Newest update (I got impatient!)

I am behind on an update.  Sorry about that.  I checked the hive on the 3rd, and all looked good.  The bees are starting to draw out the frames in the honey super.

That is GOOD NEWS!!

I did something I probably shouldn't have done.  I traded the bees.  I traded them one frame full of capped honey out of the brood super for the frame in the picture above.  Before you drag my name through the mud and bring me up on charges before PETA, I can only say that I am impatient to see what the honey tastes like.  And OH MY GOSH --  IT.IS.GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!

It has a hit of a floral taste, which makes sense, but surprises me still.  I have never tasted the floral taste in any other honey.

In my defense, after I let the honey drain off the frame that I stole, I put it back in the honey super for them.  I gave it back...(...so they can fill it up again!)

I left them alone yesterday, but I don't know that I will be able to leave them alone too much longer!  I want honey!!!  That one frame gave me about a quart plus a pint.  I gave some to 4 neighbors.  OK, time for some math....

1 frame ======> 1 qt + 1 pt

therefore, 10 frame =====> 10 qt + 10 pt = 10 qt + 2.5 qt = 12.5 qt

12.5 qt = 3.125 gal!!

Therefore, 1 super ====> 3.125 gal, enough for us for about a year!!!

(I'M SO PROUD!)

Update

I checked the hive today.  The bees have been busy!!  The brood super was about 65% full, so I went ahead and put on the honey super.

I was pretty sure they had been pretty busy.  There has been a virtual swarm of workers on the front of the hive for at least the last week.  Here are some pix:

This is a frame from the brood super.  Notice the full size of most of the comb on the frame, and if you look closely you can see some honey in the cells!  It was practically dripping out!

This is the other side of the same frame.  Notice the capped cells of honey already.  This super has been on for about 5 weeks now.  Like I said, they have been busy!

I'm not sure why they are building out these connectors so far into the space between frames, but they are.

I am pointing at the honey super.  I did put in the queen excluder.  We'll see how it goes.

New Developments

I checked on "the girls" yesterday afternoon.  They have been B-U-S-Y!!!

My photographers have gotten "sting-shy", so they won't get close enough to take a pic until I get them bee suits.  :-(

Anyway, I had the comb we pulled out of their duckbox in three frames on one side of the hive, and the plastic-based foundation filling the rest of the hive. 

Last week when I checked on them, I intermingled the plastic foundation and their "home" comb.  When I checked yesterday, they were busily adding wax to the frames with plastic foundation, some of which already has capped honey, even though that frame is not even completely drawn out.  Only 3 frames had little to no comb added yet. 

I went ahead and added the first super to the hive.  They may start upward begin storing in the super.  I don't necessarily thing that is a bad idea. 

I AM anxious to add the first honey super, though.

Checked the bees today

We checked on the girls today.  There sure are a BUNCH of drones in there!

The biggest news is that they are FINALLY putting some comb on the plastic foundation!  They ARE  still working very hard on their comb that we brought home with them, but they have put a couple of little spots on the first of the frames with plastic foundation.  I will have a couple of pictures uploaded tomorrow.  Right now my phone (with the pictures) and my laptop are in two different places.

Later!

Checked on the Bees, 7 Mar

We checked the bees on the 7th just to see if they are starting to fill out the plastic cell foundation.  There is a bit of wax on one side of one frame where they are filling in between the side of the foundation and the side of the frame.  We didn't get any pictures because Geek2 got stung on his lip, and Geek3 ran out of the back yard screaming.

I guess we will be ordering some jacket/veil combinations pretty soon.  GloryBee has them for $16, plus hive tools for $2.35.

We also pulled out the feeder since the weather is now warming up.  I am seeing quite a few bees going in with pollen on their legs, so I'm guessing the rest are carrying nectar.  I have come to notice that the drones make a lot of noise, and their abdomens are very big.  In many ways, they are very caricaturish.

I am hoping to check them out today and see if there is any wax on the plastic foundation yet.  If not I am probably going to order some wax foundation and replace the plastic.  I am out of town next week, and Mrs. Crunchy asked last night if I would be OK without my bees.  I think there will be some withdrawal there (-: .  The really funny part is that I have been calling them "my girls".  Oy VEY!

The box they came from...

I just realized....I haven't shown you where the bees came from.  Here is a picture of their "old house"

Fed the bees, 3/5

On the 5th, it was supposed to approach freezing, so we gave them about a pint or pint and a half of sugar water in the feeder. 

I told one of my coworkers that we had fed the bees, and he got this weird look on his face.  "How do you feed bees?  I am picturing these little bitty steaks and potatoes!"

I said "that's it!  That's how we do it!"

He said, "How do they cut it up?"

I said, "With a buzz saw!" 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I kill myself!

Anyway, while watching the hive yesterday (the 6th), I GOT REWARDED!!  I saw at least 5 forager bees come in with pollen on their legs!  YAY!!  I don't know that that is significant per se, but I do know that it impressed the heck out of me when I saw the Johnson's bees doing it back in January.

Checked on the Bees 3/4

HOWDY, ALL!!

Geek3, Geek2, and I opened up the hive on Sunday (March 4th) to check on the hive and see how it is doing.  MAN!!  There were a bunch of bees in there! 

 There were 2 beetles in the trap. 

We did see one more beetle crawling on a frame, and tried to get a picture, but I don't think we got it.  He didn't live long after his photo debut!

When we took them out of the duck box we brought as much of their comb as we could, and we took the RiteCell foundation out of some frames and tied in their comb with fishing line.  They have now secured their comb to the frames so that we can cut off the fishing line.

We cut the fishing line off one frame.  I am expecting we will cut it off the remaining frames this week.

We didn't see any cells with honey in them, but that didn't concern me too much since they are just getting started.

We Have the Bees!

This new blog is for me to record our adventures with our bees.  Here they are in the hive:

Adding them to the hive was not nearly as difficult as I expected!  I had some help from a guy who has been keeping bees for a couple of years.  We got a wild swarm from out near the hunt club one afternoon Feb 29, and "installed" them in the hive the next day, March 1st.  

I have been very excited about having them. And now I am finding it hard not to go check on my girls!