No picture today; I had my hands full and pictures were the last thing on my mind. We needed to install two new metal tables under the bee hives to keep them dry during the rainy season. Bees do not like wet feet. Having emailed my mentor three times already asking if he was in the area, decided to go ahead on my own.
First job was to get the heavy tables out to the part of the farm where I have the bees. Mariano took them in his wheelbarrow to a safe distance. I got suited up. This time, I remembered to wear long sleeves under the bee suit as I had been stung last time through the suit.
As my smoker is not really big enough for these bees and I can not find anyone to sell me a really big one. I decided to improvise by lighting a fire inside a Trader Joe's shopping bag with pine needles and work with this. How clever, I thought to myself.
I first took the two tables down to the hives. Then decided to light my fire. Difficult with the matches here that are very flimsy and even more difficult with bee gloves on. Eventually, I got it going.
At this point there was only the occasional buzz around my ear and I was feeling good and decided to start with the smaller hive. Positioned the metal table and .........oh no, it was so heavy I could hardly lift it. I tried and tried again and shook the hive a bit too much. The bees were coming out to see what was going on.
I did get the first hive on the table but then made a very hasty retreat as the bees were all around. Up the bank and zig zagged home just as the bee mentor had told me to do.
Well, the good news is that I installed one of the hives on its new table. Unfortunately, the second one is heavier still and I am not sure I can do it on my own. Just emailed the bee mentor and if he is a gentleman he will surely respond?
First job was to get the heavy tables out to the part of the farm where I have the bees. Mariano took them in his wheelbarrow to a safe distance. I got suited up. This time, I remembered to wear long sleeves under the bee suit as I had been stung last time through the suit.
As my smoker is not really big enough for these bees and I can not find anyone to sell me a really big one. I decided to improvise by lighting a fire inside a Trader Joe's shopping bag with pine needles and work with this. How clever, I thought to myself.
I first took the two tables down to the hives. Then decided to light my fire. Difficult with the matches here that are very flimsy and even more difficult with bee gloves on. Eventually, I got it going.
At this point there was only the occasional buzz around my ear and I was feeling good and decided to start with the smaller hive. Positioned the metal table and .........oh no, it was so heavy I could hardly lift it. I tried and tried again and shook the hive a bit too much. The bees were coming out to see what was going on.
I did get the first hive on the table but then made a very hasty retreat as the bees were all around. Up the bank and zig zagged home just as the bee mentor had told me to do.
Well, the good news is that I installed one of the hives on its new table. Unfortunately, the second one is heavier still and I am not sure I can do it on my own. Just emailed the bee mentor and if he is a gentleman he will surely respond?
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