To Be Prepared Is Half the Victory

I was not victorious.

It was the day before vacation, a week after we created the new nuc. I traveled to the botanical gardens - on my day off, dragging my husband along - and smoked the new nuc. Opened it. Removed and examined the frames. Moved the frames into the new deep super (so generously given to me by Parker Anderson from U-M Bees), disturbing and disbursing honey bees as I went.

Realized that I did not have the top cover, inner cover, or hive stand.

What the --? Embarrassing video courtesy of Rich Rickman

Realized I could not leave them with no top or bottom cover, unattended, for over a week. Realized I did not have time to come back to assemble the hive before my vacation.

Smoked them again. Puffed some smoke at the neighboring hives by mistake. Got smoke in my eyes, but did not start crying. Asked Rich to stop taking pictures.

Removed the frames and bees from the new super. Put them back in Winn's nuc box. Backwards.

Realized they were backwards. Righted them. Left.

Worried. What if I rolled the queen? What if they all moved into the hive next door? What if they outgrew the nuc while I was away?

Tomorrow I will return to the hive, prepared this time with a complete hive set-up. I will see whether they survived BNB syndrome. Brainless neophyte beekeeper.

Forewarned; forearmed. To be prepared is half the victory.
~Miguel de Cervantes