A new beginning for Sommer Time Farm. We got bees! We are starting with just 2 hives, but we hope to expand every year.
The day we got our bees the weather was a windy cold sunny day. We watched a video one more time on youtube to refresh us on how to install our bees into our hives. Then we bundled up and put on our bee jackets and headed out to install our bees into brand new hives.
The bees were as cold as we were and they didn't move much. Poor little ladies. The guys didn't put on their jackets and veils. They are braver than the rest of us.
We headed to the hives and installed the cold little ladies into their hives. The queen comes in a little cage with a candy plug in the end for the worker bees to eat and let her out. By the time they eat the candy plug and let her out, they have accepted her as their queen.
We hung her little cage inside the hive. Then we dumped the rest of the bees in the hive. Not all come out, but most do. We leave the cages the bees come in by the entrance of the hive. The rest will come out and figure out how to get into the hive.
Then we put a bucket full of sugar water in the next super(box). Also we put a pollen patty in each hive. This will feed the bees until they get established and there is flowers blooming for them to collect pollen from.
Then we put the roof on and pray that they all live and they accept the queen.
We will most likely not be able to collect honey this first year, while the bees are building their hive and making enough honey to get them through the winter. Next year they will be more established and we will be able to collect their honey and wax for our use. We also plan on adding a couple more hives. I can't wait!!
