Author Topic: Pictures of what a hive should look like. (Read 62409 times)

Cindi · « **Reply #20 on:** November 15, 2008, 11:10:34 pm »

Well, here's some more pictures of what a hive should NOT look like. The bees sometimes take it into their heads to build some really funny stuff, gotta get a kick out of them when they get really inventive. Enjoy. Have a most wonderful day and and life, great health. Cindi

Queen cells, they haven't even bothered to draw the comb on the rest of the foundation, guess they were in a mighty big hurry to do something, hee, hee.

I think they built this comb first and then proceeded to build comb all the way across the back side of the frame, gotta tell ya, it was some pretty weird designing techniques!!!

This is the comb in the above picture, that then had the comb built behind it, strange....

Shawn · « **Reply #21 on:** November 16, 2008, 06:57:11 pm »

I love the pictures Cindi. I really like the look of the natural comb. I have never seen a queen cell in person so your picture really helped me to know what to look for. If you did not look at the bottom of the comb they built a person might not know there were queen cells in the bottom.

asprince · « **Reply #22 on:** November 16, 2008, 07:19:58 pm »

Cindi, Was that mess built by the Italians or the Russians? :-D :lol:

Steve

Cindi · « **Reply #23 on:** November 17, 2008, 11:13:50 am »

Steve, well, well, well, if I could remember which colony it was I would be a happy girl, hee, hee. I think that it might have been the Italians, I don't have Russians, but do have Carniolans. I think it was the Italians, could go into the original folder where that picture originated, I probably have other pictures of that funny comb that may be sitting beside the originating bad girl colony, they were naughty to say the least, hee, hee. If you want me to check it out, say the word.....My fault actually, I think I put two frames of starter strip comb side X side, should have put a frame of foundation inbetween I bet. Have a most wonderful day, love this life we all live, love and share. Cindi

1of6 · « **Reply #24 on:** December 04, 2008, 09:02:17 pm »

Quote from: Bill W. on October 15, 2008, 01:32:59 pm

Healthy hives generally (but not always) have a band of honey, over a band of pollen, surrounding the brood area...

AAAuughh!! I lost my bands!! :shock:

JordanM · « **Reply #25 on:** December 04, 2008, 10:17:09 pm »

Wow 10f6, that is a beautiful frame :)

Shawn · « **Reply #26 on:** December 04, 2008, 10:41:32 pm »

Wow that is a great picture. So I see the frame is mostly worker brood with some drones at the bottom. IS there drone cells in the middle and at the top? Does the queen have a specific spot for drones? Again great picture!

1of6 · « **Reply #27 on:** December 05, 2008, 04:22:51 pm »

Thanks very much. I'd like to take credit, but my bees did this all by themselves. They started out as a failing Russian Drone Layer colony with some obvious problems as you see in this picture:

...to superceding a replacement Russian queen that I bought and raising a new mutt/monrgel queen. They got going very late in the year and were really light going into winter. I limped them through winter and the next year they made the frame I showed you earlier. This was one of my best hives this year. The frame I showed was pretty much all worker, just a few drone cells along the bottom.

PS - yes, the eye-color is an example of how your hive should not look. Notice also the ratio of workers to drones on that frame. Most of the drones are dinky worker-sized drones also.

Scadsobees · « **Reply #28 on:** December 05, 2008, 05:47:24 pm »

Pish tosh! That isn't eye color, those are goggles! You finally captured a picture of one of the elusive pollen-jocks!!! :-D

JordanM · « **Reply #29 on:** December 05, 2008, 10:19:57 pm »

I have not found many queens yet but in 1of6's last picture is that the queen, the third bee down on the left side of the picture?

1of6 · « **Reply #30 on:** December 06, 2008, 09:31:45 am »

Quote from: JordanM on December 05, 2008, 10:19:57 pm

I have not found many queens yet but in 1of6's last picture is that the queen, the third bee down on the left side of the picture?

That one isn't a queen (they did still have a marked Russian queen at that point), but you'll have no trouble finding one in this picture. :) This is a picture of a nice swarm that I gathered and put on new foundation. This is 7 days after the swarm was collected, and at this point they've already gotten the queen ready to start laying again.

***SORRY, I think I may have said laying worker colony in one of my previous posts...if I did I'll go back and fix it. I meant to say 'drone layer'. The queen was there becuase I remember having to pinch her. Apparently one thought at a time is the maximum that I can handle. :roll:

Cindi · « **Reply #31 on:** December 06, 2008, 11:54:53 am »

That pink-eyed drone is a drone that has been uncapped. It matured to the `purple eye`stage before it was uncapped and then removed. It probably was mite infested and that is whey the bees uncapped this dude. That is a hygienic colony. Beautiful and most wonderful day, love and live life, health. Cindi

ladyhawk · « **Reply #32 on:** February 17, 2009, 01:06:18 am »

Thanks so much for the pictures I'm a very visual person and seeing how things look is so great!
Be Well, ladyhawk

Cindi · « **Reply #33 on:** February 17, 2009, 12:10:05 pm »

Quote from: Cindi on December 06, 2008, 11:54:53 am

That pink-eyed drone is a drone that has been uncapped. It matured to the `purple eye`stage before it was uncapped and then removed. It probably was mite infested and that is whey the bees uncapped this dude. That is a hygienic colony. Beautiful and most wonderful day, love and live life, health. Cindi

Correction of this above statement required. I wonder why I said that, I think it as wrong and I am surprised that it was not corrected by someone. This is clearly a drone emerged. Elaborate upon my initial sentences above please. Cindi

Shawn · « **Reply #34 on:** February 17, 2009, 06:54:09 pm »

Ladyhawk, I too am a picture kind of person and thought this would be a good way to see the good, the bad and the ugly. Ive learned so much from just looking at the pictures.

yippeewahoo · « **Reply #35 on:** May 07, 2009, 04:43:15 pm »

I am new to beekeeping, I have had my hive for 2 weeks, I was able to find the queen today (I will get it marked next time I think) and the hive looks like they have made many cells, but none are capped, and a few are partially filled, I did see some eggs, I am posting a photo and asking Is this looking right? Thanks for any help

(it has been cold and rainy for the past couple weeks)

Cindi · « **Reply #36 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:51:56 pm »

Yippewahoo. This frame of bees looks wonderful, and that dark, dark queen surely does stand out. The colony looks like it is doing what it should be doing, good that you asked Beemaster to put in the photo for you, you are new and this would have had to be done to get the picture to us, yay!!! Why don't you take a moment and officially introduce yourself to us in the "greetings tell us about yourself forum", we love to hear about new members, and by the way, welcome to our forum. Have that most great and wonderful day, lovin' our life, health. Cindi

Shawn · « **Reply #37 on:** May 07, 2009, 08:05:08 pm »

Wow! Thats a lot of bees on the frame.

AKs · « **Reply #38 on:** July 16, 2009, 02:38:17 am »

So Cindi (neighbour!)
I'm confused now about the pink-eyed drone. Did it hatch early at the purple-eyed stage or is it a mutation due to the drone-laying queen/worker? :?

bearpaw · « **Reply #39 on:** July 16, 2009, 06:15:10 am »

Wow... I'm perplexed now too about the purple eyed pollen jock!