To set up my second beehive, I bought my second nuc of bees on Sunday and got them all settled into their new home. I bought these from Mike, the beekeeper that taught our class. He is very knowledgeable and has four bee yards all over the county. Mike has a lot of favorite sayings, and as he called it, this beehive’s “gonna be a honker!” When he took the top off at his yard, the bees were literally spilling over the sides.
They were ready for a larger home, and I had to work hard on Saturday to stain and seal the second hive components and also build their frames with foundation. I used the same method that I used with hive one and love how they look. I have been very happy with the Brushy Mountain Bee Farm equipment. By today, I have already put on the second super for them. This hive is very strong and the queen is moving quickly – she’s a beauty too! Thankfully, she won’t require any of Mike’s “mash therapy” as long as she keeps performing well.
Now I just have to do my best to keep up with them – I’ll need a lot of sugar for the next few weeks! And who knows, maybe this is the hive that will give me honey in my first year.