#5. Waiting for the hives

Contrary to the flattering suggestions of a couple of my esteemed readers, I am not going to be designing and building my own hives - not this season, anyway.  As a matter of fact, I did, indeed, take the plunge and ordered a couple of hives and other supplies from Betterbee, a company in NY State, after consulting with mentor Ray Lackey.  I stuck with the 8-frame system, and when I asked Ray to weigh in, he suggested using all medium-depth boxes, for both brood rearing and honey supers. 

I just called Betterbee to see when I could expect delivery.  And, like the other novice beekeeper who ordered from them and reported back to our Yahoo Group, was told that some supplies are on back order and it might be a month or more before my stuff arrives.  The timing should be fine since the bees are not scheduled to arrive before May.  I should use the time to organize my 'bee yard'.  I need to level the ground a bit, get up some deer (and dog) fencing, and put down landscape cloth topped with mulch where the hives will be placed.  We've been warned that green growth underneath and around the hives is a no-no.  It can obstruct the entry to the hive and invites unwanted critters - like mice - that can devastate a hive.

Spring is in the air.  Last night I heard the spring peepers singing their song for the first time this year, and though there weren't that many yet, soon their chirping will fill the night air.  I hope I see some of the tiny frogs this year.  Last year I was thrilled to come across one of them sitting on my basement steps.  Found another one hiding in a flower pot.  Charming little things.

Even though my bees haven't yet arrived, I already find myself periodically assessing the days based on how the bees would like the weather, and wondering how they'd be behaving.  (As an aside, it's annoyingly tempting to add and extra 'e' to everything that starts with 'be', as in "wondering how they'd 'bee beehaving'".  Somebody please stop me!)  Yesterday was gray and super foggy.  Bees don't like flying on overcast or rainy days, and they wouldn't have been happy.  In fact, you're not supposed to 'work' the hives during cloudy weather:  the bees are cranky!  Today is a completely different story - brilliant blue skies since sunrise.  One of our Yahoo Bee Group members who has established hives posted about a week ago that his bees were flying a bit on the handful of bright, warmer days we've had.  He said they were visiting skunk cabbage and witch hazel - 2 woodland natives that are winter-blooming. 

I am having fun trying to figure out what plants my bees will ultimately be visiting.  Ray had sent us a plant list, but it looked pretty basic.  There were so many things that weren't on there, like Russian olive and shadbush, which are heavy, heavy bloomers, and look like they have lots of pollen, and are all over my neck of the woods.  So I did a little research and came across a Wikipedia entry that was just what I was looking for:  "Northern nectar sources for honey bees".  Brilliant.  It breaks down the data by season, plant type (shrubs and trees v. crops and flowers), whether the flowers are good for pollen, nectar or both, how useful it is to the bees, and whether it can be a source for 'monofloral' honey, i.e. honey that comes from a single nectar source only.  By the way, the Russian olive elaeagnus angustifolia is a an invasive species that I have been clearing - and clearing - and clearing - from my property.  It's a constant, uphill battle, since all my neighbors have it in their yards, and it reproduces rampantly by seed.  Still, now there may be a silver lining to this cloud - the shrubs produce masses of flowers, and even though it's not listed in the Wiki plant list, I have seen in other places that it provides major bee food.

Nuts and bolts fans, here's how the first order from Betterbee shook out:    

Order Summary:

Item Description Options Qty Rate Amount Goatskin Leather Gloves GOATSKIN GLOVES size: XSmall 1 $18.95 $18.95 Round Tie-Down Veil ROUND VEIL 2 $13.95 $27.90 10" Betterbee Hookend Hive Tool 10'' BETTERBEE HOOK- END HIVE TOOL 1 $11.95 $11.95 Bee Brush Bee Brush 1 $3.95 $3.95 Mouse Guard Mouse Guard 2 $1.40 $2.80 Universal Entrance Reducer Universal Entrance Reducer 2 $2.00 $4.00 Universal Entrance Closure Universal Entrance Closure 2 $2.00 $4.00 Economy Smoker ECONOMY SMOKER (7") 1 $27.95 $27.95 BeeMax Hive Top Feeder for 8 Frame Wooden Hives 8 Frame BeeMax Hivetop Feeder 2 $19.95 $39.90 Plastic Insert for 8 frame BeeMax Hivetop Feeders Plexiglass divider for 8 frame feeder 2 BHTF80 8 FRAME BEEMAX HIVE TOP FEEDER 2 Bottom Mounted Pollen Trap Bottom Mounted Pollen Trap Hive type: 8 Frame 1 $59.95 $59.95 8 Frame Monitor and Debris Tray 8 Frame Varroa Monitor & Debris Tray 2 $5.95 $11.90 8 Frame Varroa Screen with Entrance Closure 8 Frame Varroa Screen w/ Wooden Entrance Closure 2 $14.25 $28.50 Vertical Slatted Rack Vertical Slatted Rack Hive type: 8 Frame 2 $10.95 $21.90 8 Frame Triangular Escape Board 8 Frame Triangular Escape Board 2 $9.95 $19.90 Assembled Supering Kit - 8 Frame Assembled Supering Kit - 8 Frame 3 $65.95 $197.85 Unassembled Medium Super - Commercial Grade Unassembled Medium Super 6 Medium Pierco Frame MEDIUM PIERCO FRAMES - BLACK 48 QEP-8 Frame 8 Frame Plastic Queen Excluder 3 Weight-Lite Kit 8 Frame 8 Frame Assembled Weight-Lite Kit 2 $98.95 $197.90 Galvanized Telescoping Outer Cover Galvanized Telescoping Outer Cover 2 Inner Cover for Wooden Hive Inner Cover 2 Unassembled Medium Super - Commercial Grade Unassembled Medium Super 4 8 Frame Pine Bottom Board with Entrance Reducer 8 Frame Reversible Bottom Board w/ Wooden Entrance Reducer 2 Medium Pierco Frame MEDIUM PIERCO FRAMES - BLACK 32 Tax $58.59 Total $737.89

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Bee Good, Do Good Work, 

The Staff at Betterbee