I ordered two packages of Russian honey bees. Each package came with a queen and 3 frames of bees. I picked Russian honey bees for several reasons. First, they are a strong breed of bees which originated in a region of Siberia that borders both China and North Korea. Over the years, these bees have developed a great tolerance for cold weather and are very likely to survive even a tough winter. Also, these bees have developed a natural resistance to varroa mites which can be particularly devastating to a beehive. Russian bees evolved in Siberia alongside the varroa mites and because of this, they have developed either a genetic or behavioral resistance to mites. Since these bees are largely resistant to mites, I will not have to use any of the bee medications to vaccinate them against mites. My plan is to keep my bees and my garden organic. After all, no one likes to eat chemicals.
I named the two queens Bianca (Bee-anca) and Beatrice (Bee-at-trice).
I guess you could call me their pimp... which is why I tell them to go out there and get me my honey!
Bianca's Hive:
Beatrice's Hive:
They are guarding the front and exploring their new home:
Inside Bianca's home:
Bianca's ladies:
Its kind of hard to see, but here is Bianca in her cage:
4 comments:
Russia and China working with North Korea?!
You blowhard! You just handed the terrorists the keys. Kamikaze bee stings will surely commence in the next few days.
(my instincts tell me not to trust Siberians either; anyone who would put up with that climate has gotta be f'ing nuts)
Phred;
Does Bianca and Beatrice also share your love of chicken wings? Your faithful followers want to know if you have plans to combine those two loves of your life this year? One other question if I may, both of your Queen's begin with the letter "B". Is there history in your family that inspired you to decide on those names knowingly or subconciously?
Sincerely,
Bob
Awesome! I've been thinking about doing this as well. My grandfather used to raise honeybees although I was terrified of them back then. The fresh honey was the best! I will definitely keep up with your posts to see how it goes. Thanks!
What happened to all the honey bees?
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