Remember beekeepers to always plan for the worst case scenario so you won't be surprised about the madcap chaos that happens in real life.
5:30pm - temps low 60s, overcast
After my lovely friend from Scotland blessed the bees we drove to Huntly, VA to install the bees and split one of my existing hives. In the beeyard we had the smoker going and sugar water spray. I banged the box down so as to get the majority of the bees out away from the entrance. Prying off the top bars I gently pulled out the can that contained the sugar water to feed the bees while being transported. Taking the foil strip I pulled the queen cage out. This one was different from last year. The queen had no attendants with her in the cage and no candy plug on the end. Remember Murphys law. I looked for the other queen that I was assured would be shipped in the package, however, no sign of her.
I had contacted this particular company three to four times about the two queens and how I wanted to make sure that they arrived on the same day. The company representative assured me all was well. No dice. I was in a bit of a tizzy and my husband said I had a rather large clump of bees nestled on top of my helmet, which he did not want to tell me about it. Maybe the ladies were trying to cool me down. Mantra for the bee yard --- hummmm hummm all is peace, all is well. No blathering and splathering. Be calm dear beekeeper.
My father and I searched the bees thinking the company may have shipped one queen in the cage and just set the other queen lose with the packaged bees. We could not locate the 2nd promised and paid for queen. There was a remaining clump of bees in the box so I disassembled the box and still no queen.
6:00pm
At that point, I contacted the company, which was located in California, and they told me ooops we forgot to send that 2nd Queen.
We set the almost empty box next to the entrance so that the remaining bees could fly in when ready. Poured sugar syrup in the top feeder. Put the top on and said goodnight.
Plan B: Have my queen shipped next week so I can split the hive.
5:30pm - temps low 60s, overcast
After my lovely friend from Scotland blessed the bees we drove to Huntly, VA to install the bees and split one of my existing hives. In the beeyard we had the smoker going and sugar water spray. I banged the box down so as to get the majority of the bees out away from the entrance. Prying off the top bars I gently pulled out the can that contained the sugar water to feed the bees while being transported. Taking the foil strip I pulled the queen cage out. This one was different from last year. The queen had no attendants with her in the cage and no candy plug on the end. Remember Murphys law. I looked for the other queen that I was assured would be shipped in the package, however, no sign of her.
I had contacted this particular company three to four times about the two queens and how I wanted to make sure that they arrived on the same day. The company representative assured me all was well. No dice. I was in a bit of a tizzy and my husband said I had a rather large clump of bees nestled on top of my helmet, which he did not want to tell me about it. Maybe the ladies were trying to cool me down. Mantra for the bee yard --- hummmm hummm all is peace, all is well. No blathering and splathering. Be calm dear beekeeper.
My father and I searched the bees thinking the company may have shipped one queen in the cage and just set the other queen lose with the packaged bees. We could not locate the 2nd promised and paid for queen. There was a remaining clump of bees in the box so I disassembled the box and still no queen.
6:00pm
At that point, I contacted the company, which was located in California, and they told me ooops we forgot to send that 2nd Queen.
We set the almost empty box next to the entrance so that the remaining bees could fly in when ready. Poured sugar syrup in the top feeder. Put the top on and said goodnight.
Plan B: Have my queen shipped next week so I can split the hive.
