Day 1: The big shake in!

After one night spent in the basement, and during a break in the rain, it was time to get the bees into the empty hive. The shake in was much less scary than I had feared, but midway through Ted put on his hoodie too--confirming that the bees were out and about, and buzzing very loudly!

Sporting the attractive new bee hoodie and brush.

Bees were clearly excited to leave the shoebox.

Here is a video of my fearless beekeeping teacher, Rick Reault, installing a package of bees. I had a much easier time removing my nectar can than he did, but he had significantly more confidence with the shake! I set up my hive with one brood box (minus one frame), a frame feeder filled with syrup from Rick, and a nice sturdy hive stand made by Ted.