Moment of Truth

We see whether the G Bees have decided to stay and we find out whether P is allergic to bee stings

It's a whole week since we left Queen G and the G Bees plus hitch hikers with an extra super to give them more space and something to do, i.e. drawing wax in the new super.

Our fears that they might have decided to  move on due to lack of space or inadequate beekeeping appear groundless as, when we rush to the apiary, we see the two hives and bees calmly going about their business.  It appears that the hitch hikers have been accepted into Colony Two boosting the number of foragers.    What a change from last week's bee mania.

ooOOoo

When I was inspecting the G Bees prior to moving them last week, one frame in the brood chamber fell apart.  We replaced it for travelling with a smaller frame of brood from the half bit of the brood and a half.   This week's tasks therefore include putting a new, proper size brood frame in to the brood box.   I had to go to the Bee Shop to buy the bits and make up the frame and insert the wax foundation myself using small pins and a tack hammer.  (I suspect I will get lots of practice at this.)

So, late afternoon when the wind has dropped a bit but it's still about 22c, P and I suit up.  Naturally, our bee suits have been laundered since last week as you can't approach the bees looking like grubby garage mechanics.  We plan what we're about to do in advance (while watching Lewis Hamilton practise for a Grand Prix) and take everything we think we need over to the apiary: new frame for the G Bees' brood box, hive tools, steriliser for cleaning hive tools between hives, tub for brace comb or wax that we have to chip off, loppers to take down some fennel stalks to create more room around the hives, smoker and official photographer (this week it's Dad).

And we open the G Bees first, placing the roof to one side.   OMG!

They have drawn out the new super we put on last week ("NSWPOLW") and filled it with honey!   There are loads of bees throughout the NSWPOLW.   This was not in the plan.  We take that off and the second super, the one that used to be a brood chamber ("STUTBABC").   Sealed brood will still be hatching but it's heavy with stores too.

  NSWPOLW

P gets stung and "it bloody hurts"

 

The brood chamber is alive with bees.  We chicken out.  We planned to inspect each frame but we are daunted by the thousands of bees before us.   By now they are whizzing around and a bit agitated, although still tolerably benign.  We insert the new brood frame of foundation and this is when P gets stung on the elbow.  We have been wondering whether he is allergic to bee stings or not..... Now we will find out!  

Meanwhile, we realise we haven't brought along another super so I run to get yet another super from the barn ( "YAS").    The G Bees need space.  They have evidently found a nectar source and with the extra hitch hiker foragers they are rapidly building their stores for the winter.  Colony Two now have a standard brood box, STUTBABC, NSWPOLW and YAS. 

YAS

We haven't seen  Queen G, queen cells, signs of disease or any of the other things we were supposed to look for but we move on to Colony One.   Exhausted.

ooOOoo

Colony One

Colony One is noticeably quieter but they have also been busy this week and the brood has spread on to 4 frames with stores nicely round the edges and they have drawn out wax on all but two frames.  We don't see Queen B during the inspection but all the indications are that she's there somewhere so we close the hive and leave the bees in peace.

 

Now, is P allergic to bee stings?   Evidently not.  When I tried to take a photo of the sting for this blog entry it was too late and it had all gone........

Bee Rescue Part Two (the rather too exciting part)

Millions of bees

24 miles

5 beekeepers

1 sting

Not enough lifts (the external casings of the hive)

P is still away on cricket tour so dad came with me to help carry the G Bees into the car and from the car to our apiary.   All new beekeepers who get their bees from Douglas or his brother Robert believe that their bees are performing bees trained from an early age to behave immaculately in all situations.   Thus lulled into expecting to arrive at the farmyard, block the entrance to the hive, and then, with the help of Jonathan lift the hive into our car and drive home, we were a bit taken aback to find bees everywhere.   

One hive had already disappeared and we can only assume that many of the workers were out foraging when their hive was moved so when the workers returned to the apiary to find their home gone, they then tried to get into the other hives, resulting in bees clinging to every outer surface of the remaining hives and flying around in an agitated state.   Poor things.

It took 5 of us an hour of patience, misting with spray and a bit of smoking to get two of the hives packed into cars and one strapped ready to move tomorrow.   Unlike the pick up of our first colony, (see the first blog), dad and I were both wearing full beekeeping gear with the veils on for the full 24 mile journey home.   We knew there were a lot of hitch hikers clinging to the bottom of the floor of the hive.  They were quiet for the journey but we had the sun roof and back windows open and it was dark.

