This post may be longer than usual, but there are many updates to share.

Way back in April, I posted about our hopes to add bees to our adventures. We set out swarm traps, and within a week they were the focus of so much interest from our wild bee friends. Things looked promising: bees flying in and out constantly, the sound of industrious humming/buzzing inside. And then … nothing. They just stopped visiting the boxes. We left them up for several months, until it was too late in the season for a hive to get a good start {and before something nastier, like Japanese hornets – or snakes – moved in}. Mr’s theory is the wild bees stole the wax we painted on the frames as “starter,” but we’re waiting until much cooler weather to open them up and see.

What’s a nuc?
Basically a “mini hive” of bees.
We ordered 5 frames of bees
including brood and the queen,
versus buying a package of loose bees.

After much deliberation, we decided to order a nuc from a local bee supplier. While we hoped to catch our own bees versus buying them, we wanted to start our apiary this year and supporting other local farms/businesses is always a good thing. It was mid-May before we called about a nuc, so we were added to the waitlist and told it might be a bit.

While waiting, we played around with building another different kind of hive: a top-bar hive from plan’s found on the Bee Mindful site. We liked the design and theory behind this hive, and they’re very simple and quick to put together. Plus they’re cute and much easier to move around. Definitely a strong contender for future hive-builds.

A few weeks ago, we learned the man we bought honey from was retiring from beekeeping and selling his bees. We made inquiries which led to an appointment to check out his hives the following week. The morning we visited the hives was such a cool experience {I’d never seen inside a hive in real-life before}, but I have no pictures because we were suited up and the bees were a bit angsty to be messed with on such a hot day. We liked what we saw, and it was such a rare opportunity, to be able to buy established hives {and gain a built-in mentor!}. An agreement was reached, and a time set for us to come the next weekend to relocate the 5 hives we were buying. Yes. 5!

What followed was a week of scurrying to get the beeyard ready – finding a spot with enough sun to keep them healthy {and warm in the winter}, but enough shade to help them not be so grumpy in the summer. The creek is nearby, for easy water access, and there’s a massive plot of goldenrod about to bloom for fall feeding. And of course, as so often happens … While preparing to bring 5 fully established hives home, we got the call our nuc box would be ready to pick up the same day. Cue all the “busy bee” memes, ha.

Stay tuned for the arrival of the bees and an introduction to our beeyard!