I checked the hive today and Large Marge has been busy. There is already a lot of capped brood as well as larvae in different instar phases. Honeybees have 5 instar phases as they grow from egg to mature honey bee. During each phase they produce a skin, grow into it, shed and then produce a larger one. Here is a shot of me checking a frame:
They only bad thing I saw was two hive beetles. It amazes me that these things can suddenly appear in a backyard and find an available hive. I squished these two but I’m sure there are probably more lurking around. There is a wild hive in the next door neighbor’s property so maybe they came from there. A healthy hive can handle a small number of these pests so I’m not too worried yet. However, I decided to order a small hive beetle trap to see how they work. I’m also going to spread beneficial nematodes around the hive as the beetle larvae must leave the hive and pupate in the soil to mature.
They had also used up almost 100% of the syrup so I went ahead and refilled the top hive feeder with another 96 fluid ounces of simple syrup. I also added a teaspoon of Honey B Healthy to help the girls out. Honey B Healthy uses lemongrass and spearmint essential oils and smells delicious.
Urban Beekeeping in Austin, Texas 