Beekeeper

(the photo is copyrighted by www.potomacs.com
Paul Worsham)

My poor bees, I believe they have all died.

Last spring I put my beehive together, ordered my bees and put them in the main hive with the foundation frames inside. There was only one crucial problem, I didn't realize you have to install foundation. So there they were, my bees, happily putting burr comb all over the place. Mostly the honey comb was going sideways in the frames so the frames could not be pulled out.

Then I saw the pollen and thought that my bees were all ill! Pollen is kind of greenish, or redish, or yellow.

It wasn't until almost summer that I realized my mistake and put some foundation in there for the poor bees (all named Maybel) Perhaps if I had gotten the foundation in there faster the bees could have produced more honey and more bees so that there would be more bees to gather into a ball for warmth.

Next spring is coming, we will try again. Now that we know how to start them out, perhaps they will make it through next winter.