I'd hoped for the last two years that I'd be able to pick up a neighborhood swarm and feel pretty sure that I had at least some descendants from Stella's bees. That didn't work out and I finally decided to just start over. Of course, now that I've gone to all this trouble and expense, I'll probably find a swarm next week.
While a friend and I were waiting for the stragglers to move from the package into the hive box, we were able to watch some of the bees start to fan and talk to each other and then saw some take orientation flights circling over the hive box. A few even started exploring whatever these flowers are.
By nightfall, all but a few were tucked into the box and I was able to pick up the last 10 or so and deposit them at the entrance. Hopefully they'll be happy here. They've had a long couple of days I'd guess being packaged up and moved. I promised them that tomorrow will be a better day.
11 comments:
I was afraid from your blog title that this was going to be a sad story, but I was (mostly) wrong. 😉
My grandmother's name was Estella - so Stella ♥ memories flooded in. I clicked over to your blog instantly from Instagram and loved the visit and the new adventure in bees. Jealous of flowers already. Everything around here is just barely out from under the snow pack. My Stella memory is of a blue-haired lady behind the front door of the living room talking into the new-fangled telephone. Her end of the conversation included mostly Ahuh's - either yeses or still here encouragement? :)
Good luck! Bees are just fascinating! 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 K. Littrell😊
Good for you! We have friends in Pennsylvania that have hives. It’s a very worthwhile experience.
Best of luck to you and the new bees. If I was younger and stronger I would love to have a hive in my garden. I saw one brave bumblebee on the pieris this cold, rainy day.
Best of luck with the new hive!!!! I have never had luck with trying to catch a swarm. I have one very large hive still going and the less I interact with them, the better they seem to do :)
What fun to read about your establishing a hive. We had bees many years ago. Our box of bees, with the little caged queen, came to our small town post office. The post mistress had my husband on the phone telling him to get down there, immediately, to take that buzzing box away!
Oh! So much fun! And something for us to learn from you about! Cool! Welcome home little bees!
Oh my- good luck with the new crew! You are braver than I am, but I do love to see the bees.
Of course you will find a swarm now! Bee keeping is a great activity! I would never do it...I am afraid of bees...I opened a hive when I was about three years old and got hundreds of stings:(
I am fascinated by beekeeping. Not fascinated enough to try it on my own, but fascinated enough to be invested in other people's hives. I hope they do well.
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