Bee Day 2015

They have arrived! 

The bees are here! 

Let take a quick glance at what has happened since my last post....

My girl helped paint the stand.

I made a raccoon deterrent.

We dug out a site and installed some patio blocks 

to help with leveling since the apiary will be on a hill. 

Making sugar syrup in the morning. 

Here is the site with the stand and the raccoon rug in place. 

I then added the bottom board and reducer. 

The first hive body. 

Inner cover. 

Empty hive body to house the feeder pail.

All set and ready for bees!

Picking up the bees! 

My helper.

#3 package of bees all loaded up in the car!

Once we got home my assistant sprayed them with sugar water. 

I did not take any photos of the installation of the bee package as I was busy with the bees. It was fairly easy. The hardest part was getting the can out as it was stuck in there pretty good. The strangest part for me was dumping of the bees from the box into the hive and then spreading them out by hand so they do not get squished when I put the hive back together. It was like liquid bees...a strange thing.

If you want to see a video of how a bee package is installed into a hive check out the Bee Lab video from the University of MN. You can see what I just did as well as some of the things I will be doing in coming months.

Overall, I am pleased to say I did not get any stings. I had a veil and gloves but did not buy a bee suit. (I was worried that I may regret that but so far I am OK with it.) As I was working with them, I was thinking to myself, if they wanted to sting me (through my jeans or shoes) that it would be really easy for them. There were several bees flying around me. (I would guess about a hundred.) I saw a few land on my gloves but did not hear any buzzing near my head. I was also pleased that they stayed near the hive when I walked away. They are certainly gentle and not aggressive.

I will check on them in 24 hours (depending on weather) to be sure the sugar water is flowing and the grass is removed from the entrance so they can get out to forage.

God created something so complex yet so simple in the honey bee. Bees work together in a community and are very social. They all have specific jobs but can also step up to a different task if the community needs it. Unlike a hornet or wasp, a bee can only sting once and it dies. So bees do not want to sting you. However if they feel their community is in danger they will lay down their life for it.

Bees are an amazing creation and so are you!
Blessings!

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