Thanks so much! So, I got up this morning and read these posts. I decided to go in to work late, and oh! what a glorious morning it was! Sunny and warm. At around seven, I went outside...no activity, although the sun was shining right on the entrance. I took off the grass I had placed in front last night, but still no activity. there were about six bees still on top of the box they had come in, I couldn't quite get all of them out. They were alive and lucky it was not cold last night as they were still alive. I fed horses and ducks and made a pot of coffee. Sat on my hands for about an hour and a half. Got my suit on, set off for my bee yard and oh yay! lots of flying around. :lol:
I opened up the hive cover and took out the queen cage. It was covered in bees and I could see them very clearly feeding her with their long tongues. I couldn't get the cork out, it was a terrible design. An oblong piece of cork stuffed into that round hole. I finally ended up pushing it in, on accident. Well, since it was in there I very gently maneuvered her around the cork, quickly pushed her cage back in the frames, and waited. So many bees were surrounding her, it was hard to see much. When I picked up the cage, she was gone, down inside the hive. I expected them to love the queen, but wow, did they love her alot!
Still seemed to squish alot. At least four or five each time I have been out there. Not to mention the ones I don't want to think about last night rolling around under the frames.
The coolest thing of the whole experience was the bees themselves. Not only were they very pretty light colored bees, but they were so friendly! My son and my husband, who are both fascinated but terrified, stood within ten feet of the hive during the whole installation process. He commented how much friendlier they were than he expected. But the part I loved most was that before I could even get the hive closed up for the night, those worker bees were right in those combs, cleaning away. Amazing. And then again this morning, when I was out there at seven, I did stay for the very first emergence this morning. First bee out, straight out, up, and over my head. Second shortly after, straight up and right behind the hive she goes, on a mission. My husband says "Scouts". That's exactly what it looked like. So cool. So I watched the first five or six, then I was off for coffee.
So, how long should I wait to open the hive? The beeks at the bee day I went to this spring did theirs about three days after, but they released theirs by candy cork/bees eating it to release. I just put mine right in. I really appreciate your responses, guys. At work today, unable to control my excitement over my mornings activities, I was officially known as the youngest "dork" in the office. City folk...don't know what they're missin. :D