious that they had not all gone inside the hive.

I separated the top bars a little bit to make it easier for the main cluster of bees the enter the hive on Saturday and left it until Monday to see what would happen, hoping that the rest of the bees would join those in the hive container. On Monday when I looked at the hive, I could see good in and out bee activity at the hive entrance, so assumed that the cluster had joined the ones inside. That made me happy. Of course later in the day I just had to go back and check to make sure that my deduction had been right, so I returned and carefully removed a few top bars on the side to peek in and see the conditions inside, only to discover that the main body of bees had obviously left and flown away.

That was disappointing, but my hope is that there may have been at least one new egg in the comb that I put in the hive and that the bees that remained will raise a new queen and I can still get a viable colony out of it. I will have to wait and see. I am going to leave them alone for a good long while before I check them because I do not want to disturb them. Sometimes it is tempting to open things up when it is better not to do so.

Last night I moved the top bar hive up to the roof of Agriculture Building #1, and today when I went up to check on things I could see bees flying in and out and continuing to clean out the damage I had done when I cut the colony out of the wall last Thursday. I am not sure whether or not I will get a viable colony from this cutout, but if I do, I will be very happy and will have learned one more thing and have had one more experience I would not otherwise have had.

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