From "NewBees" to a "Few" Bees

​Kelci Donahue reached out in May 2023 for a mentor on the Beekeepers of Lubbock Facebook page. Although Kelci and her husband, Kase, had a hive for a year, she wanted guidance. Their original hive absconded but, to their surprise, another colony moved in and survived over winter. 

After a hive inspection with Gary and Vickie Watts, Caprock Beekeepers Association, Kelci and Kase decided one hive just wasn't enough and they joined CBA.

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​The next hurdle was how to get another hive in the middle of summer. They jumped on an offer from an Amarillo beekeeper advertising nucs, but then the summer swarms started popping up. This peeked Kelci's curiousity. Coincidentally, the Donahue's first Caprock Beekeeper Association meeting topic was catching bee swarms.
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​Kelci was not about to ease into beekeeping at this point. She registered the single hive Donahue Apiary with Texas Apiary Inspection Service and sent their Bee Removal by County Application.

​The first removal was a ball of excitement clinging to the underside of a trampoline. Kelci grabbed basic equipment, her bee suit, and some anticipation. With tips from her mentors, Kelci tackled that swarm like a pro including finding the queen after removal. The bees marched in the nuc box sitting on a stool under the trampoline. Kelci was hooked.

Kelci said, "That was exhilarating!!!"

Two days later, another removal call came in for bees in a water meter. Kelci decided her twin sister, Kaitlin needed to join this bee adventure. Juggling two toddlers and wrangling bees sounded like a perfect play date. 

The beehive was in the water meter with a beautiful new comb full of larva. ​Storms rolled into Lubbock with 60mph winds causing Kelci and Kait to pack up early.

​Kelci returned the next day to retrieve the rest of the bees and they marched right into the new hive to join the rest of their colony.

Although one of her swarms decided to swarm a second time, she caught it a second time. Deciding the colony was not a fan of the flow hive she had available, Kelci put them in a nuc with drawn comb frames. They are happier, and she will soon move them to a new hive box when they outgrow the nuc.

From one hive to five in a matter of weeks, Kelci was on a roll. Her bee yard was becoming an apiary and she was ready for more bees and more knowledge.

The next swarm call came in for bees in a tree. This one looked a bit dicier, but Kelci was ready for a challenge

The swarm turned into a colony building an open-air hive in a manicured bush with tight branches. These are not easy to get to, so Kelci opted to use specialized bee vacuum to remove the bees gently. It was a success, and the open-air hive is visible as she clears the bees.

Kelci and Kait methodically maneuvered the bee vac, capturing the colony. The open-air hive was in its infancy but developing fast. The customer said he only noticed the bees in the last couple of days.

​He was concerned about letting his blind elderly dog in the back yard, so this removal resulted in another satisfied customer. 

Kelci has no fear and a bucket of determination wrapped in a blanket of energy. Her addition to Caprock Beekeepers Association is what the beekeeping community needs to grow.