Preparing To Fill Feeder In Hive

Carefully - trying not to squash any of the little guys - lifting off the water-proof hive lid

free and clear

now for a little calming smoke

lifting the feeder cover and gently puffing the bellows to blow smoke onto the bees

Carol had been interested in honey bees for some time and then after Christmas this year started a bee-keeping course - one evening a week - in Harford  county.  Her interest steadily increased so she ordered hive components and her starter colony - mixed Russian and Italian as it turned out - to set up in late April.  Cold days and rainy weather gave us a little concern but with the well built hive frame and sugar-water starter feeding the bees seemed to be surviving nicely. She would refill the top feeder without smoking the bees but today she was going to inspect the special Queen bee shipping cage to insure that the queen had chewed her exit route and was laying eggs to keep the colony vital.
 

one final puff before lifting off the feeder cover