-Is that a sign of a fresh start?

New Beginnings on the Horizon

So, Wyoming’s spring decided to show up fashionably warm and mild this time around. Picture this: I’m out in the garden, digging away, and what do I see? A few bumblebees and wasps trying to set up shop. Now, isn’t that interesting? Even a handful of wild bees and honeybees are out, busy on the cherry blooms. Could this be a rebound from last year’s bee drama?

But hey, enough of that. A beekeeper’s gotta be full of hope, especially when spring is in the air. So, here’s the plan: I’ve decided to shake things up and get myself some package bees to start afresh. It’s been a hot minute since I needed packages, something like the late ’90s. I reached out to Ken Smith, who used to handle them in central Wyoming. Turns out, he’s not in the bee biz anymore, but he pointed me to Brian Houtman.

I’ve ordered 5 three-pound packages, and they should be buzzing into my life by the end of the month. These little buzzers are going straight onto fresh comb, so I’ve got my work cut out for me:

• Scrape, scorch, and disinfect all the woodenware
• Scout out perfect summer and winter beeyard spots
• Stockpile some sugar feed

My technique involves using push-in cages to give the new queens some time on the comb before setting them free. It lets the 3lb squad of unrelated and slightly traumatized bees:

• Chill out.
• Bond around their new queen.
• Get familiar with comb vibes.
• Kickstart their foraging game.

Queens start laying without a fuss, and that’s the secret sauce for package success.

But here’s the twist this time – no comb! I’m keeping the queens confined to their cages and releasing them manually about a week later. The plan is simple:

• Gently crack open the hive.
• Check if any worker bees are giving the queen cage some tight hugs or nibbles.
• If yes, I’ll let her stay confined and check in a week.
• If not, it’s queen-release time, and I’ll seal up the hive.

Sounds like a prime opportunity to snap some photos and spill the beans on handling package bees with ease. Been there, done that, thousands of times as a commercial beekeeper.

And let me tell you, I’m pretty stoked to be back in the beekeeping saddle!

Sending buzzing excitement your way! ✨

-Cheers, D 🍂🐝