Uncapping the queen...

Joe and I went to visit our bees... the first time since the installation. We only have one veil between us, so I went sans veil since this was Joe's first visit. I was a little freaked out- the bees would pelt my face- but not aggressively- I was simply in their flight path! We opened the hive up and when we pulled out our first frame, we saw that the ladies have been quite busy starting to draw out their comb. One frame was covered with the beginnings of wax honeycomb- not too much, but also not too shabby for their third day. Our job was to remove the plastic cap on the queen excluder, which was her acclimation to the hive box. The colony was getting to know her pheromones without her running around trying to lay eggs, so it was vital she stay separate for the first bit. With the cap gone, the queen should come out in a few days and begin he reign. We shall see!

Let's start at the beginning...

April 26, 2008 we received our bees. The bee association provided a visual demonstration on how to install said bees into the hive that would quickly become their new home. It looked very easy, so I went about our 'installation' with confidence. It went off without a hitch- Melissa video taped the event. Last summer I started getting used to bees - I would sit in my garden and let the bees buzz about to ease my apprehension ( I was AFRAID of bees), so I felt calm when I was shaking the girls out of the shipping box. No more anxiety- I am hooked!