Happy Monday everyone!

I don't know about you, but the weekend is my favorite time during the summer.  That's because weekends mean HIVE MAINTENANCE!!  On the weekends I get to go into the hives and make sure that everything is on the up and up. 

While performing maintenance, I check for supercedure cells to make sure the hive is not trying to create new queens.  If the queen lays an egg in one of these cells, a swarm is not far behind!. I also check to put eyes on the queen and ensure she is still there and producing eggs and brood that have been laid recently. 

Maintenance also means checking for appropriate numbers of workers and drones. If either population is off balance, it could be a sign of an unhealthy hive. And finally, I am checking to ensure they are producing resources and at the correct rate to keep the hive healthy. If they are not, I also take this time to add syrup and or pollen patties to help keep the ladies fed.

Thanks for following me on this journey! You can watch our maintenance video from the very first week below!  Enjoy!

~Chris, The Boxing Beekeeper