I checked the new colonies at Deadman Creek this morning and was pleased with how they are doing, despite the drought and resulting lack of nectar and pollen for the bees to eat. This frame of brood is typical. Baby bees should hatch from these cells in about three days, and they will be the first children from the Derwin Thrash queen that I installed in this hive in early August. Out of the 20 new hives that I made up, I believe 15 to 18 will be viable hives. I will move them out to the various bee yards as soon as the weather changes and we see lower temperatures and some rain. It’s bound to happen sooner or later.
This is a blue-dotted Zia queen that I installed last year in one of the existing hives at Deadman Creek. Those Zia queens are not fazed by anything – they just keep right on laying eggs even when the entire hive is taken apart by the beekeeper. Here’s a nice video of this queen laying a couple of eggs. When the video starts, she is in the process of laying an egg in a cell. When she pulls out of that cell she almost immediately finds another cell to lay in. She is all work. It’s interesting to see how she moves around the hive, followed by her attendants. If it were me, I would like a little privacy now and then.
Gretchen Bee Ranch 
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