Bees, bees, bees. Looks like today is the day. Cold, cloudy, snow and wind. All conditions we are NOT wanting. Hopefully in this weather the crowds will not decide to pick up bees until tomorrow. Doubtful as most folks I have spoken to are chomping at the bit to get their colonies rolling. My bee packages will overnight in my heated garage so they can have a day to get used to their new home before the cold of the evening returns. At least that is how I see it now.
Well, really only 2 delays to this point, but the winter storm in the middle of April this year has created quite a substandard climate for getting bees rolling this spring. So now with this latest delay we are looking at getting bees sometime on Wednesday the 18th of April. Better then than now when it is freezing outside. The bees will appreciate the delay I am sure. The moisture will certainly help the bee yard and all forage sources. I don’t think there was much bud damage but time will tell. Hopefully this means a long Indian Summer. Remember those?
Beginning in the spring of 2017, our decision to enter into the world of beekeeping was haphazard at best. Starting with an online order for a FLOW beehive and nothing else, we jumped into the fray. Ordering a hive online is easy. Opening the box when it arrives is easy. Removing the contents of the shipment is easy. What is not so easy…assembling a hive with no prior knowledge or experience of beekeeping…and…NO Instructions. Now I can look online as easily as the next guy and try to make the final assembly “look” like the photo but what happens when the bees show up and they have to live there. Will it function close enough for them to get the idea that my intent was for them to have a solid home? Do they care? Take a look at the photos of the assembly process and see if you think you could make your way through the pieces and parts without instruction. I will tell you the first one was rift with mistakes and miscalculations that had to be undone and redone several times. The second and third hive assemblies we much more deliberate and informed: Hive 1 – 6.5 […]
