Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Noise Maker on December 02, 2017, 02:28:54 am
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Watching my bees this afternoon returning from collecting pollen, feeding at my feeder and fetching water, there were more bees than usual resting in the grass in front of the hive. Some were returning and struggling to make it to the entrance. I also noted that their color was a bit duller than the ones who flew right in with their loads. Thankfully there were more bees with shiny younger looking appearance than those who were struggling. Two questions.
I'm assuming that the duller ones were older and at the end of their lifespan. True?
Second. The fact that I have younger looking bees at this time of the year I take as a good sign. Its been a long day, and my tired brain is struggling to remember if this is a sign that I have a queen in my hive. Am I right?
When I transfered the bees from the trap to the hive about the 9th of September, I did not see a queen. there were a few frames cross combed that I did not separate to inspect, but did see brood and some drone cells. At least thats what I thought they were with my next to nothing experience, just comparing what I had to pictures in a book and online. Whether I have a queen or not, the experience of the past three months of observing the bees has been a great learning experience and a joy.
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Your queen would almost certainly have stopped laying at this point in the calendar. Pollen going in is always a good sign.
Bees that have little hair or fuzz are actually older bees, one's that have worn off the fuzzy appearance by their labouring. The fuzzy light coloured bees are actually the young ones.