I have BEES!!!

Lets starts with the bad news I was telling you about. Saturday, I spoke with the guy who I had my $50 deposit with for my two nucs. Each time I have talked with him over the course of the past few weeks his date of delivery for my 2, 5 frame nucs keeps getting pushed back and pushed back... So this got me worried. Well, he has now told me he is giving a bunch of peoples deposits back and some people will not get their nucs until almost June!!!!!! This means you will have to feed all year to keep them alive this winter. 

When I went over to Larry Tates Apiary to assist in grafting and some general work and I told him about it. He said “Well, I have a Carniolian that is about to swarm if I don’t do something soon. You want some today?” YES!!!!!

We went over to the other out yard and boy was he right. They were full up to the top in 2 deeps and a shallow with no where to lay. We found the queen and she is HUGE! I don’t have a pic of her because it was about to rain, all of the bees were upset in that yard and we wanted to get in and out fast. The queen is a beautiful dark red and she is about 1.25” long! She is one of the biggest I have seen. Larry then gave that frame to me and said stick her down in that nuc and take her home. “I just expect you to catch some drones from her for II and let me graft a few times.”

At this point it started raining. We then shook some bees out of the old hive into the nuc to get them going (since I didn’t have much drawn comb).

I then took them home in a medium with 2 moving screens securley strapped down. I got them in... no need for smoke or squirt bottles.... Just took off the bottom screen, shook them off the empty frames, exchanged them with ones with foundation, put on hive top feeder, put 3 cups sugar to 6 cups water (1:2 which I think is a little more natural) with some honey bee healthy on one side. The other I put a pollen patty and some powdered substitute. I am gonna peek this afternoon and see if they are into the food. They were MUCH more calm than when we were trying to get them in. I put the entrance reducer on as well. When I put the pollen in last night they were all peeking up through the top of the feeder on its inner rim.

The rain knocked off a bunch of maple tree blooms all over the porch do to the winds and rain. I cleared their enterance with a stick and got greeted by a long row of guard girls who checked everythign out.

So, I am canceling one nuc I ordered. I have swarm traps out near the airport where I work. I did this because for the last 2 years there have been swarms that land on parked airplanes. If I catch one, I will have my 2 hives. I will cancel the other nuc too.

I am trying to talk Mark of Marks Bee Haven to come saturday and check it all out. If I have the extra set of hands during the inspection, I will get some pics.