Whoopsie! We messed up, but fixed it. (We think...)

When we installed the new queen in hive 02 a few weeks ago, we left the hive without a tenth frame because the queen cage had taken up that space.  Once the queen had moved out of the queen cage, we should have been quicker to remove the queen cage and put the tenth frame back into the deep hive, so the bees could continue to prepare a space for new brood on the frame in that space.  Because the frame was absent for so long, the bees began to produce comb in the empty space and attached the comb to the inner cover. 

When we went back a couple of weeks ago and notice this, we also noticed that the queen had already laid new eggs in this comb.  I guess that most beekeepers would just toss out the comb and sacrifice the new brood, but we are so desperate to have bees in this hive, we felt we should try and salvage it.  There were eggs and brood in nearly each cell, which accounts for several hundred new bees. 


This comb was attached to the inner cover. 
We cut it free using a hive tool.

Notice that the cells throughout the comb contain eggs and brood.
Click on the photo for better detail.

Having it attached to the inner cover would not allow us to access the hive without damaging the comb.  To fix our problem, Mark devised a makeshift frame to hold the comb, so that we could remove it from the inner cover, yet keep it in working order for the bees.    Mark fashioned a frame with thin wire to hold the comb upright within hive.  To do this, he had to remove the wax foundation and then he strung the wire in sections around the frame.

 

Then we placed the comb inside the frame and secured each wire around it, and placed the frame back into the hive.  Mark and I are very pleased with the way things went.  However, we wonder what will happen next.  Once the brood has hatched from the comb, the queen may continue to lay new eggs in the newly empty cells, and this life cycle will continue.  We hope the bees will try to increase the size of this comb and connect it to the frame and continue to fill the space, otherwise, there is a lot of wasted space in the deep hive.  We shall see... 

 

While we were working to secure the comb within the frame, some brood began emerging from their cells.  It was fascinating to watch.  Below is a video of one of the new bees breaking free from her cell.  The other bee wandering on the comb is also newly hatched.