What is crazy about Utah, is it seems to hail a lot lately. I posted HERE with hail the size of a quarter that left hail damage on my car.
It hailed so much, it looked like snow. Another funny thing about this storm, my parents live 6 miles away, and they didn’t get rain or hail. They had sunny blue skies!
Paul checked on the bees a few days ago and the bees drank the bags dry so he had to put a few more bags in the hive.
Due to the bees eating so much, we decided to remove the bags and install a bee feeder.
We filled the bottom part of the feeder with sugar water.
Snap on the top to the bottom. The bees walk down those tubes to the water, eat and walk back up.
Out to the pasture we went.
Like all great parents do, we brought our 4 year old to the hive. You know, to heighten the danger-factor. So I dressed him up in the bee gear.
He of course is not afraid of bees. He doesn’t understand they sting and he doesn’t understand what a sting is.
We opened the hive, removed a row of frames and installed the bee feeder.
The bees are busy!
We have to feed the bees for a few more weeks until the flowers around them bloom and start to produce pollen and nectar.
Only a few minutes of the feeder being in the hive, several bees found it so I think the feeder will be a success.
I had to go into work today. One of my managers needed the day off and I have my area manager busy at another store. Instead of leaving Eli with my parents, I brought him to work with me. I’m glad I brought him because we were able to have lunch together.
Eli loves coming to work with me because he gets to make his own sandwich. He really loves the gloves!
All the choices!
After lunch he helped me clean up. He thinks this is fun, my employees think this is work!
I love spending time with my little boy. I’m so blessed to have him close by me everyday!
Went to check on the bees to see how they were doing. Looks like they are already making comb.
They were happy little bees flying around. I think they like their new home.
Paul has been waiting for the bees to arrive for several weeks. I heard this every morning:
Paul: Alexa, what’s the temperature today?
Alexa: Right now it’s 48 ‘. Today expect a high of 54’.
Paul: Argh! Alexa, when will it warm up so I can get my bees?
Alexa: Hmmm… I don’t know that one.
Finally! Today was a warm day. We drove to Orem to get the bees.
Did you know there are several types of bees? I didn’t either. They sell Italian bees, Carniolian bees, Russian bees, and Saskatraz bees. The different bee act in different ways. How do they act? That is for a later post.
We purchased $145.00 in Italian bees. Yup, $145 for bees! Why Italian bees? They say they are the best bees for first time bee owners.
Lots of bees in there. Every Container had 10,000 bees.
So excited!
See the bees on top? Paul just put them in the jeep with those to fly around us. It made for a fun ride home.
Bee bus, Ha!
The sound of 10,000 bees. The jeep was not running. Just the sound of bees.
Eli keeping an eye on the bees.
The large beehive will be at Paul’s parents. Paul and and Eli had to mow the pasture down.
The beehive foundation was built on cinder blocks.
A beehive is very simple. Base of the beehive.
The first box of the beehive. Beehives can be several boxes high. This hive will start out with two boxes, but will be three boxes high.
Second box of the beehive.
The beehive is stacked and locked with the hinge.
Looking in the beehive. Those individual slots is where the bees will make the honeycomb.
The top.
Add the roof.
This is a nice little house for those bees. I think they will enjoy it.
Each box of both beehives are decorated with carvings. Makes the hive look really nice.
Time for the bees!
Paul got dressed up in his bee gear. Net, hat and thick gloves.
This was my gear! 🙂
Marshmallow for the queen bee? Crazy, but it’s for her.
That metal tab is where the queen bee is.
The metal can is full of sugar water for bees to eat while they are traveling.
Paul removed the can to expose the 10,000 bees.
The queen bee with all her little bees feeding her.
The queen bee is in that little wooden box with wire mesh windows. Paul had to pop the cork out and replace the cork with the marshmallow. Why? So the other bees in the hive get used to her other wise they will just kill her. The bees eat through the marshmallow and release the queen into the hive.
Paul shook all the bees out. All 10,000.
After getting fiddling with the queen and putting her box in the hive, Paul spread out the bees and saw honeycomb!
The bees have to be fed for a few weeks until they make their own food. So we mixed 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water with a cap full of bee food.
Poked holes in the bag with a toothpick. The bees can then come and eat the sugar water.
We placed the bags of sugar water and some other kind of brown bee food in the hive and then covered the hive back up.
See the white comb the bees already made?
A metal plate to keep the mice out of the hive.
The bees are in their hive, warm, safe, and fed.
Good night, little bees!
A while back I was trying to get Eli into Kindergarten early because academically he is ready. He missed the cut off date by a month due to his birth date.
I am so pleased to announce that he received his offer to start kindergarten in August!
I beat the odds! With everyone telling me good luck, you will never get him in early… I did it! Well, my little pea did it. 🙂 And I didn’t have to bake a turkey 🙂 So pleased with him!