Thanks to Aubrey and colleagues at https://mountainsweethoney.com/ in Georgia for shipping us a new package of bees. In this time of COVID19 coronavirus, the thought of having another hive is comforting, knowing if all else fails with obtaining food, we can try to live off our garden and honeybees.

In the photo above, I had just installed the queen in her cage between the two frames that are slightly spaced apart. I then shook out as many of the bees from the shipping container as I could and they are on top of the frames.

This shows the hive from the front. The shipping container is on top to let the bees gravitate to the hive frames where the queen now resides.

In the front of the hive, you can see the feeder, already full of 1/1 sugar/water syrup which I’ll continue to support them with until they’ve filled out most of the frames in the brood box.

I don’t have a proper entrance reducer and because of the coronavirus can’t get one, so I’ve improvised with heavy wood blocks. After this phot0 was taken, I added some greenery in the front to further reduce the entrance because front feeders like this can attract robbing bees, and I don’t want this new, young, small hive to have more than a very small opening to defend.

Happy new home, bees! I hope you thrive and are very happy here.