Bee Talk

Today we went to Clearbrook Minnesota to pick up 3 hives of bees.  We have to start all over again with our bees because all of our hives died over the winter.  The fellow who usually takes our bees to California for the winter did not do so this year for various reasons.   We tried to winter them over but did not succeed.   Sometimes that happens.   Sometimes it is good to start all over fresh.   We could only afford 3 new hives, so that's what we will start with.   Harold built some new hive boxes for winter time use that are 3 inches thick all around and will be able to accommodate a heater and extra foam insulation underneath.   When cold weather comes this fall, we will transfer our bees to those thick boxes and heat them in the back yard this winter.   We will no longer rely on others to take our bees elsewhere for the winter, and our bees will not be going to California anymore.   After all, if Canadians can winter over their bees, then surely Minnesotans should be able to do so!  We will see if our new winter hive design will work or not.   Having only 3 hives will set us back a lot regarding honey production, but we can hope for a really good bee year, take what honey we get - and then it's only up from there!  Later when one of the hives is really strong we can split the hive into two boxes, or catch a swarm and take it to another bee yard at our friend Joe's place.   This is our 9th year for doing bees.  We hate the thought of having to start from scratch again, but it just can't be helped.  We have learned a lot in 9 years, and we can always hope for a really good year!
     Here are some photos that I took this morning.  These bees came from Beaumont Texas, on the eastern part of the state.

One of the bee workers prepares a hive box we brought to fill up with a nuc full of bees. 

 A full frame of bees going from the nuc box on the left to our hive box on the right.  He is checking to see that there is a queen on the frame.

Two other workers prepare our other two hives.

A closer look.  This bee seller brought up about 300 hives from Texas.

Our three new hives ready for the long ride home to Honey B Farm!  The lids are screwed on tight for the ride and air spaces are nailed with screening.

Harold (in the blue jeans) talks shop with the other beekeepers.

When we got home, we opened up the entrances so the Texas girls could get out and start getting used to the place!

Harold opens up the entrances on another hive.

We put the hives on blocks and kept the entrance holes fairly small for now.

Then Harold put on good covers and took off the temporary covers.   One is finished, two more to go.

Within 20 minutes, the bees were already working!  They already did their orientation flights, and started gathering food from the dandelions!  You can see two bees working in this photo.

Lots of bee food here!  The Nanking cherries are blossoming, and there are tons of dandelions around. 

Plenty of bee food .  Beekeepers don't kill  dandelions!  This is good bee food.  I should be mowing the grass, but I will hold off for a day or so until the bees work over the plants.  At this time of the year, wild plum is in bloom, as well as forest wildflowers.  Our Texas girls will have plenty to do for a long time now.   What a feast for them!

And so another year of beekeeping begins...................we hope for a great summer, warm sunny weather, lots of wildflowers and natural bee food, AND as good a honey crop as we can get with 3 hives.