The Rhode Island Apiary - Progress and Foundationless Frames

You may remember that one of our April 16th Russian packages was made into a nuc and transported to Rhode Island, joined with another nuc purchased at a local apiary.  This photo shows the activity after introduction into their new homes. 

Mirror Hive Part 5, Other Musings, New Conclusions

I was getting tired of having my Mirror Hive be so far behind everyone else and am fortunate enough to have had a spare Russian hive that I set aside as part of my bee addiction.  That hive was doing very well, and was housed in a 2-story 6-frame nuc of my own design and construction.  So I admit to cheating and taking three frames of brood and putting them in the stale hive.  I hope they take!

Partnering With Church Of The Pilgrims

One of the Church's members produced this great video of their bee installation and its significance for their members and their mission.  The music is groovy too:

Bread For The City...Installing New Bees Video

Visit to the Fresh and Local CSA Apiary...Adding Three More Hives

DOES ANYBODY NEED BEES?

My supplier is bringing a shipment back this weekend.  3 lbs of Italians.  Let me know if you are interested.

Swarm. Damn IT!!

10 New Packages Arriving Today!

Most of these have been spoken for as we will have six new hives in DC by Thursday (getting us over the 30 new colony mark within the District).

Visit to Church of the Pilgrims

I was invited to the Church, located in Dupont Circle,  today to show off their bees to those assembled to help plant their growing food garden.  the produce from this garden is intended to support the church's efforts feeding the local homeless population.

NPR Segment

Here is the link to the NPR piece this morning on DC Honeybees.

The Mirror Hive, Part 4 - Queen-right

No pictures here, but just an update.  In our last episode I realized the Mirror Hive was queen-less and suffering, so we took a frame of bees and brood from another hive to reinforce the hive and perhaps stimulate the production of a new queen.  We also, as chance allows occasionally, had a carni queen that was rejected by a nuc I had produced and was in the process of being "balled," ($25 down the drain).  I rescued her from that awful fate and unceremoniously placed her in the Mirror Hive with odds of less than 50 percent that she would survive the night there having been no time for the existing bees to aclimated to her scent.

Hive in Tree on Capitol Hill, Part 2, With Video

I went back to the tree on Capitol Hill to try out my theory of encoraging a swarm and evacuation of the hive using the Honey Robber product.

Video Of Our First Installation on April 16

Our friends over at Sweet Huckleberry were our first stop after we picked up our 51 packages on April 16.  They were kind enough to video the install.  Note the false confidence I exude on install number 1.  I wasn't quite that fierce on install number 51.

Jeff.

The Mirror Hive, Part 3 - Queenless

When your hive is acting strange, is not building up comb, is not feeding on syrup, the main culprit may be a problem with the queen.