---Part 1: Preparation
Getting the hives all set...
More prep...
The Bees are Finally here, and excitment is building....
Great interest in these amazing little bees...
Getting things juuuust right....
**Elated** - we're all ready!!--Part 2: Getting ready to hive the bees....
Mommy and the EpiPen - we made sure to keep the EpiPen close at hand, just in case you know...
We had ordered our bee suits, but they had not yet arrived, so we dressed in long sleeves, and made sure that all places that the bees could enter through were shut securely (we even turned up the collars of our shirts and taped them shut! :-o) with medical or duck tape. =)
Getting taped up...
The adventure really has begun!
Mommy had the very important job of reading to us the step by step instructions out of our "Beekeeping for Dummies"book.
The Great Videographer of the occasion
Some were more cautious than others - Abigail kept her safe distance
Grandma and our cousin Lainey came to watch
Taking off the lid so we can first get out the queen's box, and inspect her.
Our first peek at the bees...
Our royal queen and all her attendants =)
Now for the fun part - Caleb was pouring the bees into the hive!! It was quite incredible
We had a few runs from bees with the first hive, but fortunately, no stings YET......
Daddy, getting the last of the bees out
At last, Safely in their new home...
Hooray! One hive happily completed!
Nicole valiantly poured the second hive... and this is where the excitement REALLY began.........
We were getting chased left and right by bees - Nicole and I were having trouble with bees burrowing themselves in our hair, and that caused quite the fiasco!! (the reason we had trouble with this however, was because we had foolishly neglected to wear a hat.)
And finally, Ouch... I got a honey bee sting... I must say, they are not very pleasant to get, but not as bad as I envisioned it =)
Nicole and Caleb both got a sting in their hair on the back of their heads. After that, Caleb decided to wear a mosquito net
Praise the Lord - the job is successfully completed! (I wish I had a picture of the whole bee crew, but I do not :-( ) Now, no peeking inside the hives for a whole week...
...And stay tune for more updates on the Kanomata Family Escapades Blog! ;-)
We had ordered our bee suits, but they had not yet arrived, so we dressed in long sleeves, and made sure that all places that the bees could enter through were shut securely (we even turned up the collars of our shirts and taped them shut! :-o) with medical or duck tape. =)
Getting taped up...
--Part 3: The adventure really takes off...
The adventure really has begun!
Mommy had the very important job of reading to us the step by step instructions out of our "Beekeeping for Dummies"book.
The Great Videographer of the occasion
Some were more cautious than others - Abigail kept her safe distance
Grandma and our cousin Lainey came to watch
Taking off the lid so we can first get out the queen's box, and inspect her.
Our first peek at the bees...
Our royal queen and all her attendants =)
Now for the fun part - Caleb was pouring the bees into the hive!! It was quite incredible
We had a few runs from bees with the first hive, but fortunately, no stings YET......
Daddy, getting the last of the bees out
At last, Safely in their new home...
Hooray! One hive happily completed!Hive #2
When we opened the 2nd box of bees, we discovered that the queen and all her attendants had died, and Daddy quickly ordered a replacement which was safely introduced to the hive yesterday.
Nicole valiantly poured the second hive... and this is where the excitement REALLY began.........
We were getting chased left and right by bees - Nicole and I were having trouble with bees burrowing themselves in our hair, and that caused quite the fiasco!! (the reason we had trouble with this however, was because we had foolishly neglected to wear a hat.)
And finally, Ouch... I got a honey bee sting... I must say, they are not very pleasant to get, but not as bad as I envisioned it =)
Nicole and Caleb both got a sting in their hair on the back of their heads. After that, Caleb decided to wear a mosquito net
Praise the Lord - the job is successfully completed! (I wish I had a picture of the whole bee crew, but I do not :-( ) Now, no peeking inside the hives for a whole week...
...And stay tune for more updates on the Kanomata Family Escapades Blog! ;-)
What an exciting post!! It seems that the Kanomata Farm is the abode of the most venturesome and fortitudinous of saints... hiving bees without a suit or veil takes, um, a great deal of audacity!! The pictures bring many a good memory... I think hiving bees is one of the very fun parts of raising them. We're quite sorry you got stung, but there again, they say bee venom is a strong anti-cancer agent... :-D Thanks SO much for the pictures - it's grand fun to see your escapades in detail! Congratulations on becoming beekeeper's! Keep us posted!!
ReplyDeleteOh how fun! Now the next excitement will be the inspections, and... when they swarm!!! :) Now, just don't get anymore stings, and you'll have to keep us updated on how Russian bees do, and if they are any sweeter then our "Africanized" killer Italians!! :) :) (new queens are on their way!)
ReplyDeleteHave fun, and we look forward to more updates!
Hey guys,
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to paint the hive!!!
You know, wood won't last if it's not protected...
To the best of my observation, if it has been covered with "something", it's certainly not enough, in fact, it doesn't even come close.
But hey, this is what learning is all about.
Another thought,
Don't believe Robby about Apitherapy and all of it's supposed health benefits, "bee stings are known to be carcinogenic and mutinogenic".
Remember, I'm the doctor – He's the quack...
But hey, who ever said life was going to be a piece of cake...
Have fun!!!
Bounding Big Boo
aka, Randall Lee Steffens Sr.