Arriving home, it was even darker.  I got stung lifting the hive onto a bogey for the trundle across the lawn to the apiary.   (But hey! The stinging sensation disappeared quite soon!)  It was so dark I couldn't see where the hitch hikers were and I must have crushed someone.  Sorry!

Now, pay attention, here's a technical bit!   Colony No. One, Queen B and the Beebettes have a deep 14 x 12 inch brood box.    Colony No. Two, Queen G and the G Bees have  a normal brood box plus a super, known as a brood and a half.   A brood and a half is taller than a deep brood box so, when we put the lifts (outer casings) on, we found that we needed an extra one, otherwise we couldn't fit the lid on the hive.   This meant unlocking the house to get the keys for the barn and opening the barn to get an extra lift.........  

No, we didn't choose brood and a half and next year we will have to convert to a deep brood box - that will  be several blogs in its own right.

We got the hive in to place and undid the straps holding everything tightly together (not needed for the Douglas pick up) but it was almost impossible to remove the foam blocking the entrance.  In the end I got a couple of the foam pieces out and dad and I ran for cover.  We left our bee suits in the barn along with some more hitch hikers but, for the record P,  we didn't put the bee suits on the TR6 in case they have any sticky propolis on them.   There are no pictures for this blog entry so far because it was dark.

Bee Rescue Part One

30 People in full beekeeping gear
11 hives in 2 apiaries
6 different kinds of home made cake
2 hours on the hottest day of the year
1 poorly beekeeper whose family have asked for assistance

These are the ingredients for a bee rescue.

While one group went to the garden apiary to check the five hives there, a dozen of us went to the apiary in a nearby farmyard.  Tony had been there during the week and cut the grass round the sites so we could access the hives.  This apiary was to be removed so we started with clearing away the redundant equipment.  In the heat, wearing boiler suits over another layer, hats with veils, rubber gloves and wellies, you don't need much imagination to realise that sweat was soon trickling down our legs and off our noses, which of course, you can't do much about when you are veiled.

We worked in three groups with an expert supervising each one to examine two hives.  I was on smoker while Ben did the examining and his dad Jonathan helped Richard supervise.  The  bees were nicely docile even when their hive started to collapse under them but we soon realised it was because the poor creatures were starving.  The hive was quickly prepared for transport to a new home and we started examining our second hive.  This time I was doing the scraping off of propolis, levering frames out of their boxes and lifting them out to examine each side, looking for stores or healthy brood and, of course, the Queen.   Ben was working the smoker.   

Just four feet from the starving colony, this one had copious stores.  Ben managed to try the honey and he declared it strongly flavoured and rich - in a good way.    The supers of honey were left to one side and will soon be used by the starving bees and local wasps amongst others.    By this time the group had disturbed five hives and we were working in a swirling mass of bees. It sounds horrid but, in fact, the bees were so good tempered that nobody was stung and it wasn't that bad at all.

Working at speed to finish before the forecast thunderstorms started, my Bee Buddy Ben and I transferred the brood frames to the spare hive I had taken along.  By now those who had finished their hives were gathered round and that's how the Queen was spotted in the bottom of the old hive.   Apparently she's enormous and golden coloured but we didn't see her again despite frantically searching for her.   The only evidence that she's actually safely in the new hive was the fanning behaviour of the bees at the entrance which should mean they were fanning her pheromones out to attract straggler bees into their new home.

We left the hive strapped up ready for transport and protected from the rain to retire for the compulsory element of every beekeepers' meeting (in my experience) - tea and home-made cakes!

B Day

Join the local beekeeper's association: check
Visit the National Honey Show: check
Research and buy beekeeping suit and gloves: check
Read all the beekeeping books received for Christmas: check
Attend the local beekeeping theory classes: check
Buy a beehive: check
Attend the practical classes at a local apiary: check
Select and prepare our apiary site: check

This all culminated on Friday 5th July 2014 when I carefully drove Queen B and the bees, all snug in their brand new beehive, back from the local apiary where the colony had been set up.
In retrospect it was an odd journey with me in my bee gear with the hat and veil pushed back, accompanied by Dad (in P's absence) dressed for a normal summer evening with a short sleeved shirt.  Luckily the hive stayed upright.

The hive is in the apiary!
We have followed the instructions we were given by Douglas to the letter and we have already learned a lot.   We're feeding the bees a light syrup as this young colony doesn't have many worker bees yet.  Inverting the feeder and placing it on the crown board without drowning the colony is the most  important lesson so far.  You can't take a photo in beekeeping gloves is a close second.  Fortunately our official photographer was on hand.