Yo dude where's my hive?

Yo dude where’s my hive?

 

We’ve been busy on the bee front at CropShare this Spring! We were happy to rehome a top bar hive and a national hive from a lovely lady called Christine. She built the top bar hive herself and it’s got a great window in one side which gives you a beautiful view of comb and busy bees, make sure you check it out next time you’re at the farm- just ask. Christine kept these two hives completely naturally and we’re so chuffed to have them, hope you can visit soon Christine. Dave wrote about the day we picked them up and moved them to the farm on his blog here.

Rehomed national beehive on the farm

Dave opening up Rehomed national beehive on the farm

So after that, the swarming season started in Cambridge as the weather warmed up. Dave had saved us a swarm so we went off down to Trumpington Allotments to pick it up.

Bees coming and going from Dave's hives at Trumpington Allotment

Bees coming and going from Dave’s hives at Trumpington Allotments

While we were working on his allotment as a thankyou for the swarm, we were lucky to see a new swarm forming from another one of Dave’s hives in the Trumpington Allotment apiary.

Swarm we watched form on top of a tree in Trumpington Allotments

Swarm we watched form on top of a tree in Trumpington Allotments

So after they had settled, at the very top of a sycamore tree at the top of the bank between the guided busway and the allotments (thanks bees) we set out to try and collect them. Cut a long story short, after climbing up the bank, climbing up the tree, sawing off a few small branches… we managed to lower the swarm into a cardboard box and wrap it up in a sheet. Score! So happy to be taking not one but two swarms to the farm and give the bees a great place to live.

 

Shaking the swarm from the box onto the ramp that leads up to the hive entrance

Shaking the swarm from the box onto the ramp that leads up to the hive entrance

Back at the farm, the first thing to do was to set up a ramp and sheet leading up to the hive entrance that the swarm can walk up (bees always walk upwards) to their new home. then we shook the bees onto the ramp and they started to walk up into their new home. 🙂

Both swarms were rehomed successfully and now we will leave them to settle in for a few weeks before checking all is well and that the queens are laying eggs to build up the hives and make the most of their first summer on an organic farm this year. Stay tuned for more bee blogs!

Photos by Axel Minet.

 

Trumpington Allotment apiary
Working on Trumpington allotment
Bees getting busy and starting to swarm!
The swarm starts to rest in a sycamore tree
Swarm has clustered together and we were ready to try collect it now
Er why did you go to the top of the tree bees
Finally got the swarm into the cardboard box
Loading our two swarms into the car
Lets go to the farm!
Suited up ready to hive up the bees
Shaking the swarm from the box onto the ramp that leads up to the hive entrance
Making sure most of the bees from the swarm are shook out onto the ramp
Swarm starting to walk up the ramp into hive, great stuff
The bees are collecting round the entrance to the hive, all clammering to get inside!
There’s now 4 hives in the mini apiary on the farm
Checking out the top bar hive window as we wait for the bees to walk up the ramp
Swarm no. 2 climbing up the ramp into their new home
Swarm 2, from the top of the tree, is a bit smaller and it takes them no time to mostly get into the hive
Axel takes a closer look
Comb made by the last hive occupants, who buggered off last year!
Beautiful old comb