2012 - Rebuilding... Again.

After losing several hives again over the winter, I decided to relocate the hives to a sunnier part of the yard and again repopulate the hives. I ordered four 3 pound packages (bee talk for a container holding three pounds of bee and a queen).

After receiving the packages I installed them at their new location.

Here's the new location as I busily install packages in the new hives.

As the photographer gained courage I managed to get some close up photos as I worked.

The package the bees come in is the shoebox looking thing just in front of the hive. It has window screen on the sides for ventilation. I have shaken most of the bees into the hive and am now installing the queen in her queen cage (the matchbox looking thing in my right hand).

The photographer didn't have the enthusiasm to photograph the repetitive installation of all the hives and soon retired to somewhere away from the action.

The remainder of the year was allowing the hives to grow and of course, feeding them all summer again.

By summers end I had three hives remaining, one had absconded.