Its been very quiet here at the (B)Hive. I let the girls do there thing over winter and with it being extra cold, and some of the reliable yellow box gums not flowering the hive looked a light on for honey when I peeked inside a few weeks ago.
....and then, spring! Instantly here in Adelaide we have had warm weather and the flowers are out everywhere! Takwe a step out the door and you can smell them everywhere!
A regular morning inspection - I often check in on the girls every morning before I drive to work - just to see them coming and going from the box....but today it was louder and busier than normal! Where was the noise coming from? It wasn't the hive....Look up! High in the Claret Ash above the hive was a huge cluster of bees. Oooo, a queen is in the middle! Can I make this into another hive?
A quick you tube look at how to gather them, a text conversation of twenty with my bee man Colin and his mentor Fred and the decision was made to come and collect them.
This girl wasn't going to wait - so I gathered a cardboard box and went out in full martian suit and smoker ready to gather.....they'd gone!
Smelling the pine needle smoke my neighbour came out to investigate and told me they'd noticed bees in the garden this morning. a quick forage and there they were...low down to the ground in a Grevillea. OK Tracy, you can do this....fabric under the shrub hand gently going into the foliage with secateurs to trim off the branch - snip, shake into the the box in one firm move and then set aside to settle and gather the rest into it.
After an hour I gathered the box and brought it back into my yard having set up a spot near to my hive ready for new brood box and frames.
I took this footage quickly - wish Id taken more shots during the process but its is about the bees not photos and I wasn't going to take my gloves on and off I can tell you!
Love the dance they do! As soon as I turned the sealed box over, they found a gap or two in the bottom and immediately began to do their bee disco! Great to watch and thus, me running inside to grab the phone to film this!
You know the best thing? It was next morning with Fred. A lovely gentleman and bee guru. We both stood without bee suits, hats or gloves and rehoused the box of bees - there was a huge stack of them - into the new brood box! I loved standing quietly amongst them as they flew around and resettled. NOT ONE STING! They really did have full tummies of honey as Fred suggested - too full to be angry and sting!
The bees are now rehoused in one of Fred's hives. I will be ready next year with my second hive set up ready for them! cant wait!
The bees that didn't quite make it into the new brood box buzzed around the spot for the day and I'll go with Fred's knowledge that they will probably be reabsorbed back into my hive as this is the most likely place they came from the day earlier!
....and then, spring! Instantly here in Adelaide we have had warm weather and the flowers are out everywhere! Takwe a step out the door and you can smell them everywhere!
A regular morning inspection - I often check in on the girls every morning before I drive to work - just to see them coming and going from the box....but today it was louder and busier than normal! Where was the noise coming from? It wasn't the hive....Look up! High in the Claret Ash above the hive was a huge cluster of bees. Oooo, a queen is in the middle! Can I make this into another hive?
A quick you tube look at how to gather them, a text conversation of twenty with my bee man Colin and his mentor Fred and the decision was made to come and collect them.
This girl wasn't going to wait - so I gathered a cardboard box and went out in full martian suit and smoker ready to gather.....they'd gone!
Smelling the pine needle smoke my neighbour came out to investigate and told me they'd noticed bees in the garden this morning. a quick forage and there they were...low down to the ground in a Grevillea. OK Tracy, you can do this....fabric under the shrub hand gently going into the foliage with secateurs to trim off the branch - snip, shake into the the box in one firm move and then set aside to settle and gather the rest into it.
After an hour I gathered the box and brought it back into my yard having set up a spot near to my hive ready for new brood box and frames.
I took this footage quickly - wish Id taken more shots during the process but its is about the bees not photos and I wasn't going to take my gloves on and off I can tell you!
Love the dance they do! As soon as I turned the sealed box over, they found a gap or two in the bottom and immediately began to do their bee disco! Great to watch and thus, me running inside to grab the phone to film this!
 |
| All dancing and pointing the way in ....amazing to watch .....and within seconds of the box being turned! |
You know the best thing? It was next morning with Fred. A lovely gentleman and bee guru. We both stood without bee suits, hats or gloves and rehoused the box of bees - there was a huge stack of them - into the new brood box! I loved standing quietly amongst them as they flew around and resettled. NOT ONE STING! They really did have full tummies of honey as Fred suggested - too full to be angry and sting!
The bees are now rehoused in one of Fred's hives. I will be ready next year with my second hive set up ready for them! cant wait!
The bees that didn't quite make it into the new brood box buzzed around the spot for the day and I'll go with Fred's knowledge that they will probably be reabsorbed back into my hive as this is the most likely place they came from the day earlier!
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