Inside the Hives
Beehives are made of stackable boxes to a standard size. Each box holds 8-10 frames that bees form into cells using wax. The weight of these cells form them into the hexagon shape that is efficient as well as strong!
The shallower boxes stacked on top are for storing honey.
Large brood boxes on the bottom hold the bulk of the colony of bees including worker bees, drones, new larvae, and the queen bee. There is only one queen per hive.
< The outer edges of the frames are full of capped honey (white) and pollen to feed the brood or bee larvae
< The inner part of the frame is full of capped brood (yellow) that will hatch into new worker bees
Queens are marked by colors on their thoraxes (yellow dot above) to help us spot them in the hive and to mark their hatch date. Queens can live up to 3 years. New queens hatch from peanut-shaped cell on the edges of frames or on the middle of the frame if they are superseding of the existing queen.
Old queens leave the hive as a swarm landing on nearby branches, buildings, or fences with several thousand workers from the hive and a few drones. Meanwhile, several new queens hatch in the old hive, fight to the death, and the winner will take over the hive.
Two swarms of bees, each with an older queen who has left her original hive
A swarm of bees entering a new hive
A swarm of bees marching into a new hive after being caught from the neighbor's yard
Did you see a Swarm of Bees?
If you see a honey bee swarm, IMMEDIATELY contact your neighborhood beekeeper or call Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association Swarm Hotline: 812-369-0401.