Finally, what we've been waiting so long for - the opportunity to introduce our bees to their new home. It was very gusty wind today, not ideal for handling bees, but this is a fairly simple process.
The bees all seemed extremely calm (this is the first decent sunny weekend we've had in weeks - this helps us a lot because it means a large number of the bees are actually out foraging, not getting in the way while we work!)
1:45pm - We shifted the nuc forward a couple of feet and stood the new hive in its spot (keeping the entrance at the same height, of course)
Lid comes off the nuc - there are 4 full frames inside.
4 empty frames are removed from the centre of the new hive.
The full frames are removed from the nuc - the beeswax cells have been built up but they are mostly empty so far.
The last frame from the nuc - this one is heavy with brood, honey and pollen.
We didn't spot the queen but recently-laid eggs ages were visible so we know that she's there. On this larger photo you can see honey sealed with beeswax in the top left corner, some larvae in cells in the centre, and the orange/yellow filled cells in the centre left have pollen in them.
Each frame is placed into the hive in the same order then pushed up close so there are no large gaps.
2pm - Hive closed up again with 4 pints of sugar syrup in a roof-space rapid feeder. The foragers are returning to the new hive and flying straight in.8:30pm - I opened the roof up to check that the feeder was being used and everything seems to be going to plan. Now the hard part will be waiting another fortnight until we can look inside again!...
