First off, cause I know y'all be asking :-D, Schawee is busy all week and couldn't be my assistant on this one but my good buddy Emil was my wingman today and he is a fine wingman to have folks.
This will be part one and later today I will be bringing you part two.
Always can anticipate potential curveballs on buildings with a brick exterior and this one was no exception. This hive was rockin' folks, a very good many bees, capped worker and drone brood, some honey reserves from this past season and what appears to be fresh nectar in some new comb as well. Not sure where they're getting it but it was very light and very sweet.
Found queen cups but no cells but they were obviously gearing towards a reproductive swarm.
We pulled out 99.9% of the comb and vacuumed a good 2-3lbs of bees and added them to a two deep stacked nuc set up.
This morning I am going back to hopefully find our majesty amidst what bees remain.
The main curve ball is that we had bees between the brick and the blackboard but also between the brick and the window header, in fact that is where I believe our majesty to have wound up. No one would want to remove bricks or take apart a window header to try to get queenie so they have been given time to revert back to where the comb sections were attached and hopefully I get her today.
Of course there is a possibility she is in the nuc set up but I don't think so.
Here is part one and thanks for watching!
...JP
First Removal Of 2011