87080 Valley Rd Bayfield WI 54814  ph. 715.779.3941
Highland Valley Farm
  • Current Info
  • Map
  • About Us
    • FAQs
    • Job Opportunites
  • Products
    • Wholesale Info
  • Rick's Blog

hiving Package bees

5/1/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
Chris and I made bee installations recently.  He arrived home in the early evening from Withee, where he had picked up our order of package bees from the Kohns, and drove the truck immediately out to the bee yard.  We normally hold the bees overnight before beginning installations, but Chris had been listening to the forecast. He knew that the warm dry weather we had been enjoying was going to deteriorate into several days of colder temperatures and showers mixed with snow.  It would still be light for a couple of more hours, but if Chris was to be able to complete the 25 installations before dark, he would need help.  Janet and I had finished our supper.  I excused myself and headed to the basement for my bee suit which had been hanging on the office door since last Fall.  

The screened 2# "packages" of honeybees (yep, they are sold by the pound!) arrive from California with their queen riding in a little cage suspended within.  We spray them with sugar water, dump them package by package into empty hives, and release the queens.  A small soy-protein patty is laid across the top bars of the combs as "bee bread" to substitute for pollen until local flowers are blooming.  Over a hole in the center of the inner cover we place a half gallon pail of syrup.  The cover of the pail has small holes, like a salt shaker, that retain the syrup in the inverted pail by surface tension, but allow the bees to draw out the "feed" using their hollow tongues as straws.  The outer lid is placed on top of the pail to shed the rain and the bees are left to settle in for the night.   By the following morning they will be re-orienting to their new surroundings. 

I always imagine the bees--these small arrivals from California--appearing at the entrance of their new Wisconsin home in the morning wearing little sun glasses with a tiny surf board tucked under a wing, scratching their heads with the other wing as they look out at a field of snow wondering what happened to their beach!  It must be a rude awakening!

Chris has been back working the farm for ten years now.  He is no longer a novice, but a skilled beekeeper farmer.  He has already hived five or six colonies by the time I get out to the yard.  
     "Going to get them all in tonight?,"  I ask.  
     "Got to."  he replies not looking up from his work.  "Thanks for coming out, Dad."
We bend to our task each knowing it well.  Time is of the essence but we do not hurry.  The work is steady but gentle.  We work silently, neither having to instruct the other. There is no wasted movement.   When we finish, the last colors of sunset are fading into dusk.  Chris pops the tabs on a couple of cans and for a while longer we sit on the end-gate of the truck, contemplating our completed work and sipping beer--together.

2 Comments
http://essay-writing-place.com/ link
12/29/2015 11:07:22 pm

Thanks for sharing such wonderful moments of your farm life! Is it you in the bee suit or Chris? I'm sure you are both excellent farmers and workers. Your hard working character supplies you with the harvest and great results. Keep up!
Merry holidays!
Hugs,
Julianna Gilbert

Reply
Package Bees For Sale link
12/19/2016 06:16:12 am

You have done an excellent work in passing out the message through this package bees blog, keep up the good work!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Rick Dale

    Founder
    ​ of Highland Valley Farm

    Picture

    Archives

    August 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    August 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    July 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2012
    December 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.