Photo by Harlekwin – Bee in Pear Groves
Spent quite a bit of time in my hives on Sunday and wanted to give you an update.
My big hive? It’s big. There’s a lot of bees and no food. The bees are hungry and aggitated after 2 days stuck inside due to snow. Wouldn’t you be? I gave them a couple of honey filled frames (saved from last fall). I also took some of the bees and added them to the “small” hive.
The small hive? This hive has lots of food and almost no bees. So I added bees using what’s called the “newspaper method”. (You put newspaper between the different bees and they eat their way between.) There is a queen but she has been inactive. Hopefully, the addition of bees will get her moving again.
Now we wait and hope for the best. I will check them again on Tuesday to see how everything is going. My queen supplier hopes to have queens on or around the 23rd so… we just hold our breath and fiddle around until then.
All the rules and all the bets are off. I’m making it up as I go now.
Thank you for your kind thoughts, prayers and wishes.
this is such a cool vocation, how did you get into beekeeping?
My fingers are crossed for your bees…
How very, very cool. I love reading about the bee stuff!
Furious Ball – I just love bees – always have. We used to family camp (Arroyo Grande) around a place that kept beehives. That’s where I first saw them. We got into them about 6 years ago.
Janet – Thanks for your finger crossing.
Michael C – Bees are indeed very cool!
fingers and toes crossed! I hope all goes well…
Sounds like good things could happen.
Hey! I recognize that bee!! Thanks for the link to the rest of the sets and for the update on your hives. I’ve been sending all sorts of good thoughts to the Universe to keep them healthy until their Queens arrive.
Since the bees I photographed are little “Italian” stallions I’m going to be calling the sexy boy in this picture “Paolo.”
Claudia – Thanks for the fingers and toes – I hope you don’t stumble!
Tommie – I have hopes but am not yet hopeful.
Harlekwin – Thanks for letting me use the photo. BUT that’s a girl. All the working bees are girls. Boy bees only leave the hive to fertilize a queen. They do no work – ever. They don’t even get out of their own cocoon themselves. And in the winter, they are killed. Many beekeepers say the males are “useless”. You can make your own jokes. So Paola?
I am still enjoying the wonderful mint honey, and the Munchkins absolutely adore it!!!
Keep us posted re your bees, and we will keep our fingers crossed.
OK, so I don’t know bees very well. We’ll call her Paula.
I’ve never known anyone to own bees and I’m just so amazed by them.
I hope they can tough it out until the weather improves for them. Crossing my fingers!
Josie – Yea! We are almost out of that honey. Amazing!
Harlekwin – I blame Jerry Seinfeld and the Bee Movie.
Jill – I am amazed by them as well.
Sending good thoughts to you and your bees. They are marvelous creatures and I do hope the hives begin to prosper again.
Your honey is the best I have ever tasted in my life. No lie.