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A quick check on the bees. During a brief moment of sun the bees take to the air in their constant search for nectar and pollen from flowers in Hyde Park.

The activity at both hives looks good. There wasn't enough time to check on the queen cages, but a simple inspection of the entrance provides clues to what's happening on the inside.

Bees coming and going through the entrance and flying off in just a couple directions shows that the scouts have found flowers and that the hive is responding to their news.

The entrance can be a crowded place with workers coming and going from the hive.

I don't see any pollen in this picture but I'm sure we'll see some soon enough!

Bee Installation 2020!!

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Hey there everyone! I know it's been a while since the bees have made an appearance on the web but they've been busy!

This year's two new colonies of bees arrived in the mail on Wednesday. They come in a plastic box called a 'bee bus'. It sounds funny, but packaged bees come by the pound! One pound of bees is about 5000 individuals so each three pound package as approximately the15,000 bees. Plus one queen! We'll get to her in a minute.

Here are the two colonies patiently waiting to get into their new homes! The bees have a can of sugar water to eat while they are waiting. 

But first we need to set up apiary...clean out the hive parts and get them set up properly.

Here's the bee bus on top of one of the hive boxes. The long wooden objects are the 'frames' that the bees will use to build their wax comb off of.

Here's a couple of frames removed to make room for all the bees!

If you can believe the crazy beekeeper opens up the bee bus and dumps the bees into the hive!! This is what you see - a big ol' pile of grumpy bees!! They will spread themselves out quickly and begin to explore their new home.

That small box on the upper left is the 'queen cage'...so let's look more closely at that. 

The queen that comes with the package of bees isn't the workers' mom. So they're not quite ready for her to be their queen. So for now she's kept in this small wood box with the screen side. There's a cork in one end. 











Here you can see the queen inside! She is larger than the worker bees and a bit darker in color. 













In order to help the workers and their soon to be queen get along we replace the cork with a mini marshmallow!

Here's the mini marshmallow in place of the cork...thankfully the queen didn't escape while I was switching them!

Once the queen is set, the queen cage is placed in the hive, another layer added and the whole thing covered. During the time it takes the queen and the workers to eat the marshmallow she will have filled the hive with 'queen pheromones'. These impressive molecules that she makes and releases into the air are all she needs to get the 15000 workers to work for her! Once she's out she will start laying eggs and the pollination and honey production will begin!

Happy Beekeeper!