Operation: BEES! I had become a 'Nervous Nelly' as the end of April became the first weeks of May. I kept busy reading, making minor adjustments to the apiary layout and found myself frequenting garden centers searching for the perfect bee plants as if I was outfitting a nursery for a newborn! The above pic shows my addition of two 2x4's under the hives to create areas to hang frames during hive inspections and to set lids, boxes and tools as needed between the two hives. The

Yesterday afternoon I took advantage of the nice (or, more accurately - cooperative) weather and made a visit to my hive. I set up my new hive equipment to prepare for the next package which we expect this week. I also took the opportunity to inspect the hive. My husband showed up as I was preparing to inspect the hive and seemed content to watch from afar, until I got the lid off the hive. Then, the curiosity was strong enough that he put on a veil and gloves and came over t

May 2 ~~~ visit to watch Ryan (my mentor) check his hives he just installed! Wow, he makes it look so EASY. I was able to see how to release queen, look for eggs, and see an established hive. After this, we went down to our two hives to check queens! Neither queen was released yet. It is amazing to me the difference in the hives. One is very calm, quiet... the other is more aggressive and loud! When we opened the second (fussy hive) immediately all the bees on the top

May 15.....5:15am......waking up from a dream that the bees escaped in the night. I grabbed my flashlight and headed out. Well, the frogs and crickets must have been scared off because the bees were still mad. But they were also still there. I wasn't sure whether or not to let them out or keep them locked up until later. I figured that if they weren't allowed out now, they would have their way with me when I did open the box, so I grabbed the screwdriver and slowly backed o

Wahhoooo! Pick up day (Mon 5, 14). So I went out in the afternoon and talked to Eli, who by the way is an awesome guy, and he suggested I come back at dark when all the bees were home chilling out. No problem. Later that night, I went to get my bees. Eli wasn't home but his son was helping me out. He went to get the nuc boxes and close them up. After a short time he came back from the field and said the bees were getting out of a small hole and that they were getting a little

WOW! Field day at Jeff and Sheila's house was the coolest! Thanks to everyone who helped and came out. I'll admit I was a little - ok a lot - nervous, but I sure was excited too. Listening to all the neat stories about everyone's experiences had a calming effect and helped ease the nervousness. Finally, it was time to suit up! Off to the first hive we marched, everyone dressed for the worst, lol. The top was popped and behold.....we were inside the abode of one of the most re

Hello, everyone! Next time I order hive kits, someone please remind me to get them all put together instead of getting an unassembled pile of wood! Naw, just kidding. Although it was a tedious job assembling the frames and all, it was good to do the first few kits from scratch. Learning the infrastructure of the hive is very important. Knowing that all the components are secure and properly placed can give piece of mind and help with trouble shooting problems if they occur. S

Today was hive inspection day! I've been anxiously, nervously and excitedly awaiting this day for almost two weeks! S ince I installed on that cold Sunday, I was a little afraid of inspecting last Sunday. So I originally expected I would do it throughout the week. However, as I thought about my schedule, I realized the earliest I could inspect would be sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 at night, as my foragers wind down and begin to return to the hive. That didn't stop me from v

The SCBA Spring Field Day will be held on Saturday, May 12th from 10am to 2pm at Jeff and Sheila's Apiary in Minerva. Jeff will guide the group around the apiary, demonstrate the bee inspection process, and talk about what to look for in your hives. Please bring a covered dish and enjoy lunch with friends! Location: 14945 Liberty Church St. SE Minerva, OH 44657

'To Bee or Not to Bee' Books, school, videos, meetings, one on one chats and then the icing on my cake ... an opportunity to visit a bee yard during hive inspections! Excitement, fear and doubt all swirled about my brain, as the planned day arrived. My biggest concern? What if, after finally being able to experience thousands of bees up-close, I decide beekeeping isn't for me? Even the task of putting on the protective suit that day seemed daunting compared to my trial run at