Getting Ready for Bees, Day 6

We picked up the bees and drove them in my brand-new car to their new home on April 23. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. Lots of questions rolled through my head on the drive there and the drive home – how are we going to do this, what if they get out, what if I can’t get them into the hive when we get home…

All of these, from what I have read, are normal questions, fears, concerns; especially when setting out to something you’ve never done before. But, as I write these words, I can tell you that not only did we and the bees survive, but we were able to get them in the hive, and are enjoying the sights and sounds of a bustling colony on the ranch.

Bringing the bees home. The bees were given to us in a cardboard box with five drawn-out frames with all the stages of bee life, a queen, and stored food ready to be transferred into the hive I have been preparing for them since Christmas.

While driving 50 miles home, they were much quieter than I expected and only four curious bees managed to escape – much to my relief and maybe surprise. When we got them home, transferring them to the hive was a breeze. I credit that mostly to the mentors I have connected with and the books I have read, and re-read, since starting this journey.

My first inspection. We left the bees, mostly, alone for one week. Honestly, I did my fair share of lurking, watching, and staring. Leaving them alone for one full, uninterrupted week gave them a chance to move in and start working. I intended to do my first inspection exactly one week after we brought them home. But, mother nature had other plans. On that Sunday the weather was cold and windy – two conditions that are not ideal for opening a hive.

I waited for the next warm and sunny day and opened the hive for the first time. During this first inspection my goals were to check the frames for pollen and honey stores, look for brood (larva), check for eggs, and find the queen. Because the colony was still just five-frames big, finding everything I needed was easy – which was a real confidence booster.

Once I found everything on the checklist, I put the hive back together and set my schedule to revisit in a week. The biggest thing I have learned so far is the more you study, the easier it will be. So, back to the books I go to prepare for the next inspection and handling my growing colony.