Buzz from Susan Dunsmore (BeeWeaver Manager) - 93 Mar 22, 2011

Package bees arrive in Alaska in April, about 2 months before the snow melts and 3 months before there is any nectar flow. When they arrive I have to dig out a small area in which to hive them. It was about 20 degrees when I hived these 25 packages. They'll be fine. The trick for hiving in cold temperatures is to have everything set up and in place before you bring the bees out of the house. Note the fence that I will string electric wire from since both black bears and grizzlies live in the neighborhood. Once the snow melts I will be able to move them further apart but digging down through 3 feet of compacted snow is hard!