orioles also like honey

The e bees were added to this hive  in the rain, and many frames were missing or crooked. So, the bees make a lot of bur comb.  That was removed with some honey already made.  The honey was wonderful!  It almost makes me want to change plans to make this a buckwheat honey hive  by planting the nearby field with buckwheat.  The bees are very active and very few dead bees under the entrance.  A small amount of excess honey was placed in an orange rind and the Orioles love it.  They are usually skittish, but they were so interested in the honey, they allowed close up pictures.   Two missing hive tools not found, I guessed they were inside the hive, but no. 

More bees may 2013

I installed a queen and her entourage from another source on 5/8 in pouring rain and cold in this unpainted hive.  The bees got into my suit and hood but did not sting, maybe just glad to be out of the weather.  These are unusually docile bees.   5/11 and they are thriving.

 These are the hives Hilary installed, they are both doing fine, collecting pollen from unknown sources.

They each have an empty hive set up next to them for their anticipated swarming.  Last year we housed
swarms in hastily assembled "hives",  gave some away and several went wild.

 This hive seems to be doing the best, it was  made by Tom Kendhammer, thicker wood, better construction so is probably warmer.

new bees for 2013

Two packages arrived with the queen and  2 pounds of bees, they adapted well, Hilary installed them with ease carefully adding queens.  On May 8, I installed a queen and entourage, from a different source in an unpainted hive at a more isolated location.  These new arrivals are more docile, despite pouring rain and cold. They got inside my bee suit and mask, but did not sting, maybe just happy to out of the weather.  The Vue's are planting their usual wonderful garden.  I cleaned and worked around the well head.  The water here is pristine, micro biologically and chemically, we want to keep it that way.

e they were just happy to be out of bad weather where-ever.  So, we now have three hives.