Anita's hive report

(written by Anita)
I can now, with some confidence, state that the bees have a new home. I was hesitating because initially they all made it clear that they felt they were downsizing. Somehow, being asked to make home in a hive (a simple hive, I ask you!!) after having chosen to be part of haute art, must have been a let down.

We decided to introduce them to their hive on Monday. I cleaned it and put new wax foundation in the frames. We placed a piece of plywood in such a way as to form a ramp from the garden to the hive entrance. That we covered with a clean white sheet (to give them good grip). Then I gently eased the bees out of the box onto the sheet. Slowly, but surely, they moved to the hive entrance and then in a wave marched up into the hive. I saw the queen, who was messing about but I steered her to the entrance. As the stragglers worked their way up to the hive we went in to have our dinner. 20mins later we realised that, as they had all marched in nicely (one by one and in twos) they marched out and got back into the box!!! There they hung with a visible air of sulk!!!

This one required thinking through, so we shortened the ramp, once more tossed out the bees onto the sheet. This time no gentle easing out. Shock tactics, no alternatives, do as you are told!!!! I took the box away and stood back. 30 minutes later they reluctantly, visibly dragging their little feet, got back into the hive. Dusk was setting in.

I fully expected them to depart next morning, but they did not. They did make their point by not settling onto the nice sweet smelling wax foundation but in an area of the hive where there were no frames. But by yesterday evening they seemed to be reconciled. I am trying to stop myself from poking about prematurely and to leave them to make home.

You have a lot to answer for, having given them ideas above their station. But I do hope they will be nice now. They seem to wake up early. Even when the morning is chilly there is quite some activity in the morning. I will wait to see bees flying in with pods of pollen as that will be a sure sign that the queen is laying eggs and that that they are hatching. Pollen is used to feed the little grubs. My two cats seem to think that this will be great fun, hunting down those darting little things that go into the little shed at the bottom of the garden. We are counting out spare change for the vet as inevitably one of the silly mogs will try and catch a bee in its mouth. They only do that once! Later they learn to keep to their side of the garden.