Then, just a few weeks ago, we came home to find another swarm hanging in a huge cluster from the living room window. It seems our environment is perfect for bees, but we'd better start giving them a proper home! But we knew nothing about beekeeping...
As so often happens, once you put a request out into the universe, the answer appears. A random conversation with a friend led us to the subject of our bee dilemma. Casually she mentioned that she had friends who kept bees. A quick phone call later, her friends agreed to visit our property and help transfer the bees into their new hive.
Last weekend, Elaine, Itzaak, Sherri and Will arrived. We had ordered equipment and they also brought supplies. We had family staying with children - what an amazing experience for all!
After suiting up, the bees were smoked to calm them. We pulled off the siding to expose the hive - to our shock and delight, the bees had colonised about three by five feet of space, angling the combs to maximise the area. They were so beautiful - exquisite construction and a beautiful pale golden color.
Although the bees remained calm at first, they became more agitated once we started removing the combs. (Who can blame them - I would get a little mad if someone started cutting into the walls of my home too!) Although we are trying to help them, of course they don't know that yet! Eventually, however, we got the brood - the 'nursery' of the hive - transferred, and hopefully, the queen.
We are now involved in straining the honey (Itzaak estimated we got around fifty pounds!) and sealing it into jars. It has a beautiful creamy texture and a delicate floral taste.
So that's one colony done - now for house bees, which have moved into the roof space. The adventure continues....
