May 9 Checking on the Marion Bees
Ouch
We ran down to check on the Marion bees after work and to give them some 50/50 syrup. A quick look when I got there, both hives looked good, so I walked back to the house to mix the syrup and get my bee suit on. It was getting dark and I didn't cherish the thought of doing too much after sunset so I was working fast. I carried the syrup in two containers down to the hive area, set them down and flipped the hood over my head on the bee suit, securing it with the 2 zippers. Nice and tight nothing getting in. I walked over, put the syrup into the two hives. One has a top feeder that takes about 2 gallons, the other has an inverted jar feeder that sits inside a deep. I closed both hives up, and started to walk away.
Bzzzzz, bzzzzz, bzzzzzz. Not unusual, they frequently buzz around me, on on near the veil. Nothing to worry about.
Bzzzzz bzzzzzz - this time quite loud. Obvious it was only a single bee. By now I am 20 feet from the hive.
Ouch! What? How'd you get in here? Either this was a carryover bee from last night's foray at the NGC bees or else one managed to sit on my hat as I was putting the hood on. She was inside the veil and stung me cleanly on the neck, right next to the adam's apple. Yes it hurt, but I was more surprised than hurt.
Her last words udoubtedly were "Yup ... I was waiting for you. Yes, I got'ya!"
Friday, May 10, 2013
Looking Good at the Gardens
May 9
Checking on the Norwood Community Garden (NCG) bees tonight quickly before it rains. They seem content. I can see many arriving on the landing board with their pollen sacs full - always a good sign. When pollen is coming in to the hive, it means there are bee larvae to be fed. I added a deep box on top and placed a gallon feeder filled with 50/50 sugar mix as an added help to get them established here.
Done, just in time as here come the rains.
Checking on the Norwood Community Garden (NCG) bees tonight quickly before it rains. They seem content. I can see many arriving on the landing board with their pollen sacs full - always a good sign. When pollen is coming in to the hive, it means there are bee larvae to be fed. I added a deep box on top and placed a gallon feeder filled with 50/50 sugar mix as an added help to get them established here.
Done, just in time as here come the rains.
The Nucs Are Here!
After several delays in the delivery of the bees, my nucs are here for pickup. I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of these bees so I can re-establish my two hives that are at the Marion house, and establish the new hive that I have placed in the Norwood Community Garden.
How does one go about getting bees for a hive, and just what is a "nuc"?
You can get bees in a number of ways:
1) If you are lucky, or smart, or particularly crafty, you can catch a swarm, or track feral bees to their hive location and catch them in the wild. You capture the queen and thousands of workers. Not something that most newbies will do.
2) You can buy a "package". Typically this is a 3 pound package of bees along with (usually) a virgin queen in a separate cage. You install the bees by literally pouring them into the open hive. You suspend the queen in her cage between some frames and allow the bees to get used to her pheromones (she is new to them, they are not her offsprings). There is a candy plug in the end of the cage, and over the course of manys days, the candy is eaten away, freeing the queen. By then, the bees are used to her pheromones and (most usually) accepts her into the hive. About 3 weeks from that point you should start to see new baby bees.
3) You buy a nuc ... or nucleus. This is in essence a mini somewhat established working hive. It has 5 frames, usually with mostly fully drawn out comb. There is a mated queen, laying eggs. There is packed pollen, larvae, and perhaps some honey. You put the 5 frames into your 10 frame hive in exactly the same order as they were in the nuc. There are several thousand (10?) worker bees. The hive is immediately off and working. No delays.
So I bought 3 nucs at $110 each, and put one in the Norwood Community Garden bee hive, and two down at the Marion hives.
The nucs don't take long to install. More time is usually spent getting the suit on, smoker lit, and pieces all together.
At the NCG hive, I had several spectators watching and taking pictures. I handed Vic Babel a hat and veil to put on. He had a long sleeve sweatshirt on already. I told him that he could get quite close as I installed the frames from the nuc, and as long as he didn't wave his hands about in panic, the bees should not bother him. I think he was a bit to a lot nervous at first, particularly when several hundred bees came out at once and began flying about - mostly at me. Vic did great. Several landed on him, many were buzzing about the veil, and he stood calmly in one spot watching. He had a great introduction to the bees. That install went well, as did the two down in Marion that I did by myself.
