Two top bar hive inspections - bees now 6weeks in the hives

So time to inspect the topbar hives I have at home - one other hive (kitchen cupboard hive) still on the farm 20 minutes up the road. Inspecting it next week

The home bees have been in the hives 6 weeks now - originally sourced from swarm capture.

Last inspections found comb cells with honey, a touch of pollen but no brood and no queen spotted.

That last inspection was also when my largest hive took a tumble and crushed all the comb, brood and countless bees. a day or so later the rest took off. 

So here we are two weeks later - will there be brood? is a queen present?

Well plenty of brood in both hives but almost no honey and zero pollen

Great to see brood of all sizes and plenty of comb 

But will need to do some substitute feeding

Find below a 5min video clip on the events of the inspection - enjoy