In between the days of pouring rain and the days of brutal heat, we've actually had some nice weather in the last month or so. If it keeps up it might actually be a good season for hay and vegetables.
So while Dad is out in the heat and Mum is working in the gardens, I've been mucking about with the bees.
Actual image of me in my suit
This year we're trying something new and have a second apiary set up just over the Tilton line. The hives weren't as cooperative as I would have liked so they got over there a bit later than planned but I did the first hive check on Saturday.
It wasn't good.
But first, the back story.
Few weeks ago I put out a plea to other beekeepers in the area for a frame of eggs and brood to try to save a hive. Basically, if you have eggs in a hive, the bees can feed one of those eggs to become a queen who is really the only bee that matters in a hive. No queen, no hive.
Luckily my friend Mike up at Humble Hives in Woodsville, NH (https://www.facebook.com/humblehivesnh) came to my rescue. I made the trek north, toured his awesome apiary (experimental octagonal hives with living roofs? so cool!) and drove home with a healthy frame of brood and nurse bees (in a nuc box of course.).
Got to the farm, hived them, and let them bee.
They did what I hoped and had a queen cell ready so I got the apiary fencing set up in Tilton and moved them at the end of June.
Did the first inspection on Saturday. Lots of activity going in and out but not much going on inside. All the eggs had hatched and the bees had actually filled that frame with nectar and honey so I decided to go check again next week and see what I find.
SO keep your fingers crossed that the queen returns from her mating flight and starts laying eggs like crazy and we get a healthy happy hive to help pollinate tons of plants on that side of the river.
In happier news however, my main apiary hives looked AMAZING. Lots of eggs and brood and honey stores so that I added a medium super to each of them that I'm sure they will have filled in no time.
And since I now have gloves that let me take photos and videos while in the apiary, please enjoy this gem:
Look at all those cool girls signaling to each other that I'm in the hive and then others telling where to find food. If my bee suit wasn't so hot I would definitely spend hours just watching the bees do their thing.
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