Busy as a bee!

Now I know where that expression comes from. Have you ever watched the entrance to a bee hive? It's amazing to see all the activity. Especially on a sunny day.

Yes, we finally have bees! Yippeaahhh... *happy dance*... etc.

That's the bees' new home. Sunny first thing in the morning, protected from the worst winds, slightly shaded in the afternoon to protect them from the worst of our summer's heat.They are still in their 'travelling' boxes, called nucleus.This is a nuc from Kangaroo Island. These bees are guaranteed disease-free, very docile and placid, and have a tested, mated queen. Let's hope all is well in the nuc, as one frame has broken off. They seem to be busy inside the box, cleaning up (2 dead bees already thrown out of the hive). Hopefully, there aren't too many squashed bees, due to the broken off frame.This is the nuc from Roy, a beekeeper around the corner who catches swarms. He told us he's catching 1-2 swarms a day at the moment. Spring being the time, when bees tend to swarm. His nuc also has an opening at the top for a bottle with sugar syrup, to feed the bees.Anyway, we'll transfer the KI bees and their frames into the proper hive box in the next few days. Roy's bees are still a few weeks away from transfer. Exciting times! :)