We get Bees

We ordered bees months ago, and of course, I still hadnt finished the basic beekeeping book before they arrived.  I had put together the bee hive and installed the frames, but I was never more unprepared for anything as I was for getting bees.

We had ordered a nuc.  Which is basically a nucleus colony that comes in a box, you just take it home and put the frames, with queen and bees, into your hive and voila, you have a bee hive.  I quickly skimmed the pages on how to do this.  It didnt seem too difficult, so Breanna and I grabbed the beekeeping veil, and the smoker and headed over to install our nuc.

I got the smoker working pretty easily, the smoke calms the bees so you can move them without getting stung.  I unscrewed the top of the nuc and lifted the lid a little.  The deafening roar of what sounded like millions of bees filled the air. I lowered the lid and stared out into space in terror, realizing I was in way over my head.  I looked over to Breanna standing a safe distance away for support, oh good, she is videoing the whole thing.  Realizing my impending, monumental humiliation will be recorded for the ages, I lifted the lid again, smoked the nuc and told  the bees that “everybody just needs to stay calm”.

I loosened one of the frames and struggled to find someplace on the top of the frame that wasnt crawling with thousands of bees about to be unceremoniously removed from their home. I gingerly lifted the first frame with two finger and if you ever wondered if bees react to fear, I can assure you that they do not, I was positively terrified yet the bees walked around blissfully unaware as I transferred them to their new digs.

After about the third frame, the smoker died.  Rest assured, I kept using it even though no smoke was blowing from the nozzle in the hopes that the smell from a small extinguished fire would somehow pacify the bees in the same way that the the smoke did.  The bees started getting active at this time and I can tell you that its very difficult to tell if the bee angrily flying inches from your face are inside the protective veil or outside it.  I was fighting my flight response about now and I actually had to watch the video to see how things turned out because I dont really remember, but apparently, I got all five frames installed, closed up the new hive, and somehow, survived without a single sting.

So now Im a beekeeper, and no, Im not posting the video