Two Hives and a Table Saw: What the Buzz Just Happened?

Let’s catch you up, because it’s been a ride.

Two months ago, I picked up two packages of bees like I knew what I was doing. Colony Alpha and Colony Bravo moved into their new coastal digs, and I, in return, began a slow descent into obsession, glue fumes, and adult-onset sawdust inhalation.

Things started fine—until they didn’t.

Alpha decided not to keep her queen. Not ideal. I requeened. She vanished. Suspected swarm. Thanks for that, ladies.

Meanwhile, Bravo was crushing it. Calm, strong, queenright, and busy. She became my go-to resource hive—like the friend with a Costco membership when everyone else is broke.

Alpha? Still a problem child.

I started trying to harvest queen cells like a grown-up beekeeper. Very romantic in theory. In practice: I cracked just the tip off the best one. A potential queen beheading, courtesy of clumsy fingers and hubris.

Still, I managed to scrape together enough brood and bravery to start a new nucleus colony. I took a queen cup from Alpha, crossed my fingers, and whispered sweet nothings about successful mating flights into the wind. She’s out there now—hopefully alive, hopefully mated, hopefully not eaten by a bird.

Back on the woodworking front, I’ve been building boxes. Roughly. Loudly. Using my extremely average tool skills and a lot of YouTube tutorials. Let’s just say everything’s structurally sound, but no one is zooming in on the joints.

Now I’m sitting on my hands, trying not to peek.

Hive Alpha gets her next inspection soon, and I’ll be looking for eggs—a sign that our maybe-queen is now a real-deal monarch. The nuc gets checked in late July or early August, once she’s had time to settle in and hopefully lay down some tracks of her own.

You can follow the chaos, the wins, and the wood glue on TikTok and Youtube: @blackgirlbythesea and follow @GloucesterSeaHive on Instagram!

Come for the bees. Stay for the unhinged commentary.