We Are Bee Keepers!
The bees have arrived! Finally, our wait was over. The family’s first hive was purchased and a package of bees was ordered from an apiary in Georgia. Who knew that bees came in packages?
The hive project began to take shape when my sister Lori asked if I wanted to attend bee school with her. I knew she was researching the honeybee for the Backyard Bees and Butterflies website and I thought “why not?” Fast-forward eight weeks and we are proud graduates of the Worcester County Beekeepers Association Bee School – diplomas and everything.
I’ll admit that at first, I wasn’t totally committed to the idea of keeping a hive but after the outdoor class experience we had, I was all in. It was fascinating watching our instructors and the scientists from Harvard install the bees into the hives. The bees acclimating to their new home. It was amazing.
We got the call on April 28th to pick up our three pound package of bees (which is roughly 10,000 bees) and our starter hive. I was amazed when I saw the bees for the first time. The soft hum from the box was a contented sound. The bees stayed overnight in our garage and on Saturday April 29th, we installed the package into the hive and became keepers of the bees.
This next part made me nervous. The thought of “shaking” 10,000 bees into a hive was exhilarating and terrifying, but mostly exhilarating. Off came the cover and over went the box and a blob of bees plopped into the hive. A couple more shakes and we had most of the bees in the hive. The sound emanating from the hive was louder than I expected. The hum told us they were agitated but also full of energy and eager to get settled.
How do you get 10,000 bees from a small wooden box into a hive? You shake them in. Lori and I worked together to open the package and inside, suspended from the top of the box, was the queen’s cage. We looked carefully at the queen and her attendants to make sure all were alive and well and then carefully positioned her cage within the hive. She is the reason all of the bees remain in the hive. They work to keep her fed, clean, and happy. In turn, she lays the eggs that keep the hive populated.
This next part made me nervous. The thought of “shaking” 10,000 bees into a hive was exhilarating and terrifying, but mostly exhilarating. Off came the cover and over went the box and a blob of bees plopped into the hive. A couple more shakes and we had most of the bees in the hive. The sound emanating from the hive was louder than I expected. The hum told us they were agitated but also full of energy and eager to get settled.
As fast as they could, the bees got to work. They were inspecting the hive, walking over every frame. Some were clustered around the queen’s cage. A few scout bees took off for their first orientation flights and when they returned we watched as they did their waggle dance sharing the directions to the nearest pollen and nectar sources. The colony was functioning like a well-oiled machine. Each bee knew her job and to watch them work together as a collective was truly captivating. I could have watched them for hours on end.
We closed up the hive, adding the feeder bucket to supplement their foraging for pollen and nectar. We want a strong hive and feeding them in the beginning will give them a head start making honeycomb. We walked away, leaving the hive to settle into their routine.
We’ll be back in a few days to check that the queen has emerged from her cage and to check the progress of the workers. I can hardly wait to see their progress.
Bunch a' Bees 