Removing two queen cages but leaving one. Three to seven days after we installed our bee packages, it was time for Brian and I to peek at the queen cages to see if the queens had been released yet. First, we checked Brian’s hive Squill. Brian slowly lifted the covers […]
Beginner Beekeeper
Installing Package Bees In Dandelion Hive
Installing Package Bees in Dandelion Hive After installing packages in two rooftop hives, Willow and Squill, Brian and I installed the third package at an outyard location in a backyard nearby. Brian built a hive stand out of cedar for the bees. Isn’t it beautiful! I named this hive Dandelion […]
Bee Package Installation – Don’t Forget The Cork!
Bee Package Installation In Brian’s Rooftop Hive Squill After I installed the bees into Willow, it was Brian’s turn to install his first package of honeybees. It was hard for me to stand back and let him do it, knowing the bees still make him nervous. One piece of advice […]
Installing Package Bees In A Rooftop Hive Named Willow
Installing Package Bees into Willow Hive On Saturday after picking up our three bee packages, Brian and I set out to install them. First we got the roof ready for the new hives. The roof is black and can get very hot in the summertime, sometimes reaching temperatures of 30 […]
Picking Up The Package Bees
I’ll Have Three Boxes Of Bees Please! On Saturday morning Brian and I picked up three new packages of bees from a local bee supplier. Every year he drives down in a truck to Georgia and watches as the bee packages are made, then loads them up one by one […]
January And February Beekeeper’s Calendar
What does a beekeeper do with bees in January and February? Are there jobs to do when the bees are tucked away in the hive all day? What are the bees doing in there anyway? Beekeeping is a local art, similar to a plant hardiness zone and completely dependent on […]