Thursday, May 28

restock the hives -details

Prepping. You can see dead bees at top left on floor of the old hive.
Frames visible with winter honey still there.
Here comes the queen. Out first.
Try that again, maybe use gloves this time...
Leave the workers to wiggle down into the frames and get settled.
Mason jar is full of sugar water to keep bees close.
Run inside...

The frames hold the honeycomb or brood comb within the hive (each level of the hive is a "super"). The frames are a key to the modern hive since they can be removed to inspect the bees for disease or to extract honey.
Further reading on the construction. Shallow supers, deep supers, movable hives, etc...

This process of installing new bees does not require the use of a smoker, that is for slowing down/pacifying bees during any inspection/work on the hive/stealing honey...