The last of the hives has died. That cold snap last week must have KO’d ‘em. This was a good hive, gentle bees, and they’ve been around three years at least. I gave my neighbor a swarm from this hive, I’ll check in with her and see if hers made it through. If they did, perhaps she’ll give me some brood and I’ll start again. This time I’m moving the hive to the roof, though. The backyard was too small to share with a bee colony.
Lot’s of honey left behind.
oh no!
r.i.p. busy bees.
let’s pour out a drink for the little fellers tonight.
Comment by sophia — January 12, 2010 @ 11:12 am
Gentle?
Comment by Nate — January 12, 2010 @ 2:50 pm
Sorry about the girls.
Why is that frame so weird-looking?? Is that even a frame?
Comment by Rachel — January 12, 2010 @ 6:43 pm
Hey, saw something today that might help to keep the spam at bay: http://akismet.com/
Comment by Lyle_S — January 12, 2010 @ 6:49 pm
Oh no! Mr. Beez! Do something! We need the honey!
Comment by School kids — January 13, 2010 @ 3:13 am
Nate, With your beard they thought you were a bear. So one sting on the face is a pretty gentle response to a bear attack right? You handled it as calmly as Ive ever seen, actually. “oh. One got me. ” I was impressed.
As far as th weird frame, Rachel, that is as you guessed, a lack of frames on the right side of the photo. One hive died so I put their old honey frames in the new one, then left the other space empty. So that’s a more natural pattern. The gaps are the “bee space” for the ladies to access the cells.
A dream project is to take a fish tank and make a hive from that. No frames. A box around it that lifts off. Then you could look in occasionally.
Maybe I’ll take the wood away from this one and set it in glass for the kids next year!
Finally, thanks for the tip Lyle!
Comment by Rolston — January 14, 2010 @ 8:12 am
boo! poor bees! can i trade you a shitty drawing for some honey?
Comment by mims — January 14, 2010 @ 12:05 pm
They were good bees. You should make a hive from an old 1970′s cabinet TV. Then you could drink beer and watch them from a recliner on your roof.
Comment by Nate — January 15, 2010 @ 11:26 am