Finally moved down

With all of the fuss of moving it was quite an orchestra to get my hives down here to Raleigh. I needed to get them inspected in VA and then get an application to locate them in NC. Both State Apiarists were very helpful and understanding about the whole thing. NC's told me the only thing he would have interest in was if my hives had Foulbrood. Which I knew they didn't because they didn't stink to high heaven.

This morning I drove up to VA to hang out with Jake and to pick up my hives since we are mostly moved in at this point. While watching some football and Jake working on his main hobby - turned pens; he asked if the inspector had told me about his inspection. I had only heard that I passed, but nothing else beyond that. He said that the inspector told his grandfather (whose farm where my hives were located) that if I had put them in a different corner of the field they would have done a lot better - AHH CRAP! And now they are down here and I don't know if they are in a less optimal location again.

So here is how you relocate two hives (one hive body a piece) in a Toyota Matrix: have a brilliant wife (check), listen to brilliant wife (check), follow advice of brilliant wife (check). I had a sheet of fiberglass screen that I was going to cut up a bit and put over the hive entrances. Susan said: "Why don't you use the rest of it as a barrier between the back seats and the trunk?" Well, duh! ("Why didn't I think of that - that's awesome".) But in my defense I did come up with the name: "Danger Cage". Which Jake and I fashioned as the penultimate defense for my drive back.

50000 bees, 3 hours, 160 miles from the farm to the new house.
defenses:

1. Air conditioning running at full - probably 40 degrees in the car (slows down bees a ton)
2. Night - bees can't fly at night so I only need to be concerned with crawling bees (cuts off a full dimension of travel)
3. Hives with entrance screened - they would need to be pretty crafty to get past fiberglass and duck tape
4. Tarp - bought 6x8 tarp and a roll of duck tape at Home Depot on the way up, made me giggle for some reason.
5. Danger Cage - floor to ceiling screening and duck tape
   
6. Wore my bee suit jacket on the drive - kept me warm and was ready to pull my hood on if worst came to worst.

I was surprised when I picked up Elizabeth's hive - it must be around 70 - 80 pounds. I think that hive will make it through the winter just fine with that much honey. Mary's on the other hand was probably 45 - 50 pounds. I've always worried about that hive and it seems like will need some special care to survive. I got some new stands and pollen substitute that I'll give them both here in the next day or so. I think I'll also put one of the top feeders on Mary's and probably a front feeder on Liz's.