The bees were active today, the first sunny day in a week, so I took the opportunity to add frames to their hives.

First task: use the smoker to puff smoke into the hive entrance. This causes the bees to calm down a bit…

Smoker

Puffing smoke into hive

…although calm is not quite the right word for tens of thousands of agitated stinging insects. Here is a stinger embedded in the leather palm of my glove.

Bee stinger

Next, check the top of the existing frames.

Worker bees on the underside of the hive cover-board.

Top of the hive frames -- the bees have built up the wax foundation and have partly filled the frame with honey.

Add the new frames.

New frames. The bees will fill these with honey.

Last, clear some excess vegetation around the hives.

The Reaper, in costume.