What's all the buzz?

     Whew, so it's been fairly hot here in Colorful Colorado! I've seem some bearding on my hive, not extensive but enough that I can recognize this behavior from my reading. I like to sit to the side of my hive on a little rolling bench I have installed there to watch the bees daily. I think it's one of the most relaxing activities I've ever found in my life. I have mentioned before that I like to watch them fly in with yellow or white pollen sometimes they just sit on the edge of the entrance and just flap their wings for all they are worth, it makes a really relaxing sound! The quiet buzz that emanates from the hive while I sit and watch is very soothing. It's made about 10X better because my cats seem to have no fear of the hive, they just cozy up to me while I'm watching and curl up and purr, so it's a double dip in the relaxation bucket!

     Tonight, it's a bit cooler, but still fairly warm. I have been putting off opening the hive since I replaced the second super, I had taken it back off after I felt I was a little premature in putting it on the first time. It's been on about 7 days now again. I had been putting off opening the hive a bit because really, bees do what bees do, so who am I to open up the hive and disrupt their work? However, the past few times I've fed them I've had to wiggle the feeder off the front of the hive because it's been "glued' to the hive with propolis. I was a little concerned about what I'd find when I opened the hive! I wasn't disappointed! Boy, those girls have been working their stingers off! Well, at least one of them did because I did get a sting tonight. I guess all things considered not too bad. The brood box on the bottom is FULL and I don't mean like halfway, it's doggone stuffed with bees! The comb is totally drawn out, a TON of capped cells, lots of larvae, and bees! Just check out these pics! The two boxes were glued together and a lot of comb between them. I cleaned it up, much to the chagrin of the bees. They seemed to get a little riled up, and I'd step back. As usual for me, I didn't use smoke and I didn't use sugar spray. I just had on my normal shorts, hoodie, gloves, veil and just my garden shoes. I got one sting on my upper leg, right were I stood up against the brood box. I have noticed my bees being a bit more aggressive the past few days, I think it is the heat.

     Once I had the bottom brood box checked and cleaned up, I went for the top box. I checked the frames inside, there are just a few frames with comb starting, it's clearly just in it's start phase, which maybe why my bees are eating an entire jar of food per day of 1:1 ratio sugar syrup. I feel like I'm just going through it like wildfire! I have to take a trip to Sam's tomorrow to buy a second 25 bag of sugar. I may just pick up two so I won't have to make another trip anytime soon. As I mentioned I have noticed my bees being a bit aggressive. I put this down to hot days, which is why I choose to work my hive in the evening, when it's getting cool for the night. They were not too aggressive tonight. I am happy with the fact that I cleaned up the hive

Christopher, my son, the honey hound. Robbing the bees way too soon! 

 *don't be concerned, it's just a burr comb!