Inspecting the Bees
Now that we have the equipment, we are able to actually have a look at the bees that we are taking on.
The owner has been out of the country for a while and hasn't been able to do much to them, so I didn't really know what to expect. Well they look pretty good actually. The hive is a bit of a mess with comb and stuck together with wax and propolis, but the bee's themselves look like they are in good order. While trying to get the comb out I managed to disturb some of the honey which caused a bit of a storm of bee's, but hopefully they will have that sorted out pretty quickly.
I didn't get any pictures of the bees, but this is the smoker. It is used to calm the bees down by making them think that something is on fire and gorging themselves on honey before they escape. After they haven't smelt the smoke for a while they give up any escape plans and get on with their jobs. On close inspection of the comb, you can see all the little bees with their heads stuck into the comb sucking up all the honey.
I managed to clear some of the excess wax and propolis away from the frames, so hopefully it should be a little easier to inspect next time. Having said that, I think there is a good deal of clearing up to do.
Next job is to move the hive from the plot they are on now, to the end of our plot. This is not something I am really looking forward to, but hopefully it shouldn't be too painful (literaly)!
Comments