Catch-Up Continues, August Hive Checks

Please Forgive Me, I'm a Dork.
I wrote this last August, and just realized it had remained in DRAFT format vs being posted.  I think I was waiting to include some photos before posting, but seeing as how it's May 2013, I think I'll just go ahead with this.  Pretend you're in the TARDIS and go back in time about 9 months . . .

Last month we had our niece visit, and this month my parents came out for the weekend.  Of course I had to drag them out with me to see the bees!  I wasn't sure if my dad would be interested in visiting the beeyard, due to an "unfortunate incident" when he was young (shout out to my Uncle Rick here, who had to be rescued from a swarm of bees), but he seemed enthusiastic about the trip and wasn't nervous around the beehive at all. 

Sarah and Jason think the girls were a little more irritated than usual, especially in the bottom box, and I'm not sure if it was that, or if we're just finally getting a larger population of bees.  Plus, ripping through their home doesn't really make them happy. 

At least four full frames were drawn out with fresh comb, nice and even, so it was either the additional wax on the foundation, more consistant feeding, or the population growth, but it was great to see the progress made when the girls work together.

11 Aug 2012:  sunny and clear; refilled feeders; lots of progress (Yeah! comb building!) and population growth, propolis sticking frames together; many more bees with the yellow markings on them, it's either pollen or they flew through a paint sprayer
Frame inspection:     
  Bottom box, using # on frame vs location in box, going left to right
     2: 40% comb drawn on left side, pollen, 90% drawn on right side, some pollen present; comb is built beautifully even, they've repaired the previous cut out and it looks great
    13: nothing
    14: nothing on left, 95% comb drawn on right, nice and even (!)
     5: 100% on left side, ~5% capped, 100% right side, rebuilding wonky comb     
     6: 80% comb drawn on left side, still wonky comb present, some brood, none capped, 60% comb drawn on right, pollen; some bees with pollen
     7: 40% comb built on left side, 10% comb on right side,
   11: 5% comb built on left, just starting on right side
   12: nothing 
     8: 10% comb built on left, nothing on right
     9: nothing
Top box
   15: 5% comb drawn on left side, right side 20% comb
   16: 5% comb drawn on left side, right side 100% comb (YES!!!) with pollen and nectar
     1: 100% comb drawn on left side, 85% capped brood, 95% drawn on right side, about 5% capped honey, some larvae, some brood
     4: 100% on left, good brood pattern, 100% on right side, with about 50% capped brood, pollen, capped honey in corners;  drone cells
   17: 100% comb drawn on left side, 100% on right side (BAM!), some larvae, some capped honey     
   18: 100% comb drawn on left side, 95% comb drawn on right, lots of honey
     3: 100% comb built on left, Queen Beatrice spotted, 100% comb on right side    10: some wonky comb on left side, 5% comb drawn on right side
   19: nothing 
   20: nothing

My parents, suited up as assistant beekeepers!