Week 19 and a different kind of inspection today. Rather than opening every frame and disturbing the hive, we decided to do a minimal disturbance check to let the bees focus on what they are doing best right now, filling the Flow super with honey! The hive looks super healthy from all angles.
One smart technique used today, running a camera underneath from the front entrance to look for swarm cells without opening the hive. This is a great low-disruption way to check for signs of overcrowding or swarming. The verdict was clear, no swarm cells whatsoever! Still lots of bees but no signs of overcrowding or preparation to swarm. The colony is content and productive.
Also captured some wonderful footage of an orientation flight happening at the hive entrance! Orientation flights are when young bees fly out in front of the hive for the first time to memorize its location before starting their foraging duties. Seeing lots of orientation flights is a sign of a healthy colony with young bees constantly being born. The BeeHiveCastle is thriving!
🎥 Also captured two bonus videos this visit, bees foraging on Little John Bottlebrush flowers, and a beautiful orientation flight at the hive entrance. Check the BeeCam.live live stream and our social media for these clips!