bee update...

Our adventures in bee-keeping continue!

I've (kinda/sort-of) mastered the smoker, so I suited up and have taken a peek inside our hive twice since it arrived. Because ours began as a small nuc (only 5 frames of a queen, brood & worker bees), the bees are working hard to fill out the frames in the larger hive. So far these girls are doing a terrific job...they've filled out 16 frames, and I needed to add a third box last week.

While we'll really enjoy our own honey, because our hive was set up in summer instead of spring, our goal isn't to harvest honey, but to make sure the bees have plenty to survive the winter.

We've also needed to provide them with a water source. Our neighbor uses a shallow pan to provide water for her bees, but I've noticed it evaporates very quickly. A little more reading and I found that a chicken waterer is a great way to provide water for bees, so we set one up.

 

Filling the tray with small rocks gives the bees a spot to land while they drink, and the waterer stays filled for several days.

And so the learning continues...

Happy Monday!