Rain today and yellowjackets

EDIT:
I didnt go open the cover to the super yesterday, i  thought it is probly better when in doubt to not do anything and leave them undisturbed for a while.
Traffic was pretty good yesterday but light today on account of the rain.


thinking about that big bee... maybe i just got all excited about a big bee. i notice they arent all the same size.



Yellowjackets:
There were a few yellowjackets hanging around the hive, one was feeding on a dead bee then another attacked a live bee on the ground, when i saw that i said "you must die!" and i heroically killed 3 of them with a stick.. un fortunately one got away to gather its friends and come back for revenge.

we will be ready

What I Saw Today

Today at about 3 o'clock i was watching the bees at i usually do, and there was good traffic since today was warm and sunny. as i was watching, a very large bee came out of the hive and was walking around on the front porch (or "flight deck" as i like to call it) closely followed by a regular sized worker bee. I was like "Dayum, that is one big bee," becuse it was obviously bigger than the others, and I didnt think it was a drone because it didnt have that blunt shaped abdomen. So i thought "Can it be the queen?" because it was so obviously larger than the other bees all around it... but none of the others except one seemed to pay any attention to it except one, which was normal sized compared to all the others going in and out.

The very large bee jumped off the board and started walking along the ground and jumped down to the base of the compost bin and tried to climb up the side. The plastic is very smooth so it couldnt climb up, it's little legs were going and its wings buzzed a little but it couldnt crawl up the side of the compost bin. The whole time I'm thinking, "Is this the queen? Should I do something? That can't be the queen, can it?"

While Im thinking all this wondering what if anything I should or shouldnt do, the very large bee turned and walked over to the tire just near the compost bin and climbed up the side to the squash vine, and getting to the very large squash blossom, the very large bee took off and flew away to the south east.

So i dont know if it was a queen or not, i dont think a queen would just walk out and fly off by herself, and im thinking, not in summer when the nectar is flowing and the pollen is abundant... but I dont know. maybe I should have tried to catch it while I had the chance, but I just didnt know what was going on.
all i do know, that was one big ass bee. it had a fuzzy thorax like all the others tho, and not a round hairless part like all the queen bees in the pictures. Awwwwwww man i hope i didnt mess up by not taking action in the moment.

The behavior of the rest of the hive was business as usual, so im hoping everything will be ok whether that was the queen or not. Since it has been a week and a day since last inspection, i plan to take off the lid and look into the top super tomorrow (and pull out the bottom board and clean it off) on saturday, unless you see this and let me know if i shouldnt or if you want to be here for that or what.

Traffic Report

The bee traffic has been very good this week since inspection.

They have been using their new middle door since the new super was added, but mostly some bees can be seen just inside the hole.

There are still a few bees outside the door at night. D says they are blocking the door to keep the warmth in.

What's Goin On?

This evening at about 8:30 or so I cruised by the hive and noticed a lot of bees hanging out outside the door. I haven't seen this before. They are very quiet and moving slowly. Whats up with that?
Today was cool and cloudy with a feeling of rain in the air that never actually happened.

bee haiku

 buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz 
buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz
buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz 

she comes home again
summer still a week away
pollen on her legs

Traffic

It has been sunny and warm the last couple days and bee traffic has been brisk. Ive noticed quite a few bees "falling" to the ground in front of the hive and sitting a moment before flying up to enter. Maybe they are tired or weighted down so much they need a brief rest.
The blackberries are blooming now. That is all.

Weather and Pollen

Rainy today. Yesterday morning was too, but the afternoon broke out in sunshine, and Tuesday was a very bright warm day with a crazy traffic jam cloud. It seems a little wet for this time of year but Im hoping this means a bigger than usual pollen/nectar harvest in the weeks/months to come.

Had my first taste of pollen yesterday and WOW! it is amazing. The taste is both sweet and gently bitter with an amazing perfumey quality that hits the back of my throat like nothing i have experienced before. Im delighted to taste what the bees eat (besides honey of course) and feel kindof priveleged to be able to eat this substance that came from I dont know how many flowers, collected and concentrated into a kind of flower garden essence of sweetness on my tongue.  This flavor of pollen is so full of notes and complexity Im not surprised that many ppl on the interweb  say they dont like it. It is intense. 

What's BEEn Goin' On

The weather has been a mixed bag lately, but temps are not too bad for the season.  The off and on rain im sure will be sucked up by all the flowering plants and converted to nectar. It's interesting how much effect the sun has on the behavior of the bees, there is a dramatic difference in traffic when a cloud passes in front of the sun, it's like everything slows down. When the sun re-emerges again in full brightness suddenly they come pouring out and a traffic jam can happen at the entrance.

Flies seem to like hanging around the hive. Twice now I have seen a fly casually walk into the hive entrance and out again, without so much as a how do you do, and I am surprised there as no sign of any door guards kicking them out immediately or anything. whats up with that? I guess they dont think a lone fly is a threat, and I suppose a fly couldnt get too far inside or cause any mischief without getting noticed. I do wish the bees would wing slap them away or something, because flies are dirty and gross, not at all like our nice bees.

Pictures from Today's Inspection

Just a link to all the pictures of our bees to date, most recent at the bottom. 
Including today's hive inspection.                                   Danna