Thanks to Wilma and David for covering for Peter.
This is the report from Wilma:-
Hive 1 (cell raiser) : Cell raiser failed, multiple eggs seen in cells. Laying worker.
Next steps : shake bees out and leave them to drift into surrounding hives.
Hive 2 (cell raiser) : five sealed queen cells
Next steps : Q cells and bees into apideas, weather permitting David and Linda will do this on Tuesday.
Hive 3 : Q cell hatched/ slightly chewed. Bees quite.
Next steps : check over the next few weeks for signs of mated queen.
Hive 4 : Q cell hatched, queen seen and marked green. Q excluder on.
Next steps : usual inspection re brood stores etc.
Nuc 1 next to “hive 4” queen seen and yellow marking touched up. Building up nicely, could soon be ready to sell?
Nuc
2 this is the Queen from hive 2 which was used as a cell raiser. Queen
seen brood larvae etc. Light on stores so given fondant.
Next steps : check its building up and check stores/ feeding.
Nuc
3 : Entrance had blown shut, not sure for how long. Bees move to new
nuc to clear some dead bees from floor. Didn’t see queen. Gave it the
last of the fondant.
Next steps : look for Queen, check for eggs and check stores/ feeding.
All hives/ nucs have now got numbers on them. Hive 2 will need a queen or need united with an established nuc over the next few weeks.