...introducing Queen Gertrude

Queen Gertrude was released from her cage today and has already begun laying. She is easy to spot because she has a bright red mark on her back!

Also, I have been battling wax moths this year. Not sure why they have been so bad, but I have had to remove a frame and put it in the freezer to kill wax moth larvae the last two times I have been in the hive. It may be because I have slightly weakened colonies due to my queen drama. Wax moths can cause irreversible damage to a wax foundation. They build tough webs in the wax foundation making it difficult for the bees to repair. Here is a photo of wax moth damage. I caught mine very early so a photo of mine would just look like little worms. I will spare you a photo of that. They are gross.