Queen Philibert is at Home

We approached last week' s hive inspection with trepidation, it being a week after the regicide of Queen Stella and coronation of Queen Philibert. We didn't know what we would find; we knew what we wanted to find but as with many things in life, the two are not always mutually agreeable.

'Let's be positive,' said Andy, as we suited and booted and prepared to go in.
'I'm going for a state of calm resignation,' I said, having decided on this earlier. I think calm resignation is good for this kind of circumstance, because a) it puts you in the frame of mind to be able to cope with the worst, if the worst is what has happened and b) anything better than the worse is a bonus and it is better to go from a state of calm resignation to ecstatic joy rather than t'other way around.

So, last week Queen Philibert was nowhere to be seen. There were no eggs. There were a few larvae, but they could have been the last drone larvae from Queen Stella. There were three patches of capped brood about the size of the circle you can make by joining your forefinger up with your thumb.
'That's capped brood,' I said.
'Are you sure it's not more drone cells,' said Andy.

And because we've had a bit of an umpity bumpity introduction to our bee-keeping careers, and have accumulated a certain habit of self-doubt, we weren't sure. So we re-assembled the hive, and kept our fingers crossed that Queen Philibert was in there somewhere and those three patches were her initial attempts to lay some workers.

This week we found...(pause for grand trumpet fanfare, take it away Mrs Pumphrey)

...THREE, yes THREE frames of capped brood, beautiful smooth, even and golden capped brood...
....a few more patches of capped brood hither and thither, of the kind of laying pattern you'd expect to find of a Queen who has started laying in the middle of the hive and was now working her way outwards...
...masses of larvae in various stages of development
...new pollen stock...
....absolutely NO sign of the building of more queen cells

AND (another trumpet fanfare if you please, Mrs Pumphrey)

....Queen Philibert herself, in all her resplendent egg-laying glory!!!

'Do you mind?' she said, as we shrieked with excitement and coo-ed over her. 'I'm trying to run a hive here.'

Andy and I did a little 'Hurrah for the Bees Dance.'

So, we have come through another bee crisis using our own instinct and decision making with a few wild and hairy-scarey moments along the way. We have 'successfully managed a bee predicament'. We have a colony that will go into the Winter intact, with a Queen whom the bees seem very happy with because they are not trying to oust her. She is laying well. The bees have lots of stores. I telephoned Assistant Emergency Bee-Keeper Mum with the good news.

'Oh, I am pleased,' she said. 'I've been worrying about how the new Queen has settled in. I've been telling everyone about how she arrived through the post in her little cage and how we put her in the hive. Thank goodness she's okay.'

You see, one go at bee-keeping and already she been infected with the bee-keeping bug!

I think that of all the things I have learned this year (and there have been many things), it's the bees that have been the most fascinating of all. Their habits, their nature, the way they make their world work. It's amazing! Andy has already mentioned getting another nucleus next year and splitting it for the top bar hive (which currently is home to one dead spider.)

And all we are saying, is give bees a chance!