Today in the quiet center of the afternoon I ventured again into the inner sanctum of the hive which I had dismantled 13 days ago.
That previous experience, chronicled on May 7 in this blog, was distressing: In seeking to rectify the bees’ habit of building wild comb all through the hive box, I had to cut away comb that was new and as fragile as snowflakes. There were larvae in that comb I’d cut that day, helpless and white and glistening like little jewels in their hexagonal settings. Many of those larvae fell and perished as I handled their nursery, and I really hated the destruction I was causing. After that, I attempted to string the intact chunks of comb to the foundationless frames with orange sewing thread. It was a pretty sketchy business all around, and I was left haunted by the question of whether foundationless hives were even going to be possible.
Today, almost two weeks later, it was with huge pleasure that I found the plundered hive restored to order by the bees. And now, thanks to my sewing thread, their concept of order coincides sufficiently with mine. I’m able to lift out one frame at a time, without all the frames being stuck together with wild comb. There is capped brood, and larvae in various stages, and new eggs — and this time I didn’t have to destroy any of it.
Hurray for foundationless beekeeping! It’s wondrous, being able to witness what the bees create inside their secret castle. The comb I had previously damaged is all repaired and built out in exquisite curving sweeps. It’s got ripples and hidden caves to it still, even while it more or less follows the plane of the wooden guide. Here is a photo of one of the outer (less populated) frames, still trailing its orange sewing thread. On the right, you can see that the chunk of comb I had just bound loosely in place has now been securely attached to the wooden floor of the frame.
Better than GPS
A dedicated beekeeper / blogger (Sam Smith, whose blog, Bee Crazy, is worth a visit), has posted this video of one of his bees dancing, to tell its nestmates where the good flowers are: