first sweet taste

Yesterday Sophie and I suited up in our bee burkas and went out to check on the bees, still in their temporary home. We have received half of the new hive in the mail and are awaiting the second package–hopefully today! We are quite excited to be moving them into their permanent home. But we went out there yesterday and I took out the queen cage, now empty, the idea being that the queen is among her people now, and laying eggs. The queen is in a cage at first because she is new to these particular bees and they will kill her if allowed to. However, it takes about three days for them to eat through the candy cork in the cage and by then her smell is all over them and they love her. Long live the Queen!

Anyway, I went to pull the empty cage out and found it somewhat welded into the hive by honeycomb full of honey! Those girls are hard at work. When I freed the cage, I was able to cut off a small piece, about an inch long, of our first, sweet honey. Paul, Sophie and I shared it. Privet honey, very floral and alive. Deliciously sweet. With Fancy giving milk now and the bees making honey, we are truly Honeymilk Farm at last.