Our ladies (and some gents) are hanging tough in the hive. They've been curled up in a bee ball since the weather has been SO cold! We even had some snow (flurries) here.
We've kept an eye on the hive this past week from inside using binoculars. Last Sunday, the weather was warm enough for the bees to take cleansing and orientation flights. Needless to say, it caused a little consternation on our part to see so many bees flying around outside the hive, but we calmed down when they all went back inside.
I also thought I saw some fighting at the entrances. We don't have any other beehives nearby (that we know of), so I didn't think it was robbing. What it looked like to me was female workers manhandling drones out of the hive onto the ground. I think they were throwing the drones out because it's been so cold and the drones are really just a drain on resources.
We opened the hive today to replace the feeder jar. They seem to be going through about a quart every 4-5 days. We decided not to open the main part of the hive since they are still all clustered, although I really want to get that darn queen cage out of there. As soon as the weather warms up, I suppose it will be time then.
The bees haven't built any comb yet that we can see. We are pretty sure they are more interested in keeping themselves warm and alive rather than constructing comb so far. I just hope they aren't queenless. We won't be able to tell until they begin to make comb and we see signs of laying.
No pictures again today- sorry! We'll try to do better in the future. = )
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