We joined her husband and older son on the inspection. At first, her husband didn't even wear a veil. He's VERY brave!!
The first thing Joel and I noticed about the hives was that she has a LOT of burr comb. Burr comb is pretty much comb put where you don't want it to be - below the frames, between the frames, sticking sideways out of the frames...etc. The class leaders kept telling us that burr comb should be removed at all costs because it "causes problems" later on. I suppose those problems are that the bees will lay in it, put honey in it, and of course if you have a big wedge of burr comb holding two frames apart, the bees will fill up that space with MORE burr comb. Ugh. But yeah. Poor Sandy had a LOT of burr comb, both in her hives and that she's already taken out during previous inspections.
In the second hive was the biggest burr comb I've ever seen. Her husband pointed out that as she tilted the frame, it hung from a small strip at the top, so she decided maybe we'd better remove it. Unfortunately it had brood (babies) in it, capped larva (which means they're three weeks or less from emerging) but it was still better to remove it.
It was at this point that I got this sudden surge of courage and I helped her take it out and lay it on the ground. It was kind of sad, because her older son pointed out the bee that was trying to hatch (and most likely did not without help from her family). Those of you that know me know that I HATE killing most things, so it was difficult. But her death wasn't a complete loss. I was able to snap some pretty cool pictures that look like an emerging adult bee.
Those capped cells to the left, by the way, are what honeycomb looks like with capped larva in it.
Thanks, Sandy, for sharing your hives with us!!
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