The Coup

I spent a fair amount of time just looking at the bees this weekend. After the storm, I thought it would be restoritive to see them as un-dinged. There is little in the yard that doesn't still speak of the hail storm with shredded leaves, broken plastic, or just plain dents.

Alas there are dents in the bees too.

Trey is gone. There is no sign of her - no eggs and no baby larvae. There are capped supercedure cells meaning that the workers are replacing her. I feel like I personally lost her! I am glad the other workers are so calm and relaxed about the whole coup thing, me I am a bit nervous. I imagine this is what many fathers from my dad's generation felt - excited, full of anticipation, scared, and completely helpless.

All hail the new queen in less than two weeks. Since I don't know when the cells were capped, I don't know the due date and there are no ultrasounds available. She should be a scrappy queen since there are no less than three queen cells, it will not be bloodless coup. She will have to fight for her queen-ship, and make no mistake, it will be a battle to the death of two queens.

Red is looking great. She makes me so happy to be her worker bee. She makes the most beautiful bees - they are golden and gentle. Ok, so they aren't making honey for me. They are making me thankful they are in my life. She reminds me of why I love doing this strange little hobby of mine.

Hope is true to her name as always. Her girls have started putting nectar in the people honey chamber. It will soon be golden, delicous, and my honey. I am down to a memory in my honey jars.