First hive started

First hive started!

Five frames of over-wintered nuc from Ann I.

Good brood pattern lots of capped brood some nectar and pollen. We saw brood for sure, Ann tried to show us eggs but we didn't want to take a lot of time with the new bees. Queen was on the first frame we transferred, which was nice.  She brought the box in the afternoon because it turned out to be too cold in the morning. We transferred the frames to our hive, and she took her nuc box home. Frames are numbered 13, probably built last year. She has treated them for nosema with fumigillin feed.

Ann said she thought we would need the next box in 2 weeks. The flowers are really starting to come out, forsythia and cherry and magnolia and the early trees. We have a second box ready, with frames and foundations, they just need bobby pins. We also have a second 2-body hive in our chosen 8-frame deep pattern.

Making a new entrance reducer to fit next to the Boardman feeder. It was agreed that the Boardman is inadequate. Putting the standard entrance reducer next to the feeder results in a second entrance, a gap bees fit through. One of the objectives is to give the new bees a smaller entrance to have to defend. Duct tape would also work to seal the gap. Ann had closed off her nuc box with duct tape.