Maidi and I suited up (unnecessarily) and got the frames into the nuc. I lifted the top with almost all the bees hanging down from it. Maidi placed the frames into the nuc and I then slowly lowered the top. It hit an obstruction. I looked and, not surprisingly, there was a hand sized piece of comb that I had to scape off. The bees had built this in such a short time. There was even some sugar water nectar in it.
I got the lid back on and replaced the feeder, which earlier had spilled some onto the table, and the nuc was back in business.
We went to take a look at Olea's. I wanted to show Maidi what I had noted earlier. There were 5-1/2 bare combs, more than yesterday. There was also an opened queen cell. A queen had emerged.
The lower cell is opened, the upper still capped |
Close up of chewed off cap |
I looked up and around and there behind the apple tree on the trellis was this:
They must have swarmed yesterday after we had left for marimba. Another queen should emerge within the next 24 hour.. I hope they do not cast a tertiary swarm.
When a colony casts a second swarm, the queen is still a virgin. She will not mate until they have moved into a hive. You can see how much smaller the cluster is than the primary swarm. I have no intention of trying to capture this one. Perhaps I will call another beek to collect it.
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