Mike from California

I got thrown ino the beekeeping world recently when a client asked if I'd like some bees after I had spotted her dozen or so hives at the far corner of her backyard. I said "Sure" not knowing what I was getting into. She told me to come back that evening and she would have a "box" for me to bring home. I drove over in my truck around 8pm to find her milling about outside. She taped the entrance of a single she had and said "Here you go. Take this home and stick it in your backyard. Take the tape off when you get home" Boy, was I in for a surprise. They swarmed as soon as it got warm enough the next morning. (She gave me a new split by accident and the box she gave me was bad. Smelled of soaked/old wood. The bees hated it and took off) But, I managed to get them back and into a new box. I now have captured another swarm that ended up in my backyard from somewhere else. Second swarm caught and now in another box in the yard. Much darker bees and started building comb quickly. Queen started laying within a few days. Studied all I could from the net and purchased parts. Made supers and frames from purchased parts and made my own bottoms and tops from scrap I had at home. All this in about 6-8 weeks. Talk about a jump start...

eggs and larvae from a while ago. I'll open to inspect today and get more photos.