Today I got out to the hives in the yard at home and looked them over. My overwintered colony is strong and doing good. They're not boiling over, but they're strong.

They do refuse to draw any wax though. I mean they haven't drawn a single frame in the new pure-wax foundation supers I've given them at all yet.

They'd rather crowd themselves in the brood boxes with honey than draw out the new foundation. I've decided to give them a pre-drawn super from last year instead of waiting (wasting) more time for them to draw out the new super.

The middle hive at home was a new package this spring. Their population is doing good and they've got 4/10 frames drawn in their top brood box. Only 6 more to go!

When I moved one of the frames out of their box, it leaked sugar syrup from where I removed burr comb and it made a straight line of syrup on the top bars. Within seconds a few dozen bees lined up to reclaim the sugar syrup.



I just love that picture.

In the final hive at home, which was also a package from this spring, they have drawn 5.5/10 frames in their top box. Less than 6 to go!

Their queen is laying in many of the frame, and most of them are have a solid brood pattern. I just love seeing wall-to-wall brood frames!



I closed them back up and will check on them in another week and see how many frames they have left to draw out.