New Telescoping Top for Proteus

Proteus has had a leftover bottom board substituting for an inner cover and telescoping top for the last week. It arrived on Monday and I put the parts together and painted it last night. Today at a break I ran home to replace the top.

















I opened this vigorous hive wearing a veil and my gloves over my work clothes - no smoke. This is what the bees looked like under the lid.

















I put on the inner cover and the telescoping lid and left the bottom board on its side so that the bees there could go back into the hive. I also put the flower pot back on the top in case the bees have been using it to identify their hive. Maybe I'll plant mint in it when it's a little warmer!

















Mellona has used half a quart of sugar syrup again today. I can't open the hives until Monday, the 26th - can't wait to see how drawn out the small cell comb will be by then.