Inspecting the Hive...

I am very new to all this beekeeping business, but so far, I absolutely LOVE it. I love watching "the ladies" buzzing around the hive, and get SO excited when I see one out in our (finally blooming!) flowers. I feel so content and peaceful when watching my bees.

One important part of beekeeping is inspecting the hive, to make sure that all is healthy and happy. It's important to see whether or not the bees are busy making wax and your queen is laying eggs, as those are signs that all is well. My first attempt at a hive inspection didn't go particularly well. The weather was a bit too chilly, so all the bees were "at home" instead of out foraging, so I really couldn't see anything. I couldn't find the queen at all, and with SO many bees piled onto the frames, I couldn't even see if they were building comb. Lesson learned: Don't try to inspect your hive on a chilly day!

Last weekend, however... it was warm and sunny. I was able to get a good look at the frames, and saw lots of drawn comb, quite a bit of it capped. I had a hard time finding eggs and larvae, but after really looking closely I was able to find some. I still never found my queen, which concerned me a bit, but according to the beekeeping friends I consulted, it's not uncommon for her to be elusive. As long as there are eggs and larvae and the workers are taking care of their business, chances are the Queen is there and healthy.

Happy, Healthy Honey Bees! 

In addition to my beekeeping duties, I've also been spending lots of time working in the yard and garden! Next post, I'll share a little of our early spring garden.