6:30 pm, clear skies with a storm on the horizon, still warm outside from the heat of the day.

Plan to check syrup and move hive-cam and false wall back to make more room for the bees building comb. I taped the cuffs of my shorts closed for good measure, put on a light-colored long-sleeved shirt and my veil. Not getting fully suited up is one step closer to getting comfortable with the bees - the baby steps.

After opening the cover, I labeled all the bars; starting with #1 at the entrance and trying to alternate brown and white bars towards the end.

Once opening the bars, I found comb as far as bar #10 or #11. The sugar syrup was three-quarters full and there were lots of bees on that old pollen patty. I got a few nice pictures then closed it up.

Now the bees have another six or seven bars to build from before the false wall. No time for a full-blown inspection for at least three weeks. If we get in in the meantime it will be for minor adjustments.