It is a true wonder how such a small thing like a bee, can seem like an innocent passerby-er, but collectively they are mighty intimidating. And when you factor in their role in our world, pollinating our crops, our need for them for our food supply. This tiny creature is greatly overlooked.
My delay in posting about them is because it was not a smooth process. But for the sake of keeping it real, I wanted to share my experience with you. My error was installing the bees on a cooler day. I thought it would be a gentler process to open the crate, hang the queen on a frame, and let the bees get out of the box on their own. I checked about 3 weeks in and could not locate the queen. So I rushed to find one, terrified that I had already failed as a beekeeper.
I luckily located Turtlebee Farms- http://www.turtlebeefarms.com/. They had a queen bee, and the whole family was so pleasant and knowledgeable, that I instantly feel in love with them. There are still good, kindhearted people in this world, and what a pleasure it was to meet them. They welcomed me into their home and bee shop, and gave me all kinds of tips. They explained that you can only do the "gentler" process on warmer days. It appears the bees didn't get out of the box and surround the queen as they should've and didn't keep her warm. They gave me a mated queen, (A few bees that already knew her as their queen), and also offered if it didn't work to help me with frames of brood as well.
All worked out, the hive accepted the 2nd queen, and they have been in full force since June. I've been boosting them with some extra sugar water now as we get into Fall. From what I've heard from some fellow beekeeping friends is that my bees maybe a little bit behind schedule. So I'll continue to keep you updated as time goes on.
Why did I decide to keep bees? It really seemed like a natural progression for me. I have always loved to cook, Having access to the best and freshest food has lead me to love gardening, which in turn has lead me to bees. (chickens are also on my radar, but I am still working on my husband on that one.) Bee keeping gives me a little self-sufficiency that I find completely gratifying.
Maybe a part of my heart loves farming due to some of our family roots. Our family farm in Kentucky was sold in the Spring, and the following week I had my box of bees. Our family has been reminiscing all of our times there, the good and the bad memories. My mother commented that the farm is no longer gone. I was a little confused at first wondering what she meant. The papers were signed, it was a done deal. But she said my new honey bees are like my own little farm, along with my small backyard garden. The farm is not gone, it is in my soul and it is here with me. Kinda ironic when life comes full circle sometimes.