So our little family embarked upon an adventure today. It is quite fun, a little exciting, and somewhat suspenseful. We have joined the ranks of beekeepers! Jonathan decided some time ago that it would really be fun to experience the life of a beekeeper. It has been an interest for him for quite some time and we finally are trying our hand at things. If this goes well I am afraid it may be time for his next project... chickens. We'll take this one critter at at time. Below is a smattering of pictures in no particular order at all. I will try to narrate with the help of Mr. Michael sitting here on my lap as I type. Ah hum...
This is the one casualty of the day. Matthew behaved exactly as I expected Matthew would behave. He was absolutely 100% fearless of any bees. When we went to pick our shipment up he jumped in the back of the the truck that had 100's of thousands of bees buzzing freely about and tried to pick them up. Upon my suggestion that that may not be the best idea in the world he decided to pick a flower and lure them with it. He did and was toting bees all around the yard of the nice gentleman that we picked the bees up from. Later in the day he got a good stinger in the thumb. But was not deterred.
In order for the bees to survive before the nectar starts to flow in our area we have to supplement the bees with sugar water. This is Jonathan pouring syrup over the feeding trays. The wooden trays float on the sugar water. The bees land on the wood, suck through the slats, try not to drown and go about their business of caring for the brood and making honey.
This is a lone bee on the outside of our bee crate. We spray them with sugar syrup before we dump them in the hive so it makes it a little more difficult for them to buzz around.
Each of the hives has approximately 10,000 bees with 1 single queen. The small box that Jonathan is hanging on the frame holds our little princess. She is shipped separate of the other bees. Once they are in the hive we can turn her loose and let her start laying thousands upon thousands of little eggs for us.
A bee buzzing Matthew's head. He liked it.
This is the little box that the bees shipped from California in. We got one hive of Carniolan bees and one of Italian. This is Adam dousing the Italians with sugar water before we attempted to dump them into their hive box.
Matthew's bee friend on his arm.
This is after they have been sprayed down. We open up the box and start dumping the 10,000 little darlings into the hive.
Matthew holding the Carniolan queen bee. She was big and black.
The bees come shipped in these nice little boxes with a can of syrup to plug the hole on the top of the box. We had to pry out the can then dump the bees. This little can is a puny appetizer. Bees consume GALLONS of sugar water in just a few days before the nectar begins to flow. (In other words before lots of things are blooming)
Buddy, the boys, and bees.
Matthew decided the box of Carniolans was going to be his own personal hive. He was attempting to open them all by himself. We are slowly establishing a few bee rules.
The painting and prepping of the bee hive bodies prior to the bee's arrival.
This is a picture of the foundation that the bees will build their comb on. It is a plastic sheet covered in beeswax. I cannot begin to describe the scent that loomed in our kitchen all day. We had dozens of new soft pine frames filled with these sheets of beeswax foundation. It was pine and sweet, sweet beeswax mixed together. It was so unbelievably delicious I honestly wanted to nibble on them. That was a stupendously unexpected treat to smell all day long.
Some of the frames we glued and hammered together.
And there you have it. We have 2 hives... approximately 20,000 bees. We are praying they will survive and some day we will be eating lots and lots of sweet succulent home grown honey. Wish us luck!
