…and baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule
Let me live that fantasy.

Okay, okay so it’s a song. My 26th 22nd birthday was last week.  My sweet husband teamed up with my parents to really surprise me with my birthday gift.  I seriously had no idea.  Are you ready?

You are seeing that right!  I am officially a BEEKEEPER, y’all.  I was, and am, beside myself giddy.  My very own honey bees!  I have wanted this for years and Justin is finally on board!  Whoop whoop!

Well, I started reading “Beekeeping for Dummies” and man oh man did I learn a lot.  Here are just a few facts:

1. Honey bees are divided into three castes, Worker, Drone, and the Queen.

2. During the summer months 60,000 or more bees live in a healthy hive!

3. Only ONE queen lives in a given hive.

• She is the largest bee in the colony.
• She produces more than 1,500 eggs a day at 30 sec intervals!
• She is literally royalty.  The other bees tend to her every need, without them she cannot survive.  Literally.  Here is my favorite part: She is incapable of tending to herself.  She cannot feed or groom herself.  She can’t even leave the hive to RELIEVE herself.  Her court takes care of her every basic need!

Okay, okay I have bored you enough.  Just one more fun fact!  Btw, I would love to give credit for where I found this picture but I have NO idea.  🙁 So sorry to whomever credit is due. *Update. Another blogger gave me the link to the creator of the bee graphic below: Here is the link to the creator.

 

Bees are incredible, y’all.  Tuesday (yesterday) our hive arrived!  My super nervous (and allergic!) husband carried this in his truck all the way home:

Isn’t it cool?

Ok so next came the arduous, extensive, complicated task of putting them in the hive.  We called over our local bee experts (seriously, these guys are amazing) to help us.  Are you ready for the process?

1.  You put the Queen in the hive:

She’s in that little box.

2.  You shake the box of bees into the hive:

That is it.  Yea, you thought it would be some crazy in depth process, right?  Me too.  Nope, that was it.

I have started a YouTube page for Maynard’s Farm.  Before you rush over with excitement and blow it up 🙂 there are only 3 videos.  But here is a video of the Villanow Bee Brigade (no they don’t call themselves that, I made that up) putting in the bees.  Click here to see it.  It is very short, my phone was dying.

I most definitely have an obsession with these brilliant insects now.

They literally swarmed all around us.  It was terrifying and magnificent all in one.  Yet, no one was stung.

Ty was still terrified.

This is the start of a new adventure for us and I am THRILLED.  I cannot wait to share more with all of you.  🙂

Until next time…here are a few of Hebe’s favorite hiding/sleeping spots!