After my first loss, I decided it was a good idea to attend a local beekeeping class. One Saturday each month from March to June, I joined other new beekeepers to learn the ABC’s of beekeeping. The class concluded with a “Hive Dive” where we got to partner with experienced beekeepers to learn tricks of how they manage their hives.
In March, I reached out to a well-known local bee supply vendor and picked up two more colonies. The girls quickly began collecting pollen, building out comb, and producing honey. The queens, while not visible, were actively laying eggs. The eggs were growing into larvae then bees, and the bees were doing their assigned jobs. And here we are, in the winter of 2025 and I’m waiting to see how they fare.
This frame shows a good mixture of capped honey, pollen, and capped larvae.
Bees tending to larvae. About 9 days after the eggs are laid, the worker bees seal the larvae with a wax capping so they can grow safely.
Drone bees are larger with round abdomens, large eyes, and longer wings.
Worker bees are smaller, have stingers, pollen pockets (corbiculae), and glands that produce wax.
Comb with fresh honey.
Worker bees will “fan off” the honey to draw out moisture before capping for storage.
Various colors of pollen collected by “the girls.”
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