The addition

This is what the addition of the new supers looks like.

Before:

After:

And full full full of bees.

The Holts are officially on vacation until further notice, so they'll just have to get on without us. They always do.

Super Mom

I couldn't figure out the meeting. They are a mysterious bunch, apiarists, and do not post times for their get-togethers. So I made the call- Dr. Drone's mom. She said she'd be right over, and met Mr. Holt and I at the bee yard with two pretty blue supers in less than 24 hours. She's just as excited about bees as her son, and clearly concerned for the welfare of our hive. She even made a call to the head of the bee research lab to ask some logistical questions for us. Put on both supers at the same time? Only one? etc.

Both, it turns out.

Mr. Holt and I were out of pine needles, our usual smoking fuel, and we had stopped by the pet store to get some cedar chips, like pet bedding, recommended as an alternative. At least at our pet store, they only sell those in 10 pound bags for 30$. No thanks. So we bought this dodgy looking fluffy bedding made from "recycled plant cellulose" and crossed out fingers it would burn cool.

It did, eventually, but not before Mr. Holt spent a great deal of energy coaxing it into a smoldering fire. I can't say I favor it for bee smoking, but this bedding will certainly never kill your hampster by fire.

It was SO hot today, high 90s, and the bees were hanging outside the door, fanning their wings to keep the hive cool and hanging on each other like tiny living ropes.

This is not our hive, did I already mention how much my bees see to hate being photographed? The neighbors were more obliging.

We wrangled the two boxes on, making sure to put a queen excluder between the deeps, the lower, bigger boxes meant for babies and over-winter honey, and the supers, shallower boxes on top. The queen excluder is like a cage that the workers can wiggle through, but the Queen with her giant egg swollen abdomen cannot. Thus she lays only in the deeps. Fabulous.

Lazy Days of June

I am a lady of leisure. I am taking the summer off, no school no work! And the lack of responsibility has made me totally lazy. I haven’t been out to see the hive in over two weeks. I DID read this book:

Nice pictures, not totally informative. But went well with my coffee this morning.

The book reminded me that my hive will be growing out of their space soon, and I need to add some supers- shorter boxes of frames that will be used only for honey storage. I looked on line and they are more expensive than I realized. Not more than a nice pair of sneakers, but still more than I want to spend if I can help it- I'm not working! Plus, I know there is a big box of empy supers at the bee yard…

Now I have to work up the courage to show up at the Central Ohio Beekeepers Association to ask to use one. Tuesday. It’s a date.