Tuesday, July 6, 2010

A new Queen


 Miss Calamity came running in today to tell us there was a swarm by the bee hives.  We all galloped out of the house to see if we needed to catch the swarm, but instead of a nice bundle of bees hanging from a fence post, we saw a circular cloud of buzzing insects.  And then, jackpot - we found a virgin Queen!  The bees were on a mating flight.  It was incredible.

Maid Elizabeth (our bee keeper) decided to take this opportunity to add new supers to the hives and check brood pattern.  The brood was beautiful - very full, with good brood pattern.  The frames were full of brood, pollen and honey.  Our girls have been hard at work.

Maid Elizabeth suiting up....

Getting the smoker ready...

Getting a new super....

Going to the hives with new supers and the smoker....

Miss Calamity watching how it's done....

Smoking the girls....

Aren't they beautiful?

Sisters working together...


Lovely brood pattern....

We have WIND here, so Maid Elizabeth is tying down the hive bodies....

Miss Calamity watering the bees....

Bees are one of God's most incredible creatures.  They are industrious, ordered, perfect!

Bring on the honey flow!

7 comments:

  1. Bees are very cool. I think it is neat that you have them.

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  2. That is just awesomely cool.

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  3. Wonderful post! Whenever we are working with our bees, I usually have my hands too full (I'm suited up) to be able to take photos too -- it is great that you can do that while the girls do their work. Love your close up of the brood pattern.

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  4. I dream of keeping bees someday, and chickens, and a milk cow, and....

    Love the pictorial!

    Melody

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  5. What a lovely picture - 2 sisters working together on the hives. It's reassuring to know there are good, decent young people who will inherit this land. Excellent parenting job!

    NoCal Gal

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  6. Are you mixing plastic frames in with wood ones? It kinda looks like it from the pic. Not that there is a problem as I recently started mixing the two types together as well trying to weed out some old drawn wooden frames.

    I had a mating flight last month I mistook for a swarm as well :)

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  7. I don't undersand anything about bees, but they are extremely beuatiful, my mother want's to keep some some day.

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