Newly arrived bees

[drex]

Hived my very first colony of bees today. I was given a swarm in a a skep.

The chap I got them from was very laid back and just suggested I put them in a nuc ( which I had made up over the winter), and not bother to feed.

I have transferred them to 5 frames of foundation and put in a frame feeder ( in a nuc) - after all they have all that foundation to draw. When I left them they were clustering on the outside. I have left them to settle for last few hours.

Going to walk back to site ( on allotment) about 8 tonight, hoping they will all have gone in.

However what if they are still hanging about outside?

I did not realise there were so many in the skep and wonder if I should have put them into my National BB with dummy boards.

 

[drex]

When I went back they were still all outside. Looked in the hive and very few inside. Brushed as many from the cluster into the hive and closed up. They were very excitable though. After a few minutes those outside were queuing up to go in.

I guess the queen had ended up on the outside of the box on my first attempt. Talk about a steep learning curve!

Still, I have enjoyed my first day with my first bees tremendously.

Hope they will still be there in a few days time.