Bees are Home Sweet Homin' It

May 4, 2009
Ok. Today's the day. I have to get those honeybees transferred into their new hive. Remember what the instructor said in the bee class? Sunny day...happy bees. Rain is in the forecast so it's now or never. Gulp. Before I head for the farm, UPS drops off our 86 blueberry and 14 raspberry plants. I bring them to the farm in case Hubby wants them but he'll probably be ready to wait for another day to plant any of them!

It IS sunny today but also windy. Thanks to Hubby Dear, the bee yard has a nice, tall (at least 12 feet!) windbreak.

I read my instructions once again. I suit up in my grey sweatpants, white inside-out sweatshirt, bee hat and gloves. Press the bottom grate down into place in the smoker. Break off a small amount of smoker fuel and place into the smoker. Light the smoker and give the bellows a few puffs. It's smokin'! Yay! Whoops. It's not smokin'. Relight the fuel. Now we're cookin'!

Remember, slow, deliberate movements. Calmness prevails. Hubby has already turned the electric fence off (3rd day running on deep cell battery with charger on it!) and opened the two strand handles for me. I approach the nuc box. The bees are buzzing. Are they happy (it is sunny!)? They sound a little fired up to me. I approach the box and see that the little door indeed did NOT stay open well and they are having a difficult time getting in and out. I puff a little smoke towards the door and gently pry the door open further. I puff more smoke into the box. They are a bit wilder than I like. I open the top of the box and puff a bit of smoke inside. It is my first glimpse into hive life in person. It's very active! Okay. I'm not experienced enough to know if they are happy or not but they feel a little upset so I walk away and let them simmer down and eat honey for a bit (that's what the smoke gets them to do and it calms them down). I need to do the transfer before I lose my nerve so I approach the box again. Some are still whizzing around and a few like my hat growing louder. I talk quietly to them, welcoming them to their new home, etc. I open the top of the box but it is attached to the box and doesn't just come off so I gently struggle to make it stay open without tossing the whole box around and upsetting the bees. The book said the frames inside the box will be stuck together with propolis so I need to gently pry with a little pressure until they loosen, being careful not to jar too hard. Hmmm. The first side comes off and then voila! The first frame is loosened. Put the tool down and now I gingerly stick my fingers into the box and pick up the first frame by the edges, slowly and carefully lifting it into the nearby hive. I do the same for all five frames and the transfer is complete, thank the Good Lord! Now I just gently slide the five frames from the nuc box together and place five frames from our new hive on the sides (2 on one edge and 3 on the other) to make a total of ten frames. I am supposed to gently turn the box over and "knock" the stragglers down into the hive. It doesn't work well for me but perhaps I am too dainty with it. I now have bees buzzing around me in earnest. I place a small patty of food on top of the frames, set the queen extruder over it (probably didn't have to leave it there), put the top and cover on. I prop the nuc box, as suggested in the book, near the hive entrance so the stragglers can find their new home. I make sure there is fresh water and sugar water near the hive entry and I slowly retreat to watch. I want to be sure the bees have found the entrance to their new home. I double check that we have the entrance reducer on the small opening and bring the five extra frames and my tools outside of the bee yard. I close up the fence and reset the switch. Whew! They are home! Thanks God! You're awesome. Those critters are very interesting. Welcome home, bees!

Hubby decides to stay longer and plant raspberries. He finds out they gave him an extra of two different types so we have 16 he planted inside the fence today. Autumn Bliss, Autumn Britten, Caroline, Anne, Polana. I wanted some inside the fencing since the deer have munched on Raspberry Lane recently. Thanks Dear. Hon.