Meet My Newest Queen Bee

I’m excited to introduce you to my newest queen bee and her colony today. It is always compelling to install a new queen and her hive.  This is precisely what I did just over a week ago at the Greensboro Science Center.  I picked up a NUC – a nucleus of bees with a queen, at the bee supplier early on a drab and chilly day.  Not the weather a beekeeper hopes for when installing bees.  I had no choice but to fetch the girls on that day.  Believe me I kept my fingers crossed all the way to the GSC that the sun would peek out and the temps would rise just a few degrees.

Before installing the new hive my assistants at the GSC relocated the blocks the hive sits on back a bit from where the previous hive was set.  The hive needed to be repositioned as I feel like moisture was the reason why this colony disappeared.  A hive should always tilt forward ever so slightly to allow moisture to run out and not sit in the hive.  As this was being completed the sun peeked out a bit but more importantly the temperature rose enough for me to relax about opening up the NUC and moving the bees around.

Installing a NUC is super simple.  It consists of 5 frames with bees, brood and a queen.  All that is required is to remove the existing frames from the hive body and replace them with the new ones.  When I pull out each frame I inspect it to see if I find the queen and to know in general what’s going on. Upon my examination of the third frame I quickly saw my new queen.  Not only is she beautiful but she posed for a few photos.  You will see she is tended by several ladies who are always looking out for her.  They groom, feed and protect her at all times.  It is very endearing to me!

Now that everyone is safely in the hive I happily close it up and exert my patience.  The hive should not be opened until at least a week has passed.  I will be inspecting this week and feel confident that all is well.  When I look I  should see eggs, larvae and brood along with nectar and pollen in the comb.  If I am really lucky I’ll see my newest Queen too!

In the photo below you can see the NUC in the background.  Only a few bees are outside the hive doing their own inspection and becoming acclimated to their new surroundings.  Bees are really good at this. Now to name the new queen……..

Here is a post from the first inspection of 2019 – when I discovered we would need to find and install a new colony.  Spring 2019 Bee Report

Are you doing your part to help bees?  Plant bee/pollinator friendly flowers and veggies.  DO NOT USE PESTICIDE!!!  DO NOT spray for mosquitos – you must know if it kills the mosquitos it absolutely also kills pollinators!   PLEASE help save the bees!  Thank you, and you can thank me later when there are still plenty of fruits and veggies for you to eat!