I’ve got 6 bee hives going at the moment, four of which seem to be roaring, and two brand-new splits with new queens which I *think* are doing OK. They will soon be moved back to my house from a nearby farm.
Three of the hives are in wooden Nuc (5-frame nuclear hive) boxes, one of which has a second brood box riser on it that, on very quick inspection, seems to be filling up quickly. I will probably transition that hive to a 10-frame brood box on Saturday. Everything is ready for that, but in the interim, I am painting a few 10-frame boxes, landing stands, bottom boards, and inner covers in expectation (hope springs eternal!) that the two splits will be successful.
Bees take more equipment than you think, and it’s lucky I have a big shed very close to the hives to store hive bodies, top and bottom pieces for the same, bee management equipment, and the like.
I will paint the hives yellow, with stenciled leaves and red flowers, as before. The bees don’t care much, and hives collect dirt and bee detritus, so it’s always a bit shabby in actual operation if you get close enough, but clouds of bees at hive entrances keeps visitors back far enough that things look “good enough for government work,”which is the low standard I aspire to when it comes to bee keeping.
I am always learning, and with bees the more memorable lessons seem to come with stings or complete hive collapse or loss to swarming. In 10 more years, I think I might pass muster as a beginner.
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