Frances and the Bee

 We had a break in the rainy weather yesterday and made haste to do our first inspection of each of our hives.  We rushed through the South hive but did really well with the North Hive.  We saw eggs, larvae, pollen- and nectar-filled comb, and a lot of working bees in both hives. The sound of their buzzing was awesome and slightly intimidating, but once we were in there, I felt like I was in my element.  Mr. Bee, About to Open the South Hive Beekeepers use smoke because it drives the bees down into the hive. Their survival instinct upon sensing smoke is to fill their stomachs, which makes them a bit more calm during inspections.    We were disappointed to see that the size of feeder we chose allowed for too much space between the frames.  You can see to the top of the photo below, the appropriate amount of "bee space", and to the right bottom where the bees are busy filling up the extra space with comb.  South Hive Here ...

Our bees have been in the hive a week now, but we're unable to open the hives up to inspect the frames for a few more days - until the rain is gone.  From what we understand, it's good to open the hives on a sunny, calm day.   Even though we're aching to look inside those boxes and see if they're establishing themselves well, we've been patient and watching from the outside of the hives instead.  It's not too hard to enjoy the outdoors here in the springtime.     Little Ones in the Spring Sunshine   Bird Camouflage  I always love seeing robins because it tells me that spring is really upon us. They sing a beautiful song while the sun is setting.    We have gone out several times to look at the bees working. Watching the bees at the entrance of the hive can give some indications.  The photo below, for example, shows that the bees are foraging and finding pollen to bring back to the hive for food.  You c...

...was May 11, 2013.  This was an exciting day for us as we (finally) received our two packages of Italian honeybees.  It has been a long winter season, and aside from the hope of spring that is now shooting up everywhere here in central Minnesota, we have the great hope for our bees and the beginning of our adventure as beekeepers. May 10, 2013 (Pre-Bees) It had been a long process of dreaming, researching, reading, asking questions, hoping, wondering, and now working. I had especially been waiting for the moment when I saw the package of bees, wondering how I would respond. Seeing them for the first time in such a group was amazing, and I didn't feel any fear... until we let them out. First Look at our "Girls" My New Suit Mr. M, Meeting the New Bees Mr. Bee, Getting the Pro-Feeder Filled We were grateful to have the help of Mr. M.  He's been keeping bees for 10 years and was a calming presence and a voice of experience for us as we...