It’s the Bees Knees!

Home
About

Sign Up For Membership

Hello Friends!

Hear the latest information on our talk show. Get special updates not found on our blog. Get all the VIP extras from Renegade Farmer and Renegade Farmer Talk Show BY SIGNING UP HERE!

Name:

Email:

We respect your email privacy
VOTE FOR ZAN on Oprah’s Talk Show Challenge ’til July 3rd!

Follow this link for her audition Video and TO VOTE! YOU CAN VOTE MORE THAN ONCE EACH DAY!! Thank you! http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=9848&promo_id=1
Friend Connect
Archives
Search for:
Meta

March 5th, 2010

Zan

Hey Folks!

Wow, I actually have a chance to write a bit about farming, and it doesn’t involve any general news announcements for the Renegade Farmer? Who knew!

Haha, of course, you knew I was going to have to at least insert this bit of news before I got started: Don’t forget to tune into the Renegade Farmer THIS SUNDAY March 7th at 6pm EST as we talk to Chris Lindemer about her new book, “True Cow Tales.” It explores various stories from across the country about COWS, from life as a “dairy queen,” to real life cow-boys and cow-girls, and a dying way of life!

If you don’t have the LINK to our show, and you want to call in or just listen live, SUBSCRIBE for membership!

Ok, now with THAT out of the way….

So I thought, since so many people are interested in beekeeping, I’d revisit installing our package bees from last year (this would be part two of THIS POST I shared with you earlier). I am still not sure what I might be doing regarding an online beekeeping class for you Renegade Farmers out there but, in any case, I hope you enjoy this little foray into setting up the Stinging Ladies!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These bees were not like our first hive–they are package bees and do not come with their own frames of honey or brood. And their queen is also new to them and must be kept in her own little travel box, whereas the nuc hive already has an established queen….so it’s a different situation altogether.

Here are some pics of the day of installing ):

Here I am, getting into the bee suit (a.k.a. “the Zoot Soot”)

That day, I was accompanied by my landlady’s employees, and Dwain was taking photographs. Here is Amilcar…

And James….who I think was getting into the role just A BIT much…

Here is the OTHER James, my landlady’s husband. He was taking video of the experience.

Here are the three beekeepers! Notice our lovely New York City skyline in the back!

And the stars of the show! THE BEES!

James helped me remove the package components. we had to take off a small piece of wood and remove the sugar water in a can, which came with the bees so they could eat. This is the round circle you see in the middle of the box of bees, above.

We then had to remove the queen cage, which is held on the top, to the side. You can’t really see her well in the above image–because she is blocked by the attendant bees, which come with her. One of her workers has identified her and is sitting outside of the box to the left.

Once we removed the queen, it was time to pour the bees into the hive….

…Literally you pour and shake the box sharply down, in the air, to dislodge the bees from the box. The box is then left on its side so the remaining bees can find their way to the hive.