First swarm of ’17

4-19-17 First swarm of the year.

On my return from work today, I found this little gem in a tree about 20 feet in front of my home hives.  I was able to collect them and install into a double nuc.  I gave them a frame of comb to settle on, and 3 empty frames to draw out.

Grafting day

4-3-17 Larvae in the cell cup.

Today is grafting day.  Grafting is the process of creating new queens by mimicking conditions when the bees will create a queen. Continue reading “Grafting day”

Pollen!

Pollen!, Mar 25, 2017

It’s early spring here in the midwest, and the bees are finding bright yellow pollen in abundance.  The buildup is well under way.

Pollen!, Mar 25, 2017
Pollen!, Mar 25, 2017

Housekeeping day

This appears to be the first big day of housekeeping this spring.  The hives are looking good so far, taking out the trash and bathroom breaks.

Early spring

Early spring, Feb 24, 2017

The girls are up and out on this late winter day.  We’ve had a mild season so they are getting an early start to things.