So, a new year, a new adventure, and we are off to a good start with LOTS of help from Laney. We brought the bees home late Saturday night. Laney came over Monday and spent the morning inspecting, teaching and working. We have 3 hives. Were able to identify all three queens (though I may have accidentally committed a royal murder), capped brood and larvae in different stages. Laney found eggs, but I never did find any...a bee egg looks like a little grain of rice.
This year our main focus will be to keep the bees healthy and learn, learn, learn. Honey will be a sweet but secondary reward to our efforts.
This was the first time for either of the boys to actually get in the hives, and it came with a price for Andrew. He got stung for the first time. The sting hurt, but not as much as the feeling of betrayal! He was doing everything right and that girl "just decided to sting" him! After the pain had subsided a bit, he said:
"Mommy, you know I'm rather glad I got stung, because it helped me to get a little better acquainted with the bees."
What a trooper!!
Next step is to get into the third hive today and see if I can hopefully find the queen again, recovered and active.
