Monday, April 30, 2012

The bees are here!!

 Yesterday I went and picked up two 4 frame nucs of Italian honey bees. I was actually feeling a little nervous - would I remember how to do everything. Though the man that mentored me last year is still willing for me to call with questions I know that he is also helping out 16 1st year beekeepers so I think I will try to do the best I can without bothering him much.
  Also I am planning on veering a bit from his style of beekeeping as I would like to be a more natural beekeeper (basically no medication though using some natural methods of keeping pests and diseases away- I am still learning on this!) and I want to try overwintering the bees this year.

After getting the bees I started feeling much more at ease. I do really enjoy watching them and marveling and God's wonderful creation!

  I will study and learn to the best of my ability, pray hard, do my best and then be content with the results.
 This afternoon I checked on them and I did give them some sugar water in the feeder as well as a pollen patty. I am doubtful that they need any feeding at all as we have had an early spring and their is both pollen and nectar available but I am trying to stay on the safe side.

 This year I tried making my own pollen patties. I am curious to see if they like them. I found the recipe here but I made a much smaller batch for my two hives.

There is brood. It will be fun to see how fast these colonies grow!


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7 comments:

  1. Serving A Generation for JesusApril 30, 2012 at 8:31 AM

    Wow! That is so cool! Good for you on being such a prudent, busy with your hand, creative wife and mother!!!!

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  2. SharmApril 30, 2012 at 3:41 PM

    This is awesome Abbi! I have often thought about keeeping a few bees, but it never has gotten further than that! Praying it is successful for you. Give us an update in a couple months time!

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  3. MistyMay 1, 2012 at 7:03 AM

    So happy for you.. :) Hoping you reap a bountiful harvest!

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  4. NicholeMay 2, 2012 at 12:24 PM

    I really want to get some bees but my hubby says no, he's afraid of people getting "attacked" and thinks it would be too hard.

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  5. AbbiMay 4, 2012 at 2:12 PM

    Thanks for all your well wishes!
    For those of you that have thought about doing bees I do want to encourage you. It does take work but much of the year it is very little. It is really mainly the honey harvesting - if you were blessed with a lot like we were that takes a fair amount of work.
    They are also (at least in our experience) quite safe to have around. We have only been bothered by them when we were messing in their hives.

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  6. AnitaMay 8, 2012 at 7:52 AM

    Good luck with your new bees Abbi! Where did you get the pollen for your patties? Did you collect it from your hives? I'm curious to see how your bees like it. You should try to overwinter your hives this year. As you long as you leave them enough honey and feed if they need it, they have a good chance of surviving. I also insulate the outside cover and wrap in tar paper for the cold New England winters.

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  7. AbbiJuly 13, 2012 at 11:00 PM

    Thanks for your encouragement Anita. I didn't truly have pollen in the patties- I think the Brewers yeast works as a substitute. They did eat it up pretty good- one hive more than the other.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I really enjoy it when you join in the conversation.

If you have a question please feel free to ask and I will attempt to answer it (if I can!) as I have time.

Abbi