Is this a laying worker hive?

[eltalia]

Thanks Bill,
I went back up today to make sure Queen Angela is queen-less. I'll post some pictures in a bit but she started out as a captured hive and I bet she left the same way. I have bad old eyes but I use jewelers glasses and I can't find her, just a few caps and larvae. There are only 9 frames in a deep homemade hive. (Maybe that's the problem...don't like my condo I built for them!)only three frames have any activity since July 9th

They are certainly impressive builds, many others around Europe also.. I guess
here we are just bogans in our approach to "bee condo", as jf they get a sheet
of gal.iron thrown over them they can consider themselves lucky! -- see attached
of an extreme ;-)
Eyes are a problem even at 30+ what with sweat, and tbe reason many
do not wear veils which only compound the problem. Today with macro enabled
digital cameras I can get by with a pair of cheap 3Xmag reading glasses.. I have
lost scores of them. 3 bucks each I am not too bothered.
Looking at pix on the computer then backs what I thought I saw.

Likely telling you a couple of things you gave already worked out for yourself in
that scanning a frame is faster than looking, and more reliable.
Looking for a queen is scanning for the odd one out, look at nothing more and
put the frame down into another box before lifting the next frame.
Scan all frames again in the reverse if not found in the first run.
If not found that way there is none present.

On frames not covered in bees?
I am trying to find the time to complete my treatise on airpaths in hive bodies, stuff
keeps getting in the road - my egg incubator shat itself, fully loaded! - but one
insight to come from it should be a change in the "norm" I have seen displayed in
text and YouToob. In short, where frames are not getting worked, remove them and
place a blocker in their stead, regardless of the time of year - wintering for you guys
being an exception.
There are pix of one rough example in that queen rearing thread I started.

... thanks for the update ;-)

Bill

[eltalia]

Frame #2 (#1 is empty
Cells from #2
Frame #3
Cells from #3
Last frame. Remaining are empty

.
...not LW in those pix, mate... just plain dead on it's feet.
At least they will combine easy, like.
I'd reckon you are going to have to make some tough calls
with Queen Neferiti too... 'cos there isn't much there to donate
to her, hey?
And time is running out up your way.

Cheerio...


Bill

[sc-bee]

Same area just closer. Sure wish I knew what these gals are doing!

What the gals are doing is screaming... I hate this plastic foundation.  Sometimes adding more wax to the foundation is needed. I totally realize there are other issue you are dealing with along with bee population but this caught my eye...

[FlexMedia.tv]

First time I've used the black frames too...

[FlexMedia.tv]

Frame #2 (#1 is empty
Cells from #2
Frame #3
Cells from #3
Last frame. Remaining are empty

I'd reckon you are going to have to make some tough calls
with Queen Neferiti too... 'cos there isn't much there to donate
to her, hey?

Bill

Yeah I'll give it a try even tho there are not many to combine. My beekeeper friends who actually get honey from their hives are giving me some teasing for sure. That's ok. It's not a race. *wink!

[eltalia]

Frame #2 (#1 is empty
Cells from #2
Frame #3
Cells from #3
Last frame. Remaining are empty

I'd reckon you are going to have to make some tough calls
with Queen Neferiti too... 'cos there isn't much there to donate
to her, hey?

Bill

Yeah I'll give it a try even tho there are not many to combine. My beekeeper friends who actually get honey from their hives are giving me some teasing for sure. That's ok. It's not a race. *wink!

Your're dead right there fella ;-))
Poking them along -  "giddyup thar" - tactics just annoy them to the point they give you the
finger and find  somewhere else!
OH,, your friends..?..  I am sure tis just beer time joshin' in knowing it aint them, this time
around : smile:

Bill

[eltalia]

First time I've used the black frames too...

Not having ever used them, nor a fan of plastic foundation - after the first releases of them -
I can only go by observation, colour seems irrelevant. My conclusion is I would not use plastic
in startup projects. And having learnt a new thing very recently all my startups are going to bee
4 frames, two of which are newly built topbar with 19mm strips attached.
In fact just yesterday I built my first camoflaged swarm trap following that principle.
Pix to follow.

Cheers.

Bill

[sc-bee]

Color has absolutely nothing to do with it... Some factors that play into the scenario are: brand of foundation(all are not created equal or waxed equal), population of bees. where you are in a flow.

Some folks hate plastic- some swear by it. I have bought some but not used it yet. Most places I have seen it used... I was not impressed.  I will add another layer of wax before using them. The best plastic foundation out there is said to be Acorn. You can get it heavy waxed (triple dipped) It is a bit pricey but for the guy with many hives in pays off vs adding wax (labor and cost). The next I hear good reports on is Rite Cell (Mann Lake). Some where there are strong flows do not have to add wax. here it helps.

