My first bee installation!

April 2011

I just published my first package bee installation.  I did this little project in April of 2011 and used an inferior camera to record the project.  The bees were about 2 weeks late and I think this was due to some inclement weather in California, which delayed their spring build up.  I constructed my own Warre hive during the winter and cleared out a small place next to our tenant's hive (tenant's at that time - they have since moved back into town).

Ramona was out of town and Carlton was not at home either.  So, unfortunately, I did the deed on my own.  But it was still an amazing experience on a beautiful spring day.  After I dumped the bees, I had thousands of them buzzing in the air around me and the hive.  They weren't the least bit aggressive and I got to witness some of them perform their jobs.

It didn't take long for them to recognize the entrance to the hive and that this would be their new home.  The queen's presence in the frames told them this.  So, in due course, I witnessed bees scenting at the entrance to inform the lolly-gaggers that this was where they were supposed to live.  Also, later in this series you will see a young bee remove a dead bee from the landing board.  The young lady that removed the dead bee from the landing board had to wrest her charge from "Ed" who was trying to pull the dead bee into the hive.  Oh well, I hope "Ed" learned how to do her job correctly.

Part 1 - Bee Delivery, Set up the sugar water, Install the queen, and Dump the bees.
http://youtu.be/Rmg5wtPFDhw

Part 2 - I added two boxes to the hive and covered the hive with the quilt and the top.
http://youtu.be/MzXMcTV_WoY

Part 3 - I opened up the package the bees were delivered in to make it easier for the remaining bees to access the hive.
http://youtu.be/LuZWCFLblHo

Part 4 - Some post installation observations.
http://youtu.be/UsGbYwsJXaI

Time to clean up the left-overs!

It's true, if possible, whenever possible, the bees will clean up the sticky mess!  There are thousands of them trying to clean up after the honey extraction and they sound like thousands of tiny fans running at the same time.

I'm tired of not being able to see the embedded videos on my iPad.  I am sure I am not the only experiencing this issue.   Here are some links to the youtube videos instead.

http://youtu.be/IAp4U9fw0Ag

http://youtu.be/nx-0sXuKixQ

Now I'm Fired Up!

There is nothing like a harvest to re-ignite a fire in the belly.  I built five brood boxes and seven medium depth honey supers the other day.  I plan to paint them but Ramona hasn't decided on a color.  It is time to assemble some more bottom boards and I think I will make some migratory lids with some lumber I have laying around.  I purchased some clover, alfalfa, and inoculant for the two acres of pasture that are adjacent to the four acres of wildflower that I sowed earlier this spring.  I intend to sow the seed around the end of March.

Clovers and alfalfa are legumes, which means they are able to get nitrogen from the air for their own use, unlike other non-legume plants.  But they are only able to use nitrogen from the air if Rhizobium bacteria are present in nodules of their roots.  To ensure that the Rhizobium bacteria is present you need to provide those bacteria initially; therefore the need for inoculant.

We are expecting two new colonies in early April and I still need to move the McFadden hive to the farm.  The McFadden hive is full of very mean bees and my amateurish attempts to move them have, so far, been thwarted.  I stapled hardware cloth over the various holes in the hive and every time I think I have the colony buttoned up they find another escape route.  So, last weekend I ordered a moving net to cover the whole enchilada.  Once I get them moved I can tidy up the hive and make it weather proof.  If they are on my own place, I can work the hive at my leisure.

By the way, have I mentioned yet how much I appreciate my new shop.  This was a winter long project, working many weekends and nights, and it is almost finished.  I was very comfortable assembling the new hive boxes with a work bench and tools at hand.

The Taste Test

March 16, 2013

Well.  Jim and Sharon tasted the honey yesterday morning.  They agreed that it had a little twang to it but couldn't place the source.  They were OK with my honey removal and extraction process, so there isn't any concern about it having too much water.  Too much water content will allow the honey to spoil, otherwise, honey has a shelf life of forever.  The bees cap the honey when the water content is perfect and all of the cells were capped.  Also, I didn't provide them any fall sugar water so we know this honey wasn't created from refined sugar.

Oh well.  I don't think there is much more to be said about this issue.  I ate more last night when I finally made it home and decided that it was just...different.