pollinators: welcome, my darling new bees / by kelly heaton

First video of my newly installed nuc (one of two). The bees have settled right in to their new home in the upper Shenandoah Valley, a 10 frame hive with deeps for brood. After losing my two hives last Fall, I am thrilled to have new bees and will treat mites more aggressively this year. Powdered sugar treatments did not work last year, I am sorry to report, and both colonies suffered from deformed wing disease by mid-August (one colony died; the other disappeared).

My new honey bees have arrived!  After losing two hives last Fall (both packages from Georgia that succumbed to varroa mites and small hive beetles), I purchased locally raised nucs in hopes that they will be stronger and better adapted to my environment.  They moved right in to their fancy 10 frame hives (thanks Dad!) and are not bothered by photography.  This unedited video was shot with an iPhone 4S balanced at the entrance to their hive.  They are so cool.  I love my new bees and hope that they thrive.  Kelly Heaton, 2014