Mission Control: We Have Liftoff!

[TimLa]

That was... amazing.

Feeder can was totally dry.
Tried the 'remove the screen' method, gave up and pulled the feeder, pulled the queen cage - no candy.  Not even a place for it.  No panic, I've seen this done, dumped the bees in, popped the cork, put my finger over the hole, hung her from a frame and let go.  She seemed fine before I did that, running around in there.  Within five minutes, the buzzing dropped in half, and the workers started bringing the dead bees and detritus that went in with them, out.

Two feeders, both one quart.  A Boardman on the landing pad, and a inverted poultry feeder about ten feet away.  I'll check them both tomorrow, may add a super and a ziploc feeder when I pull the queen cage out.

They seem pretty tame (smoker is a Good Thing, but didn't really need it that much).  Probably due to the weather - it's about 38 degrees out, sunny when I started, snowing (again) now.  Tonight will be 30, then gradual warming, or so they say.

Had six hitchhikers when I got back to the house.  Suit worked like a champ - even the gloves.  I scuba dive in puget sound (cold) in a drysuit, so I'm used to manipulating things through heavy rubber gloves, guess that helped.  My cool new white coveralls now have bee feces in a few spots - even the top of my veil has a skidmark.   :shock:

My sincerest thanks to all of you for all the advice and resources.  That was pretty cool!  Can't wait to check them out tomorrow...

-T

[TimLa]

Update:

26 hours post-install, they are foraging, but the real blooming won't start for another week or two.  Opened up for inspection, queen cage full of non-queens, and the outside was coated in bees.  Smoke, gentle blow, left it on the landing ramp, and they all left.  Pulled the two center frames which were completely coated in bees on the top 2/3 to 3/4, both sides.  Need to have Charming Wife (SWMBO) take some pix next time.  Where I could see foundation, no evidence of drawing (it's probably buried under the mass of bees).

They aren't consuming much syrup at all.  I picked up a one gallon inverted feeder today, think I'll add two mediums and put that in post haste.  Like, tomorrow.  BTW, saw a good post here somewhere - add gravel (I was thinking aquarium gravel) to the jug feeders to give them access to syrup without drowning.... I'll give that a shot.

They are definitely looking for food, though.  The hive is about 50 yards downhill from our deck, and the deck has a lot of plants on it.  Was out on the deck earlier today and the odd bee came cruising thru every five minutes or so.

Huckleberry and maple will probably bloom next week, some fruit trees are in bloom now, the pear/plum/apple will be soon.  Rhodies are about three weeks out at the earliest.  Dandelions are starting to bloom now, as are the endless acres of alder, so things should improve for the bees real quick now.

It was very cool to open the hive - they're pretty calm, even when I pulled a frame to look.  A few kamikazes, nothing organized.

-T

[Scadsobees]

You might be suprised at how much forage is already out there for them to take in.  This is the first spring with my observation hive, and I'm flabbergasted at how much forage is available already this early!  Our dandelions or fruit trees haven't started yet, but the bees are packing away pollen and some nectar.
Rick

[Cindi]

Tim, nice story, sounds like you are having some good ol' fashioned fun, hee, hee!!  Yep, get the Wife to take some pictures.  We love to see pictures, and every picture tells a story, don't it?  Best of this wonderfully, beautiful day, Cindi