Here is a great sign your plastic probably needs more wax added to it, at least for the time of year in which you added it. Could also be bee space issues but it is also a sign they do not like the plastic. Sometimes, it is just patches and spots on the frame that needed more wax that the bees reject. And when you find this, if you don't make corrections it just gets worse.

[eltalia]

Not at all taking away from your comments SCB - all things the OP should consider in
future configs - plastic will be used by some for their reasons in regard to ease of use,
and, as explained to me, their ease of extraction for product. Those guys do not want
to wire frames, tho' I reckon it should be done anyway with at least one horiziontal 'brace'.
My best analysis on how to use it is to introduce the frames gradually, between full
brood frames, forcing them to draw it - extra dipping or not.
Same could be done for honey supers but there is a risk the bees will pump
up the brood chamber with honey over drawing the plastic to fill those with honey.

That example you are quoting cites poor application of beespace and hive
body air circulation faults. All things being equal the bees will work from centre of frame
out to the extents. Building in tbe fashion they have is a sign of stress.
I would encourage the OP - or any other reading new player -  to take note of all these
things (cited) as good example in avoiding plastic in startups.

I have a set regime for startups, if it works then repeat it being the thought. I am changing
that now - as a trial - only because after many years I learnt someting new, right here in
this forum. I could only wish those devotees of plastic might also have that same forum
experience.


Cheers.

Bill

[sc-bee]

I agree you can sometimes force them to start by placing them between drawn frames. But it is best to add that wax or buy the acorn if in doubt. When newbies around here start, the suppliers seem to throw plastic at them. And so do the shop houses with kits... Mann Lake, Brushy etc. Also you now can go kits from tractor supply.. costco etc. Some of these kits are made by big suppliers some not. Some of the plastic foundation in these kits are trash. I helped several newbees on plastic this year and without the added wax in my area it was a total crap shoot. But no matter how many post on our local forum that I told folks to add wax to the foundation it did not happen... not until the frames remain with the packages for weeks with trash comb (wonky and burred) and blank spaces (bare foundation). For every one newbee I see it work for I see at least two where it does not... I wish supplier would not give them plastic in starters kits. Including our local supplier guys...

And as far as placing them between brood frames--- well a lot of folks are going plastic for honey supers. In my area you best have a good flow on, if not you are just pissing in the fan...

I understand the ease, quickness,durability, time savings etc of plastic. And to boot look at the price of plastic vs wax... the plastic is often cheaper... at least here in the U.S. On a side note when you receive that box form the hot UPS truck or store that plastic foundation in a hot summer shed in a shed .. what are those greasy splotches on the foundation boxes when you retrieve them... It is a portion of the wax that was on your frames 

"That example you are quoting cites poor application of beespace and hive body air circulation faults"
And I agree- I often see the above cited pic when the bees don't like or draw the plastic frame next door which causes a bee space issue... Instead they skip the frame next door and pile in this mess.

I dislike plastic but want to make it work due to the ease of use and most of all the durability vs wax...the bees may not agree with me... guess I will see...

[cao]

without the added wax in my area it was a total crap shoot.

That is what I have found too.

I do like plastic when it works.  But it can be more work when things go wrong.  I had a hive that died and wax moths got to it before I did.  The frames with wax foundation just went into the solar wax melter.  The frames with plastic had to be scraped and pressure washed to get cleaned up.

[eltalia]

without the added wax in my area it was a total crap shoot.

That is what I have found too.

I do like plastic when it works.  But it can be more work when things go wrong.  I had a hive that died and wax moths got to it before I did.  The frames with wax foundation just went into the solar wax melter.  The frames with plastic had to be scraped and pressure washed to get cleaned up.

....an' the proponents/pushers of plastic will tell you this an advantage of plastic. Beats me :-/
As SCB says... where suppliers/experts are pushing the stuff onto the unsuspecting innocents
the failures are just not going to go away. I know when I first tried Plasticore [tm] I thought it
was the ducks nutz until the second season when I found colonies actually stripping away
comb off'n it. Mine was all wired in as it was migratory, and a big radial extractor being used, so
when I found frame after frame not filled completely in by the second season and around the
wires often left bare, like canyons in the comb, I tossed the lot.
Never promoted the stuff since.
It has it's place in a hobby market but be careful how it is introduced, I reckon.

Maybe we should start a Movement!  : chuckles:


Cheers.

Bill

[FlexMedia.tv]

You know...I just realized what plastic you folks were taking about, those black inserts. Ya, plastic. No wonder they don't like them. Just looked again today and they gave me the "middle winger" (If ya know what I mean!)

[tycrnp]

You know...I just realized what plastic you folks were taking about, those black inserts. Ya, plastic. No wonder they don't like them. Just looked again today and they gave me the "middle winger" (If ya know what I mean!)

LOL!!!!