Is this "Normal"?

[Mklangelo]

After 72 hours since install, the bees have taken about 1 Liter per colony, if that.   These were three pound packages.  I just lifted up the gallon can and they were all congregated around the opening so they are finding the syrup.  The entrance feeders have barely been touched, what little is gone I could account for with evaporation.

A few dead bees on the entrance board on one hive.  Will they wait until the rain stops to get rid of them the rest of the way?   It's been raining here for about 36 hours.

Should I be concerned.  The rain will stop sometime tonight or early in the morning, which is when Ill open the brood chamber for the first time.


Thanks in advance as always!

[Shizzell]

A few dead bees anywhere is normal. Beginners always fret about everything. I know I did. Next year you'll be laughing about how concerned you were about nothing. Anyways, a liter a hive in 72 hours is a pretty good amount, especially if its raining. And yes, they will push the bees off the entrance board when it is a nice sunny day, who wants to get wet?  :-D

Good luck with your first inspection.

Jake

[Mklangelo]

LOL thanks Jake,


Yeah I'm sure the more experienced beekeepers smile and shake their heads when some of these type of questions come up. 


Yep, the clouds will part tommorrow and I will see if I'm Queen-right! 

Just a side note:  24 hours after install, upon checking to see if the gallon cans were functioning properly, I could have sworn I saw the queen scurry inside the hive from the entrance board...  During install when I tried to put the marshmallow in the hole of the her cage, it was warm out so I had to kind of smear it over the hole.  Not much of the thing got inside the actual hole so they probably didn't take long to get through it.  No worries on that since they have traveled with her for two or three days and were no doubt already used to her.  They did their little Phermone dance at the entrance immediatly after install so I wasn't too worried about queen acceptance.


Have a good one!

[Shizzell]

Interesting, not often do queens ever see the light of day. However it does happen. It's happened to me before.

Then again, you could have been seeing a drone.
You'll never know.  ;)

Jake

[Mklangelo]

Interesting, not often do queens ever see the light of day. However it does happen. It's happened to me before.

Then again, you could have been seeing a drone. 
You'll never know.  ;)

Jake

I'm not 100% sure but it looked too long to be a drone.  It was for a fleeting second!