We've got bees!

After last falls's disaster, we have been anxiously waiting for it to get warm enough to get some new hives going.  

Kelley found this place on the internet that had new packages so he ordered two.  We went out to south Jordan to pick them up and there was a lot of people there buying them.  It was just a family business selling packages they had started their selves from their home. They have a pretty cool set up though with his whole garage filled with boxes and packages.   He opened it up for us so we could see there was a queen in there and there was a ton of bees!

We brought them home and Kelley put the new queen in her box.  It's so interesting to see how they make their new home!  I've been listening to some podcasts about bees that just blow my mind!  These  little creatures are so incredibly smart!

 So he puts the queen in the little box with a marshmallow blocking her exit so she has to eat her way out, or the worker bees help her get out.  Either way, it takes a little time.  So Kelley taped up the entrance to the hive all except for a little hole to discourage the whole hive from flying away.  Then he left it like that for about two weeks.  

Yesterday, we got into the boxes again to see how they were doing and to put the wood slats in for them to build their honey comb on.  They had already started making waxy honeycomb and it was just sitting in the box.  The queen was out and being all primped by the other bees.  So all seems to be going well! 

 I didn't think I was going to get too hands on this time, so I didn't put a suit on.  When I was filming KC and Kelley I could tell the bees were getting fired up.  They get mad when they think you are intruding into the hive and that's just what Kelley was doing.  He was trying to put the slats in but I guess they don't know that.  We decided to back off and get the smoker to calm them down.  One chased me though and got in my hair!  I could feel it crawling around on my head and was trying real hard not to freak out.  KC very carefully picked it out of my hair and I didn't get stung!  I think the poor thing lost a couple legs in the process though.  Ewwwww

This is the waxy honeycomb they had been making.  It amazes me how perfectly shaped each little piece is.

Hoping for a summer of happy bees!  They made such a huge difference last year in the production of our garden and all the neighbors gardens too!