New bees

After three weeks of stings and angry bees, we have a new wild colony to add to our apurie. The new colony came from the bush-land behind Banks, in the South of Canberra. This swam of bees had taken up residence in a possum box, 10m up a eucalypt! The box was so full of bees they started making comb on the outside, but they were determined to stay, stinging Tim 15 times the first time we went to look at the box. We were determined to catch them and on the 3rd attempt we succeed, getting them safely down to the ground. Corin spent a very sticky afternoon transferring them to empty frames and a new 5 frame Nuc (miniature Bee box). We extracted one piece of comb that was full of delicious sweet honey.

They have now set up home in their nice new hive and have been out and about every warm day, collecting nectar that will one day become wax for our lip balm.

Banks Bees trying to fit into a 5 frame Nuc.