We have the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees. But now, we have even more bees. We officially tripled our bees this year, going from 1 hive to 3 hives.

We received the call from USPS around 6:30am letting us know our bees had arrived. Once in hand, we knew the enclosed food can would be out within 5 days and travel like this is hard on bees. But, the weather was crap. We wanted a sunny, warm, calm day. That wasn’t happening for about a week. The best possible day was 5 days away. So, we waited. A few times each day, we’d spray the bees with sugar water and fresh water to help them along. It was too stressful. They were dying. Rapidly.

Release day finally came. But even then, we needed to wait until late afternoon per the company’s recommendation. The day started out great, almost perfect. And then it got cold. And windy. And cloudy. When 4:30pm rolled around, we just knew it had to be done. They couldn’t wait another two days.

Once Matt got the box pried open, he retrieved the queen (who is packed inside a box within the box) and set her in the hive. Then, he swiftly dumped as many of the remaining bees into the hive and closed it.

The first box was just pitiful. So many of the bees had already died. Although we’re sent a ton of bees in each box, so many were dead we worried this might have all been a waste. Nothing to do, but move on to the second hive.

The second group was a much more lively batch and our spirits were revitalized. We watched for a little while and then decided it was time for wine, apples, and brie. Shortly after we finished our first bottle of wine, the clouds started to clear and the sun came out.

We wandered back out to observe the bees and both hives were humming. The first set was still minute compared to the second hive, but they were buzzing and alive.

The honeysuckle is just starting to bloom and the hives are located right beside these fragrant trees. They will absolutely love those blooms on warm and sunny days.

We so look forward to the honey they will produce this year. It won’t be a lot, but will be plenty for our family and a few friends. Plus, the bees are a wonderful addition to our farm and will help pollinate various plants and flowers. Life is good.

MG (cat) in the foreground. Hives near the trees in the distance, on the right.