Hops and Honey a Colorado Apiary and Garden

Last Saturday I picked up a swarm from my parents apiary with a virgin Queen.
Today while checking on the swarms syrup water, the Queen came and went 5 times while I was by them.
She would fly off for a couple of minutes, come back and be checked over by her Queen attendance bees, then pushed back out to fly again. Nature is so fascinating.

I find myself often at the crossroads of perfect timing and sheer luck ✨️ 👌 😃
I was checking ✔️ on a swarm in my backyard that I had to take home from my parents apiary.
I heard a different beat 💓 of wings circle my head.
It was the Queen returning from her mating flight.
Queen bees can mate with more than 18 + Drones (boy bees)
Right before she takes off in the reel, you can see a couple bees check out her rear end.
Those worker bees (females) are checking for a drones phallus 🌽
A Queen will return with the Drones "parts" inside and outside her.
The workers remove it and send her back out to mate again.
I was also lucky enough to bring my camera with me this afternoon.
It isn't very often that I get photograph a during her mating flight.

Currently 33°F in Colorado and snowing 🌨 the bees are out taking cleansing flights and dragging out dead drone (boy) bees. Colorado will be back up to 85° by Monday 🫠🙃

I had an early morning swarm call yesterday in from the construction 🚧 sight at the
Medical Center of The Rockies. They were an easy catch and the worker bees started to fan the second I had the Queen in the box.
Timing was perfect with the plane flying over 😅

So many bees 🐝

I can't wait for bring on the and
If you are looking for something fun to contribute to this year, consider volunteering for the