I chose a shaded place to set the hives up and concrete blocks for the base. Some keepers use wood frames, concrete with wood planks, or pallets. Anything to get them off the ground, right? NO. Wood frames rot. They are just not stable. I use concrete and I have a lip out on each side to use as a work space and ventilation.
I first got the packages set on a table nearby and with a small hive tool that looks like a mini crowbar, I opened the nailed on lid and popped out the can of sugar water. Next, I cut the band holding the queen cage and set her to the side. The process of installing a package involves not being afraid to shake the bees out of the transportation box. It's quite a lot of banging and shaking and generally the bees are uncooperative. Shake shake shake those bees! Most of them fell in a dizzy clump to the bottom of the hive. As it should be. Next up? I opened the queen cage cork and quickly replaced it with a mini marshmallow. In the time it takes for the bees to eat through it, they will fall in love with their new queen. Hopefully. Queen secured, I lidded up the top, added the feeder box and can of sugar water, and lidded the very top. When hurricane season arrives I will also set bricks on top. I set the transportation box in front of the entrance so stragglers can find their way in. That's a wrap! I'll check on them every day for the next couple months. “The only time I ever believed that I knew all there was to know about beekeeping was the first year I was keeping them. Every year since I’ve known less and less and have accepted the humbling truth that bees know more about making honey than I do.” ― Sue Hubbell, A Book of Bees: And How to Keep Them
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This Blog:All about the Bee. Backyard bee keeping is gaining popularity and everyone is pro- Saving the Bees, even Cheerios has a seed pack as the cereal treat now. Honey Do is ablog about bee lore, bee keeping, historical bee facts, honey recipes. Inspired by the book Bees: A Honeyed History. There will be posts reviewing bee books, bee themed toys, fancy, regional,and rare honeys. There will be equipment "what's this" posts. Profiles of different kinds of bees (that's not a honey bee, that's a yellow jacket). The different references to bees in religion and historical works. ArchivesCategories |