In the last five years or so, it’s been one thing after another in our bee yard. We’ve experienced everything from Africanized honeybees, pesticides, Varroa infestation, treatment resistant nosema, and Colony Collapse disorder.
Last fall, we made the choice to enter winter without the use of antibiotics, nerve toxin, and the rest of the chemicals usually used to treat honeybee hives. We took a risk, and lost four hives.
And one large, glorious hive survived.
This spring, I split off a few frames from this hive in order to start an new hive. Over the next few months, I took one or two more frames.
Yesterday, we received two new survivor honeybee queens from ZiaQueenbee. I made an additional split from our survivor hive, so that I could put both queens in.
Here’s the queens in their box.
Here they are in the hive.
Please wish them well. With any luck, we can help the bees find a way out of this crisis.
I always love to see your bee posts. I do hope they do well.
Did you see that Martha Stewart keeps bees? (Or I guess I should say her staff keeps bees.) She posted a pic of her queen, it had a big yellow spot on it, like it was painted so she could find it or something.
I’m pulling for them
hurray for bees!!
i went to an open air farmer’s market last night. one of the vendor’s were beekeepers. they were selling jars of raw honey, bee pollen and honeycombs. i bought a large jar of raw honey. the whole experience made me think of you and your bees.
i hope the queens thrive.
Your hives are a microcosm of the world because bees are so much more important than most people know. It can truly be said that as go the bees go we. Of course I wish them well, and hope for bulletins as their new life in Denver progresses.
Oooh that is so creepy and yet cool. I think I would sit there and watch them for hours, like when there is an animal show on late at night or something.