Ed.."Nuc" is an abbreveation of "nucleus". A nuc is a mini hive for rearing Queens or transporting bees. In the absence of a swarm and new colony is started by purchasing a nuc of bees.
It was 9pm by the time I got home. I had to open up the Nucs so the bees could get out. It was to dark to do much so I set them up on up turned veg boxes and popped the doors off. It was dark and cool so the bees did not pour out as you might expect but tricked out. I took the precaution of putting my veil on just in case they were a bit umpty from being locked up all day and jiggled about. I should not have worried, they were quite calm. I am really pleased with them. There is not a lot of the Italian strains in the Bees. They are small and very black. Black Bees are the indigenous strain of the British Isles. They are not pure breed black bees but must carry a lot of the genes. I was too excited to sleep so made up the Brood frames I had bought earlier in the day.
H and I had got early on Saturday to go up to Wragby [It is the other side of Lincoln] where the UK premier bee equipment manufacturer and supplier, Thornes, is located. The shop is only open until noon on Saturday. We trundled up there but had a bit of bother finding the shop. The shop is huge and has everything you could need and a few things you never knew you needed. H and I took a turn round the shop to take everything in. Then we went round again filling up the shopping trolley. The shelves looked a bit thin on stock. H, as usual, got chatting to the lady and found that they were working twelve hours a day, six days a week to keep up with demand. This changed my thinking so we went round again. I ended up buying a complete hive plus a couple of other bits. It hurt but needs must. Inevitably, I forgot something and as the evening would show I was short a couple of items that are a short term cause for concern.
On the way back we dropped into Lincoln to have a walk round. We found a cafe first and had a sandwich and a brew. We then we went up to the castle and the church. We had a stroll round and found that Lincoln was Roman in origin. This sent H into raptures. We found the main gate which is still used as the road entrance to the old town. We next walk round to the Cathedral. The RSPB were out in force as a Peregrine falcon had nested all the way up in the bell tower and now had chicks. We had a look at all the old houses of which there are many. H resolved to have a weekend away in Lincoln exploring. Having reconnoitered Lincoln went set off home again and arrived a little after 3pm. I knocked together the hive in readiness for the evenings collection. There is more to it had just "knocking it together" but I will save that for another time.
I was up quite early on Sunday but the weather was not playing ball. H and I decided we go for a short walk. I, of course, had a destination in mind. We drove out the farm where the bees are to live. We parked in the copse and waited for the rain to abate. When it eased off we walked the quarter mile to the meadow were to bees are to reside. H and I had a good look round. The river Mease is on one side of the field. A drainage ditch bounds another side, A long hedge divides the meadow from the Strawberry fields and at the far end a simple fence closes the field off from the pasture. It is as lovely a spot as you could wish to find. Even I was moved by it. H waxed lyrically about the tranquillity, beauty and the birds. We took a few pictures. We spotted a few Nuthatch's running up the trees which is first for me. I also decided were the hives were to be placed.
It started to spot with rain. I could see the next shower floating in. We locked the gate and walk back towards the car through the poly tunnels of the Strawberry fields. The tunnels stopped short of the car. We walked the remaining couple hundred yards in light rain. We decided, that since we not soaked, to have a look round the copse. When we got to the far side the heavens opened. We legged it back to the car. The Sun was lighting the rain as it fell. If it had not been so heavy and wet it might have been a spectacle. H and I were laughing our heads off as we got to the car, opened the tail gate and stood in the shelter of it dripping wet. As we made our way off the farm we decided that we should get some sugar to fed the bees or the "ladies" as I call them. Sainsbugs do 5kg bags of sugar so got a couple of bags. The young lad on the tills made the mistake of asking H what all the sugar was for. H explained in full.
When we got home it started to look promising, i.e. it had stopped raining and blue between the clouds promised sun. As the sun came out the bees started flying. I went over and had a look. The ladies have made themselves at home and are collecting pollen, a sign the Queen is laying. I thought I would give them a hour or so the "stretch their legs" having been cooped up all the previous and most of today. This turned out to be a mistake. In the hour I made us some lunch, Asparagus and runny poached eggs, very nice. Next was to make up the bench the hives are to sit on. I painted it with wood preserver. By this time I had moved into the shed to finish off the painting, another shower! I packed the car up with tools for setting up the bee bench. Whilst all this was going on I had put on a pan of water and sugar to warm through. This would be syrup to feed the bees. I forgot about it. I thought that's a nice sweet smell and in an instant I realised what is was. I dashed into the kitchen just as the syrup boiled over. I cleaned up the mess then took the syrup outside to cool. The ladies had long since stopped flying so there no possibility moving them into their new hives.
I dropped in at the lottie to pick up my wheelbarrow and went back to the farm. I parked in the copse, filled up the barrow with tools and materials for the bee bench. Then back through the tunnels to pop out near the gate to the apiary. The legs of the bench are four meta-posts that I have saved from a previous application. I threw the frame on the floor to get an idea where the hive would be positioned. Having made a few adjustment I hammered in legs. I put the frame on top of the legs and checked it with the level. A couple of clouts with the sledge hammer evened up the legs. I screwed the frame to the legs and stepped back to admire my handy work. It looks fine. I put everything back in the barrow, closed the gate behind me then just leaned on it for five minutes drinking in the scene. Yes idyllic. The Chestnut trees are coming into bloom as is the Hawthorn. The hedgerow weeds are also out. A couple of pairs of the Swifts were darting up and down the river, jinking to bag an insect here and an insect there. H told me earlier in the day that she would come down the apiary with me just to read a book. No books for me. I pushed the barrow back to the car. It was a bit of a slog as it is up hill, a shower was blowing and it was sticky under foot. Upon getting back home I check in with the ladies. All being well I went over to Mo's and watered everything. If the weather would stay dry for a little while I could get the not so little seedling planted out. Next weeks is Bank Holiday so that might be the time I need.
I made H and Miss L a Ceasar salad with chicken for Tea. After tea was had and the kitchen cleaned, I sat down. I have planned next week for the bees. I just need the weather to be accommodating.
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