Home, Sweet Home.

My sister sent me an email yesterday, and all it said was,

"They're here, they're here, they're here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! with this picture attached.

Minutes after she sent me this email, my phone started ringing.  She was on her way over from the post office to show me her new babies {12,001, if you're counting}.  She brought them in and set them on the table, the noise they were making was unreal.  I have to say, I was THANKFUL for the mesh screen, separating all those buzzing ladies from my living room!

Well, hello gorgeous! :)

12,001

Meg took her bees to work with her, and spent the rest of the day spraying them with sugar syrup to keep the ladies happy (women are all alike aren't they?  Give them sugar and they're happy.)  After work she came to the house again, bees under one arm and a sack of sugar under the other.  She told the kids and I,

"I have to make them their bee food, so they'll start producing wax, and build their combs."  The bees require two different kinds of syrup; light syrup { 5 pounds sugar: 10 cups water} or heavy syrup {5 pounds sugar: 5 cups water.}  Light syrup is for establishing their wax supply, and the heavy is what they use to eat in the winter while the colony is establishing...."

After the bee food finished cooking, we loaded up the posse and went to deposit the little pretty's in their new home!  And by Posse, I mean small army:  my mom and dad, my sister and niece, myself and the boys, the two girls who babysit for me, my sister's friend and her two kids, my dad's friend and his wife and two of their three daughters.........it was awesome! :D 18-people to watch the beginning of a bee-story.

Isn't she gorgeous?

Then the fun began....Dressed in their bee gear, my sister and dad slowly started unpacking the crate that the bees shipped in.  They removed the feeding can, thumped the crate against the dirt, dropping the bees to the bottom of the cage, and immediately turned the crate upside down and poured the bees into their new casa!  By this point there were bees climbing, flying, crawling all over my sister & dad.

Meg told me afterward, "I had a moment of almost panic, when I opened the crate and they started flying all over me.......I thought what in the heck am I doing?  My hands were shaking so badly."  Watching her work, you would have never guessed that she was nervous.  She was a pro.  One sting, no gloves and in about 10-minutes the little ladies were snug in their new hive!

She did AWESOME!

Calming the girls with sugar-water!

Removing the feeder can that fed the girls while they were in route.

Pouring them into their new home!

Pink fingernails and a bee suit; she totally rocks the look!

Getting acquainted!

Now the fun begins, every week Megan will go out and check the bees, within about 21 days the queen bee should {bee} laying eggs and building up the population.  They'll start making honey, gathering pollen and raising the baby bees!

Stay Tuned!