My new package is doing a great job drawing out the foundationless frames! This was my first hive check of willow, after installing the package on April 14th and removing the queen cage a few days later. I’ve been so excited to look at this hive, the waiting has been […]
New Queen
Queen Cage Removal – Squill Hive 4-24-12
Finally removing the queen cage in Squill The last time Brian checked his new hive the queen had not been released yet. The bees were clustered all over the cage and some appeared to be biting the wires. A week later, Brian was wondering if the queen was even still […]
It’s Queen Cage Removal Time!
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 […]
Off With Her Head, Well Actually, Her Butt
Merging the two queen hive into one. An ode to the Swarm Queen. The fall is fast approaching and it has come time to prepare the bees for winter and disassemble my two queen hive. It is necessary to restore the bees back to the normal two deep configuration for […]
I Have Eggs! I Have Eggs! Pop The Champagne!
I’m so excited to be getting baby bees again, I feel like I won the lottery! It has been way too long in my apiary since I have seen the smiling shape of pearly white baby bee larvae. The past four weeks have been adventurous. I watched my original queen […]