The Boojum bees are healthy and growing! The two new swarms that were hived last month have taken to their new homes and are thriving. That brings the beeyard total to four colonies!
photo: Robyn Young
After hiving the last swarm, a pollen patty was placed on top of the frames to help feed the colony until they could get their own pollen stores flowing. The bees started building comb from the bottom of the pollen patty:
photo: Robyn Young
photo: Robyn Young
Almost all the local flowers are blooming and that means the nectar flow is on!
Next we will be adding "honey supers" on to the strongest colonies. Honey supers are shallow hive boxes placed on top of the "deep", or full-sized hive body. Shorter sized frames go into the honey super.
Generally, the bees like to put their honeycomb above their brood. So by adding these honey supers, the bees have a convenient place to start packing in the honey. And we beekeepers have a smaller (and lighter weight) box to move when it comes time to harvest some of that delicious honey.
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