I am standing with the hive
Bee butt
A few of the inmates
THE BEES ARE FALLING
The little box is where the queen is. A marshmallow is at the entrance of the little box to keep her in. The workers will chew through it to let her free.
My bee explainer and helper, Corky, shows how to transfer bees into the hive.
Mom and me. The workers.
A birdbath the bees can drink from
The hive!!!
My helper, Teddy. He stole mom's garden glove.
All seven boxes
Painting
Me painting the boxes blue
Grandpa and me 
Grandpa building the beehive
Hello. I am Audrey, a 13 year old girl from Seattle. I have always loved bees, so after going to meetings at the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association I ordered bees from California. The Queen is Italian, so supposedly she is calmer. Today, was the greatest day, for she arrived. Her name is Queen Tatania after the fairy queen in A Mid Summer's Night Dream. For the following year I will be documenting my attempt at beekeeping, showing what it is like being a first time beekeeper, hopefully making honey and selling it, and surviving the winter. Hope you enjoy! -Audrey
Audrey - your hives are amazing! I love the colors, and I bet the bees will too! I too am a beginning beekeeper. I took a workshop with the PSBA at the Arboretum and it gave me the confidence to move forward with my dream. Like you, I have been fascinated with bees my entire life. I also installed my bees on Tuesday. Right now, my biggest challenge is waiting a week before peeking into my hive! I live in Snoqualmie, so our locales will have a very different effect on our bees. I would love to compare notes to see how our different environments affect the prosperity of our colonies. My 12 & 13 yr old sons are my assistants, and they share my curiosity for these amazing creatures. While the weather out here may be harsher, we've got plentiful blossoms -- lots of blackberries, and there's a blueberry farm about a mile as the crow, rather as the bee flies, so there should be an abundance of nectar for them. Let's keep in touch to learn from each other!
ReplyDeleteKaren
ReplyDeleteGreat to know someone is reading and interested in bees too! Hope yours are doing well. I think you may have more flowers and berries than I have in town. I bet the inside of your hive is thriving.
Audrey
I've put the second deep on top, at about 7 weeks. The bees went gangbusters the first month but slowed down, maybe they're as tired of the rain as I am? :0
ReplyDeleteHow is your hive doing?
Karen, my hive is doing very well. I now have six boxes on. I'm going to start pulling frames full of honey tomorrow. Getting exciting!!
ReplyDeleteAudrey