This is my third year of beekeeping. Maybe this year I can keep the buzzers alive.....
I was almost ready when the phone rang this morning. Our friendly postal worker informed me that my bees were there and I told her I'd be over in a few minutes to get them. I glupped down the rest of my coffee and got my hair brushed and up (I wasn't going anywhere with that mass on the frizz). Once I collected the bees I came home and ate breakfast before going out and installing them.
I ordered two packages again this year (a grand total of 6 pounds of bees). Because I only have one nuc hive, I put one package in that and the other in just a regular hive body. I'm going to see which one thrives better--kind of experiment.
Anyway, here is the unexpected part of the story--the first package had at least three queens! I discovered that accidentally. I had just dumped the queen out of the queen cage and I happened to spot another smaller queen sitting kind of off to the side. Well! A free queen! I got her and a couple of worker secured in the now empty queen cage. I'm going to see if she survives and if I can start another colony with her. (I just had a thought--I wonder if she's a virgin queen?)
I was almost ready when the phone rang this morning. Our friendly postal worker informed me that my bees were there and I told her I'd be over in a few minutes to get them. I glupped down the rest of my coffee and got my hair brushed and up (I wasn't going anywhere with that mass on the frizz). Once I collected the bees I came home and ate breakfast before going out and installing them.
I ordered two packages again this year (a grand total of 6 pounds of bees). Because I only have one nuc hive, I put one package in that and the other in just a regular hive body. I'm going to see which one thrives better--kind of experiment.
Anyway, here is the unexpected part of the story--the first package had at least three queens! I discovered that accidentally. I had just dumped the queen out of the queen cage and I happened to spot another smaller queen sitting kind of off to the side. Well! A free queen! I got her and a couple of worker secured in the now empty queen cage. I'm going to see if she survives and if I can start another colony with her. (I just had a thought--I wonder if she's a virgin queen?)
What about the third queen? Well, I found her while I doing the clean up after installing the second colony. I went back over to the nuc hive and there she was, sitting on the front porch. It was as clear as the daylight that she was already mostly dead, but since I'm collecting dead bees (how morbid! no...not really) for my 1860's beekeeping presentation I really need to work on, it was okay. So...I scooped her into the other queen cage and have yet to pin her to the cardboard strip I have three workers and a queen already pinned on here in the house.
I got both lids on in a relatively short period of time...it's a little cool this morning so that is an assist.
I got both lids on in a relatively short period of time...it's a little cool this morning so that is an assist.
The 8-Frame Hive
Oh, and just in case you are wondering...I did not get stung! ;)
Racheal
Don't let Little Bit's expression fool you. She was purring up a storm! :) (This is after I had de-geared myself, obviously.)
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