The Ontario-Finger Lakes Beekeepers Association meets in our town the second Monday of the month. I think I will go . I asked my friend to go with me. I don’t often like to go back into town but I am in need of information after being scared at the last beekeeping class that talked about all the diseases and pests bees are exposed too as well as colony collapse disorder all of which I do not completely understand.  A woman  from New York Bee Wellness  spoke about varroa mites and how to identify the level of your infestation with confectioners sugar. What ?.. you put 300 hundred bees in a jar?? and cover with sugar and shake ?! — it makes the bees slippery and the mites fall off and you count them which you the plug into a formula to get the percentage of infestation so you can monitor and treat them as needed  …. Now how do I get and count out 300 bees? It turns out 300 bees is about 1/2 cup of bees and you shake them into a box and scoop them up and “pour” them into a jar . Wow!!!  Can I do that?

Orders your “nucs” we only have reserved 125 . Reserve them early or you could be left out !!!- No Bees ?  What is a nuc ? how do I get bees?  I am feeling lost and too stupid to ask the question? Well a nuc is a small nucleus hive with Queen and her worker girls as well as some honey and brood( baby bees) . Mine came in a small hive box with 3 frames filled to the brim with comb, bees and the most important The Queen . She is an Italian Bee and she was trucked from North Carolina with all the other nucs ordered for the club. Wow!! Our Pick up date was postponed for several weeks due to cold , rainy weather but the day had come , so exciting !! Joe and I took the truck to get her at Hungry Bear Farms on the other side of the lake about a half hour ride. Our plan to put the nuc  on the seat between us so the wind and ride would be better for our new Bees.  A large parking lot filled with small hive boxes, local beekeepers suited up to assist – and we  check in and check out.  Of course we we could not fit the nuc inside so the Bees had to ride in the back. Oh I hope they will be OK  .   We brought them Home . Our hive box had been set up for weeks waiting for our new arrivals  but I did not know exactly what to do. I have done a lot of reading, went to the classes, signed up for a mentor and spent  time on line  looking and watching and reading  but exactly what do I do now?  My Mentor is away I wrote email to back up mentor . We took the tape off the entrance put the nuc on top of the prepared boxes ….. and waited till the next day Natalie wrote back telling us what to do and we put on our bee suits, opened the nuc ,WOW WOW, pried out the frames and put them in their new home .  Our Journey has begun. It is May 19 2014.

Beekeepers have mentors.  Life needs mentors .

Nucs awaiting their new homes

First night home- nuc stayed on top of new hive