Yesterday morning my husband helped me move a hive to a woman's backyard about 30 minutes away. She was excited to have them in place for pollination and for watching them work. All went smooth. We pulled up to her house at 7 a.m. I had ratcheted down the two brood boxes with two ratchet straps. I was going to leave the straps in place because there was no rush, but my husband started to remove them. In the final moments of getting the straps from underneath the hive he lifted the lid slightly. Out came curious bees, not angry, just disoriented. We waited a few minutes while talking to the homeowner.
Before getting home she sent me a picture of how the bees were clustering on the outside. I reassured her that they were disoriented and it was hot and very humid. Later she sent me this picture.
We headed back. This time in my husband's air conditioned car. My truck doesn't have working air. One bank thermometer read 100 degrees.
My thoughts were that the queen had ran out the lid when it was slightly opened or she was stuck on top of the inner cover.
I lifted the lid and there were bees absolutely everywhere, but mostly on the one side and bearding off the bottom board in front. They were bearding off the lid so when I lifted the lid, clusters of bees fell to the ground.
In the end, I brushed the bees back on to the frames as best as possible. I had place the inner cover leaning up against the side of the hive. Lots of bees on that. I shook and brushed the bees off of that. I had brought a notched inner cover, so I put that in place. A quick look at the old inner cover had bees back on it and they were fanning. She was not there, but I think she had been there and they were still sensing her pheromones.
In the end, the bees were starting to work their way back in. Fingers crossed that she is in the hive and alive and well.
I received another picture from the homeowner showing the bees were still bearding some off the bottom board and some on the front of the hive. That picture looked much better.
The homeowner and I commented how my bees were all over the white dutch clover in her yard. Her buckwheat was in bloom and I forgot to look to see if they were working that.
I will probably receive another picture from her this morning.
Every beekeeping day is a learning experience
and an adventure
and sometimes you get to go eat authentic Mexican food afterwards.