A successful introduction

I installed 2 colonies today and everything went extremely well. Having done this once in the past really helped; I knew how to read the bees better and kept them very docile during the whole process.

The second package introduced into the top bar hive

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The hives in all their glory

A close-up of the new Langstroth hive this season (up-side down because iPhone)

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Busy figuring their new place out

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The weather kept me on my toes but fortunately left us alone for a good while. The rain poured heavily a couple of hours afterwards, I hope all the bees found their way inside before.

This is what happens as chicks learn to lay down

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They spend the first few days of their lives standing; little by little they figure out they don’t have to and look like a bunch of sleepy drunks in the process.

It takes a surprinsingly long time to paint

I still need to add a few decorations to make it cool. Unfortunately, the supplier has delayed delivery of the colonies by a week to allow the queens more time for their mating flight since the weather didn’t cooperate so far.

8 Buff Orpingtons

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I don't mean to be birdwatching before I'm retired but…

What kind of bird does this? I’m told a “wood chipper” but googling this name doesn’t yield anything relevant. Could it be a Vermont name for a wood pecker? Certainly that tree wasn’t just pecked at.

If I had to guess I’d say a pterodactyl with a chainsaw for a beak.