New Bee Day

 

 

On a quiet, warm evening a couple of weeks ago I met P at the train station, we went to the pub 400 yards away for a great meal (moules for me, fish & chips with salad, not peas for P), watched a bit of cricket and then  we made our way through some pretty villages to Richard & Ursula’s to pick up our new bees.

We had debated switching the frames into one of our brood chambers but I am glad that Richard and Ursula said we could bring the bees home in their hive and return their equipment later.

The bees had gone to bed so we used foam to block the entrance to the hive, put on the ratchet strap to hold the hive together in case it fell over in the car and loaded the whole hive for the 20 mile journey home.

Back at base we carried the hive to the apiary.  It was as dark as when we brought home the G Bees (see blog Bee Rescue Part Two July 2014) but this hive was much lighter because it’s not such a big colony and there were no “hangers on” clinging under the hive, so nobody was stung.   In the apiary, by now pitch black, we took out the foam and left the bees for the night.

 

The weather has been very changeable this week so the window for switching the Rubees on their frames out of their old brood chamber and in to ours was pretty small.   They weren’t very happy about it.  Dad, used to the good natured bees at the out apiary was chased round the garden but not stung.  He kept his distance as I carried out the manipulation surrounded by a cloud of bees.   I didn’t spot the queen but the Rubees settled down soon enough so she must be there. 

Unlike our other colonies, these bees insisted on sitting on  my head and shoulders. 

 

We gave the Rubees (Richard & Ursula.....) a super of drawn comb including a couple of frames of stores so they had a bit more space and they have quickly taken down the feed we gave them so they are well set for the winter albeit on good days they are working garden flowers - sedum being a favourite.   As for those pesky wasps - we continue to catch tem in the wasp traps but their umbers seem to be declining somewhat.  My plan is to keep the traps out and hopefully catch the queens late Autumn before they can overwinter.