Arrival of the Bees

I went to my to local beekeeping association's annual auction on 10th April, 2011, to buy me some bees. I'd never been to an auction before but saw one once in a James Bond film years ago. It wasn't much like that. The first part of the auction was beekeeping equipment -hives, bits of hives, tools, clothing, white buckets (yes buckets -foodgrade apparently), and a load of stuff that I didn't have a clue WTF it actually was including a very small door that seemed to open into the ground.

The auctioneer, an older chap, seemed happy to display his hundred or so years of knowledge by explaining what most of the kit was -apparently the door to the floor was something called a foundation press. I moved about the hall a bit, got a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea (I'd been out clubbing the previous night and breakfast is the most important meal of the day afterall). At one point I was sat next to a middle aged couple who were complaining to each other about the auctioneer's apparent need to explain every item and it's use in detail. Maybe they already knew everything but whilst it may have slowed proceedings slightly I certainly learnt a few things which I hadn't found in my research thus far. It turned out my crownboard was actually a Snelgrove board and I could've got a couple of actual crownboards for very little at the auction but having seen the price of bees online decided to save my funds for the actual bees and so didn't bid on any equipment.

Eventually came the auction for the bees. We wandered outside to where some small boxes and a larger one were sitting on the floor. They turned out to be one hive (brood and a half), and a few 5 and 8 frames Nucs which I was surprised to learn is pronounced "nuke" as in "nucleus."

I didn't bid on the hive full of bees but did bid unsuccessfully on the the first couple of 5 frame nucs. The third nuc I won. Go me! After the fourth interest in the bees seemed to tail off so I could've actually bagged a bargain if I'd hung fire but what the hey I didnt want to risk coming away beeless and going by the price of bees online I did very well parting with £130 for an inspected and apparently very full five frame nuc.

The nucs (and hive) all had open entrances and the bees were flying about -presumably asking each other how on earth they'ed wound up in a field behind a village hall that morning. I had no idea what was next but noticed nobody was hurrying to pick up the bees. I overheard someone say they were going to wait for the flying bees to return to the hive then take their nuc home about 6pm, they sounded like they knew roughly what they were talking about so I figured that was a good plan for me too. Off I went to visit a mate in a nearby village for a cuppa -and to beg a bit of kitchen sponge to block the nuc entrance for the car ride home.

Later I returned to the village hall where a couple of guys had also returned to collect their bees. I wandered round in front of the hive with and I saw my bees for the first time.

They're really in there, honest

I had come prepared with a brand spanking new ratchet strap, from the Poundshop no less! I also had my smock with a veil (in a nice olive green rather than one of those white astronaught type affairs). Being female the flying bees took aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaages to get into their nuc before I could drive them home. Whilst waiting I spoke to chap who'd had the misfortune to purchase an apparently queenless nuc the previous year and was hoping to do better this year. Bet that was annoying. Anyway eventually the bees were in so I stuffed a blue bit of sponge in the entrance and ratchet strapped the roof onto the box before loading it into my car boot for a very careful drive home. When I got home I popped the box onto the stand I'd made (some pavers embedded in what had been a bit of flowerbed with three breezeblocks on them and two treated pieces of wood running across them. My housemate who'd expressed some trepidation about their arrival was pretty interested and I think pleased to see their arrival. I pulled out the piece of sponge and retreated whilst wondering what had possessed me to do so without my smock and in a sort sleeved tshirt.

I had had visions of a horde of angry bees boiling out of the box but that didn't happen. I reached around the front with my phone to take a picture of the bee nuc in situ.

The nuc is open for business

 I decided to leave the nuc alone for 3 days for the bees to get used to the geography of my garden before moving them into the hive.