"Holy Smokers!" Bob returned May 20th to help install the nucs into our Langstroth hives. It was a warm, sunny afternoon, so the bees were very happy and calm. The afternoon hour was a plus too, since many of the worker bees were out foraging, thus reducing the number of bees among the hive frames. We wanted to keep our work time short (so not to cause undo stress and chaos among the bees), but we did give each frame a quick look-over to check hive strength and health as we w

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

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

'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

What a weekend! Yesterday I drove out to Rick's house and picked up my first ever bee package! While I was excited, he could tell I was a little nervous. He picked out a box that wasn't sticky from syrup, gently brushed off some 'outsiders' hanging around the outside of the package and assured me that I could call if I ran into any issues. When to Install? I was unsure whether I should install my package today (brrr!) or wait until Monday when it warms up some. Rick suggested

Hive Painting Day! At last, a sunny warm Ohio day (combined with an open schedule on our calendar) to paint the beehives that we purchased from Eli N. Troyer Bee Supplies back in February. Up until now, the sturdy Langstroth hives have stood in formation in our sunroom. As anxious that I am to regain use of the floor space, I admit that I will miss the scent of the wax frames and wood that permeated the room on sunny days. The fact that our bees will be arriving soon, quickly

Christmas in a Box! Christmas in a box! Well at least that was my initial thought, as I opened the door to my highly anticipated Amazon package. Franklin D. Roosevelt (our pet micro pig) rallied beside of me with grunts and squeals, as I excitedly lifted each item from among the cardboard and bubble wrap layers. Just like a very young child though, it was simply the empty box that captivated Franklin's attention once all of the items were revealed. With Franklin off playing,