The daytime temperatures this past week have been in the 70's, the night time temperatures are in the 50's.

This week the daytime temperatures will barely edge past 60's, and the evening temps are in the 30's.

I took the opportunity this weekend to open the White Hive and see how they were doing.



I found the queen, on the first frame I pulled. She is still alive and moving about. This frame has a layer of uncapped nectar/syrup on top, a ring of pollen below that, and brood space below that.

The frame of eggs I marked a week ago are just that-eggs. I think the queen is laying bad eggs. There are a few circle larva here and there, but they look very dry, almost stiff. I'm assuming they're dead.

The remaining frames in the two brood boxes all looked this way. None of the circle larva are moldy, and none are stringy/sticky so I don't suspect disease. I think there just aren't enough nurse bees in there to take care of them.

This hive, even with the feeder on top is very light. They are not going to make it through the winter. The worker bees from two months ago are dying off, and there are almost no winter worker bees in the hive. Right now, I'm pretty sure the drones laid by the laying workers have run of the hive.

In the next week I'll try to decide what to do. I might shake out the hive and "secure the comb" or donate the frames of honey and pollen to one of the hives at my dad's house, which is running a little light.

Whatever we decide, I'll post how it goes.