2009 Field Day - Alamance County Bee Class

What can I say about our field day? If I could only use one word...it would have to be ...

AMAZING!!!

What is this little girl doing? Just looking at me? LOL

WOW, everyone was geared up and ready to go...
(well, the instructors were ready but didn't wear any gear...WOW!)

Here they are lighting the smokers ...the smoke distracts the bees.

Remember the whole... am I allergic thing?
Guess what? I still don't know! I had my Epi-Pen in my pocket...
and Benadryl in my lunch bag...but didn't have to use any of it...

The girls didn't sting anyone ALL day...we were out there 4 hours...playing with them! Moving them out of the way with our fingers...in their area...their part of the world...and nothing!

I held one of these frames ...yes, just like the one in the photo above...
honeybees all over the frame...and nothing...NO STINGS!!!
They are sooo very gentle.

Here is a photo of one of my bee friends ...
Stephanie
...holding a frame full of bees...

Can you see the little white dot on the end of this toothpick?
This is an egg!

This is my hand...
I'm holding a drone (male bee) which was in the last stage
before becoming an adult bee.

(We were checking for Varroa Mites)

You could actually see the three sets of legs...
the eyes (as you can definitely see here) and little grooves of the body.

This is a container of bees (3 inches)
covered in powdered sugar.

This is a test for Varroa Mites...
where when you shake the container over water...
the mites will fall out and float on top...
the powdered sugar dissolves.

Then, you are able to count
how many were on this sample of bees.

I held this frame of bees... Love them!!!

You know...I knew I wanted to be a beekeeper...
but after this field day...it really sealed the deal!

Waiting on their arrival...April 9th!