2008 was filled with many bee experiences--some unexpected. Thoughts like "what have I got myself into" entered my mind more than a few times. Here are my 2008 beekeeping calendar highlights:
- 20-March: Two nucleus hives from P.N. Williams sit next to deep 8-frame hive bodies
- 8-April: Add second deep hive body to each hive, "Buda" and "Pest"
- 2-May: Bees pour out of "Buda" like rushing water. Captured a very small swarm on the shaded ground and create a new third hive, Kent, using a deep hive body.
- 12-May: Bees pour out of "Buda" again. Captured a medium sized swarm while standing on the neighbors roof. I have run-out of wooden ware, so I combine the new swarm with "Kent" which requires a week of using the queen exlcuder as a queen includer.
- week of 9-June & 16-June: volunteer at Oakhurst Community Garden's Beekeeping Camp; Curtis Gentry helps me label the interesting summer bee behaviour as washboarding
- 3-August: "Pest" is lost to small hive beetle (SHB) and robbing
- 17-August: "Kent" is abandoned and covered with SHB slime
- 15-September: "Buda" is abandoned and covered in-part with SHB slime
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