Saturday I rejoiced in my bees, watched them swirl about in the warm air....and began to worry. Are there too many bees swirling about? Are they swirling like they are supposed to, or are they in some sort of trouble?
Did I feed them enough? Will the cold weather prevent me from checking on them?
Is that left hive listing to one side too much? Why didn't I get the bubble balance out there before the bees came and get the ground level under the hives?
Will they build too much burr comb around the baggie feeder?
Will I do the right things? Will I get stung? Will they up and die?
And so it went Sunday and Monday. I then talked to a coworker who has kept a hive of bees for the last year, and she calmed me down. She reassured me that her bees poke along through life with little effort on her part. I settled down a bit.
Later I read Laura's comment on one of my earlier posts and discovered that new beekeepers all over Asheville are stressing about their little beasties, and it helped to know I'm not the only one with worries.
Today I'm feeling much calmer. The sun came out this afternoon and some of my bees were flying about. Some were visiting the fine little green flowers on the shrubs by the back door. They didn't seem worried at all.
So...taking a deep breath and remembering just to enjoy the sunshine and flowers.
4 comments:
Neurosis is a family trait, inherited by both sides in our case. Embrace it, laugh at it (while the bees are oblivious to it), and move on. :)
In our household the fretting is multiplied by two. Sheesh. Scott checked on feeders today and when I get home we're going in to the have that has the package (not the nuc like yours) and make sure the queen was released from her queen cage. "Cover me! I'm goin' in!"
Into the hive, not the have. Gah!
Laura, how'd the queen cage check go?
And Steve, we do come from a twitchy hive, don't we?
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