I checked the bees on May 12, and found that they were filling the bottom hive box and were in need of more space. I added the second deep hive box today, and these two boxes will become their permanent home, housing all their brood, pollen stores, and honey that they will rely on for the year. Speaking of honey, they are hard at work making it! My kids came with me and and were very excited when a piece of comb tore a bit as I was taking it out of the box and they got a tiny taste. It was proclaimed to be better than the honey they tasted at the Farmer's Market earlier that morning!
I remembered my camera this time, and got several pictures of them bringing in pollen in their "baskets". You can clearly see how they have it packed onto their legs. The pollen is stored in their "pantry", cells they have designated until they need to use it to feed their young. They are hard at work!
In these pictures, you can see a full frame; the arch across the top is honey, with a little bit exposed where it tore, below, the areas that look that they are covered in brown paper is the brood, which will hatch out a new generation of bees!
