Test your bee knowledge skills on the following pictures and guess what the problem is.
Two new hives were started at the same time with new packages of bees and new queens. After a couple weeks one hive was filling out the new frames at a decent rate. The other hive doesn’t seem to be making near the progress. A quick recheck confirmed the queens presence.
After about 3 weeks this is about all this hive has filled out. The cluster is about the same size as at the end of the first week. The other hive has drawn out about 3 times this amount!
This is what the frame looks like. I’m not going to give any hints.
Close-up of the other side of the frame, notice anything?
OK. Quick review. New package and queen. About 3 weeks in hive. Population doesn’t seem to be growing much at all. They are still gentile and hard working. At first I didn’t think this hive liked the plastic frames, I considered changing over to a wax set-up. As more time went by I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know exactly what. My bee mentor (Howard) took one look and knew what was wrong in a second. I knew I had a problem when he said “U-OH.”
Click on the “answer” link to find the problem with this hive and the fix.
(Got your answer? NO CHEATING!)
Pictures by Brittany Hansel