How does one go about getting bees for a hive, and just what is a "nuc"?
You can get bees in a number of ways:
1) If you are lucky, or smart, or particularly crafty, you can catch a swarm, or track feral bees to their hive location and catch them in the wild. You capture the queen and thousands of workers. Not something that most newbies will do.
2) You can buy a "package". Typically this is a 3 pound package of bees along with (usually) a virgin queen in a separate cage. You install the bees by literally pouring them into the open hive. You suspend the queen in her cage between some frames and allow the bees to get used to her pheromones (she is new to them, they are not her offsprings). There is a candy plug in the end of the cage, and over the course of manys days, the candy is eaten away, freeing the queen. By then, the bees are used to her pheromones and (most usually) accepts her into the hive. About 3 weeks from that point you should start to see new baby bees.
3) You buy a nuc ... or nucleus. This is in essence a mini somewhat established working hive. It has 5 frames, usually with mostly fully drawn out comb. There is a mated queen, laying eggs. There is packed pollen, larvae, and perhaps some honey. You put the 5 frames into your 10 frame hive in exactly the same order as they were in the nuc. There are several thousand (10?) worker bees. The hive is immediately off and working. No delays.
So I bought 3 nucs at $110 each, and put one in the Norwood Community Garden bee hive, and two down at the Marion hives.
The nucs don't take long to install. More time is usually spent getting the suit on, smoker lit, and pieces all together.
At the NCG hive, I had several spectators watching and taking pictures. I handed Vic Babel a hat and veil to put on. He had a long sleeve sweatshirt on already. I told him that he could get quite close as I installed the frames from the nuc, and as long as he didn't wave his hands about in panic, the bees should not bother him. I think he was a bit to a lot nervous at first, particularly when several hundred bees came out at once and began flying about - mostly at me. Vic did great. Several landed on him, many were buzzing about the veil, and he stood calmly in one spot watching. He had a great introduction to the bees. That install went well, as did the two down in Marion that I did by myself.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Year 2013
OK, it's another year, and yet another promise to blog more. Unlike 2012, this year we'll not be selling 1 house, buying and moving into 2 others, celebrating the wedding of 2 of our children, and closing a storage unit that eyes had not set on in 10 or more years. My bees (and my golf) will be a priority this year.
The year 2013 will be different for many reasons. First, I have 3 hives this year, one more than last year. One is in a community garden in our new home town of Norwood. The other two hives are down at our Marion vacation/retirement home. I can't wait to compare and contrast the taste of the honeys from these two different locations. Putting it in wine terms, the terroir should result in a different taste. Second, one of my "followers" over the years is moving from England to this country. Her father is and has been a close friend and colleague. He is now moving over as manager of our group. It is a great honor to work for him, and the teamwork that will result from this change will be phenomenal. Yet, one of the biggest bonus benefits of this change at work is that he'll be moving here with his family, and I will finally meet his two youngest daughters. For several years now, Charlie has followed with interest my bees, and I periodically would send her some of my bees' honey. I really look forward to meeting Charlie and Katie. I can easily foresee Charlie as the next little beekeeper and bee savior. This is one 9 year old that I can't wait to see don a petite beesuit and veil and stand next to me observing the bees in their daily activities. From what I know of her, it won't "bee" long before she'll want to have her hands (with gloves) in the hives, handling frames, and observing bees up close and personal. If she'll have me, I'd love to mentor her.
My community garden hive is yet another opportunity to share my bees with others and educate during the process of beekeeping there. This year there are 64 plots in the garden, and therefore many opportunities for those gardeners and friends to see the bees and learn a bit about them as the bees and I interact. I have a garden plot there this year. We should see better pollination and better vegetable production with the bees so close by. I hope to not only educate the gardeners but also their families and friends as they come to the garden.
In 2013 I am also invited back to the Farmer's Market in Norwood center to do another bee introduction to the young children. Last year I jumped at the opportunity to help educate a group of children ages 4-10 on how to identify honeybees from wasps (yellow jacket and hornets), describe what they do, and taste some of the fruits of their labor. I am not sure who had more fun last year, them or me. We'll do it again this year, and hopefully we‘ll see another group of children walk away and begin to think more deeply about bees and their role in the world in which we all live.
Yes, 2013 should be a great year!
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