House Swarming

The big day..finally we get to take the new members of the
family home. You are probably wondering how the debate
went with Maggie and Mr. B. well he got her off the subject
by asking her advice about whether they should keep the
hive frames two high or go down to one and add the other
next spring. After about 30 minutes of pouring over the
information in their books it was unanimous that one high
is the way to go. Maggie felt pleased that he finally saw
something her way and made a mental note that next spring
the 'great pitch of the hive roof debate' will continue, until
then she will let him think he pulled one over on her (like
all wise women do).



Getting everything all lined up.


This is where we get the yummy honey from.

I had planned on having all the proper terminology for you

as we go along but I am doing this without Mr. B.

We had an EVENT in the middle of the bee transfer process
that made it too late to work on this post last night.

I hear you ask "What EVENT was that?" The eagle pass-

ing by us about a foot and a half off the ground to get our

chickens free ranging in the back (we thought it was late
enough to be safe, after 7:00 pm) What a sight it must of

been, me running through mucky, marshy (rained like a

monsoon yesterday) pasture screaming at the top of my

lungs "eagle, eagle, eagle..." to the dogs that I forgot were

inside of the house because of bees. Then remembering

and running through the front door, dogs on my heels

attempting to get ahead of me out of the back door just

in time to see the eagle trying to take off with one of the

girls, feathers flying, rooster crowing, dogs barking me

screaming...with all of this the eagle got flustered, lost

the grip and the hawk, hawk friends came and took over

and dive bombed and attacked until the eagle left and

went home. The chicken ran into the hedge and stayed

there until bed time....So that is why the lack of proper

terms. So on with the rest of the photos.

Here is the spray bottle with water to get the bees wings wet

so they don't fly off. Some hive tools and sugar water

I made for them of organic raw sugar and water 1 to 1.

The bees in the container that they come in, the queen is

also in there.

I think this is Maggies group for her hive she has adopted.

Almost time to get them out.

Give them a good spraying with water to wet their wings

so they can't take off.

Out comes the can with the sugar water they had on the

trip from California where they pollinated the almond trees.

Oh dear Mr. B., not a bee sting. Yes indeed but no time

for that as the queen needs to be tended to.

Here she is in her little box with the cork in the end. He

takes that out and puts the black plug with the white

center in. The bees will chew at it and get her out. He will

be checking that in 3 days to make sure. She needs to get

out and start laying eggs.

He is placing the queen in right now.

Somehow I lost the picture of the bees going in so that

will be the first one at the top of the post...so in your mind

insert here.

Here are the ones that didn't want to go in with the others

but will find their way in shortly.

See all gone. They are safely inside with their queen.

* To be continued *