My friend Doug got the glass replaced in the observation hive and brought it to me yesterday. After finding the queen, marking her with green paint, and clipping her wing, we took a frame of brood and bees with the queen from the nuc we had to use when we broke the glass. Only one frame of brood and then we added a foundationed frame and no added bees.

We then placed the OB hive where the nuc had been sitting and allowed the bees to start going into the OBH. The nuc with the frame of brood and bees along with two frames of foundation went to the nuc stand where there were five nucs of bees already. The thought is that the bees in the new nuc would probably go to the OBH when they left the nuc. If not, there were plenty of eggs so the bees could make a queen if they want to.

While we were already set up to clip and mark the queens, Doug suggested we finish all the queens in the yard. That made sense to me so we proceeded to do just that. Now I don’t have to set up again. All I have to do now is load the five nucs and one full colony and take them to the one apiary that I had with only one nuc. Later, I have the option to use them to combine with weak colonies in four apiaries in that same area.

I don’t have to use them, I can always take full brood boxes up there and transfer the nucs into them and have the makings of full hives by late fall. At that time, I will make the decision to re-queen or not. Just depends on the brood pattern and the strength of the colony.

This has been a great day. All my immediate work is done. Don’t get me wrong, all my work is not finished. Just the job of marking the queens. I still have boxes and frames to clean re-foundation, and paint. At that time I will also cull out the wooden ware that is starting to rot and not be salvageable.

Hope your day has gone as well. Until we meet again, keep your veil close, your smoker lit, and your hive tool sharp. Yessss, I got that from Kim Flottum.