The bees are coming!

This week I was informed that the bees I had ordered were coming a week early.  That happens to be next weekend.  I was expecting March 29.  The problem is that it has been and still is pretty cool up here in Maryland.  Not so in Georgia where my bees are being packaged for their trip here.

I still have to finish preparing my hives for the packages when they arrive.  I finally got around to cleaning out my Kenyan top-bar hive this weekend.  It's either been too cold or I've been too busy to deal with it.  This is what I saw when I opened it:

All the bees were huddled around each other trying to stay warm.  Unfortunately, they couldn't reach the food that I gave them and didn't have enough energy to keep themselves moving and died.

The cluster was mainly on some old Langstroth frames that I had cut down and the comb was getting pretty dark so I just through it out.  I also took out a bar with brood comb on it (the darker color) and gave it to my brother so that he could put it in his Warre hives when his packages come--the same time as mine.

I consolidated the bars with comb, left around four empty bars at the end before the follower board, and then closed it up.  The four empty bars are so I can put a jar feeder inside the hive with the bees.  I could leave the hive the way it is, but I wanted to replace the bottom screen.  Looks like I may not have time.

My Warre hive still needs its screened bottom and the cloth to go over the top set of bars.  Then I need to notch the ends of the top bars so that I can remove them easily (since I will use a nail at each end to keep the bars from sliding side-to-side).  With snow tomorrow and freezing rain on Wednesday, it looks like Thursday and Friday will be my only chances to get it done.

I'm glad I'm getting my bees earlier than last year, but I wasn't prepared for this early.  I guess I've learned my lesson.

I'm planning for the new year, and I'd like to host two more colonies this year.  They will probably be two Warre People's Hives.  I'm not giving up my Kenyan top-bar hive.  I haven't had any big issues with it, and the observation window has really been helpful with beginning beekeeping.  The People's Hive is another type of top-bar hive designed by Abbe Emile Warre, so it is in keeping with my current beekeeping method.

Now, my current issue is where to get the colonies.  I could try making a split in the spring--that's if my current colony survives.  I'd really like to let my current colony be and get a couple packages.  Those couple packages would ideally come with locally raised/mated queens, so if anyone knows of a good source in the Maryland area, please leave me a note.  And if those packages come with Russian queens, even better.  I'll let you know what happens.

For anyone out there thinking of starting beekeeping this year, a lot of bee suppliers just started taking orders, and they have limited supplies.  So, now is the time to be planning:  finding a local beekeeping club, signing up for a class, researching getting equipment and bees, etc.