Preparing for a new bee-ginning...

Although it's January, today is a relatively mild day in Roswell — yesterday's cold rain has given way to sunny skies and mid-40s. Looking out the kitchen window at the back yard is a little sad for me. There are no bees to worry about right now. However, this seemed the perfect day to do some clean up in preparation for what's coming in the spring.

I'm excited to say that I've ordered two nucleus hives or "nucs" from a nearby Master Beekeeper, Cindy Hodges, who also happens to be president of the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association. A nuc is a small colony of a few thousand bees with a queen that has already produced brood on the frames being purchased. In the past, I have started hives from package bees, which, literally, come in a screened package with the queen in a separate cage. There are pros and cons to both nucs and package bees. Since nucs are locally produced, the bees and their queen are already acclimated to the climate. Additionally, nucs build up faster and are less prone to starvation, absconding or robbing by other bees. The nucs should be ready in mid-to-late April.

Here is a neat explanation of how to install a nuc from my favorite bee blog, Linda's Bees.

So, back to today's prep work. I took apart what was left of the old hives and threw away the parts that can't be salvaged. The rest of the hive components can be cleaned up with either a wire brush or a torch and the outsides repainted. Thanks to my good friend, Drea, and her donation of unused hive equipment in pristine condition, I have everything I need to set up two new hives this spring.

And speaking of two new hives, I'll be holding another contest to name them. Winners will receive a jar of honey when the bees provide it!