Newbees

When you start a new hive from scratch, you only have a couple of options:

• You can purchase a package of bees.  These are usually sold as a "3-pound package", which means 3 lbs. of bees in a box, along with a queen (to whom they are not related), and some sugar syrup for the road.  These are usually shipped from the south, often Georgia, because the season starts so much earlier there and producers can build up large numbers of bees long before we can in chilly PA.
• You can purchase a nucleus hive, or "nuc".  A nuc is just a very small colony of bees in a mini version of a regular hive.  It comes with frames (usually about 5) just like you'd find in a standard hive, with pollen, honey, and brood (baby bees) in various stages of development.  Also, you get all the bees from that colony along with the queen they've been living with their whole lives.
• If you're lucky, you could catch a swarm.  Installing a swarm is similar to installing a package of bees, with the exception that they're actually all related.  Catching a swarm is another matter...

I decided to go with nucs from a local operation for the TLC hives.  So, on Friday May 27th, I picked up our 3 nucs from Bjorn Apiaries in Lewisberry, PA.  They definitely got a very late start this year, but I think it was worth it.  Because our bees come from queens who overwintered in PA, we know that they are well adapted to our climate.  Also, Mike Thomas from Bjorn Apiaries raises his bees without any chemical treatments, which means that these girls are survivors; we should be starting with some hardy genetics indeed.

I drove up to Lewisberry in the morning with my 3 empty hives, where Mike and I went out to his bee yard and inspected the nucs he had on hand.  When we found a nuc that was ready, we basically moved 5 frames (or more) from his nuc box to my 10-frame hive, and filled it the rest of the way with frames of foundation.  We made sure there was a healthy looking queen in each hive, as well as a good mix of honey and brood.  I must say, I left happy.  Mike is a good guy, his hives and queens looked great, and he made sure that I left with lots of bees.  Then all I had to do was drive back with the hives (screened shut so there were no escapees), and plop them in place. 

p.s.- The looks you get with buzzing boxes of bees in your truck at the gas station is a real bonus.