"..and so, Queen Sophia ruled with passion and kindness over her kingdom and they all lived happily ever after. The End." No way a story about honey bees would ever end that way! I mean, really!?! Although maybe...
The Colony's New Queen by Jon Hofius
The sun beat down upon the colony the day it all went down. A new queen arrived and word had spread throughout the buzzing town. Leary and defensive, the colony quickly investigated her new cage. This queen looks young, can she rule the colony at this very very young age? Without saying a word she began to direct her new subjects right away. They all got to work collecting pollen and nectar for this queen they had to obey.
Some workers stayed back trying to free their queen but a cork would not allow. Until three days later the keeper came back and switched it with a marshmallow! They ate away with all their might working around the clock. It was kind of like the marshmallow was some sort of delicious lock! Once released, Queen Sophia got busy laying eggs. New worker brood, in tight patterns, meant everything was going to be ok.
One week later, the keeper returned and smiled upon the hive. "I'm just glad to see things are back to normal and the queen is still alive." TO BE CONTINUED....
Of course, in true South Florida fashion (summer time fashion at least), it was perpetually overcast and a thunderstorm loomed in the distance. I learned my lesson and now wear a veil and gloves on those days. So yes, Queen Sophia saved the colony from impending destruction and they will continue to grow the colony back to normal size and have started collecting food.
The other hive, I am happy to report, shows about 40% capped honey comb on at least 4 of its frames. This discovery means that the colony finished its summer expansion and it is honey time! If it appears that I have at least a month left in Jerry's backyard (because the city is not done laying the sewer pipe in the Plantation) then I might add a honey super (that is a hive box above a queen excluder that keeps the queen from laying brood where I want to be collecting honey)! The bees will still have to draw out the comb on the new frames and then fill them with honey, so the first time will take much longer than subsequent honey flows. I will check in the next week to see how much more of the frames are capped to see if the food supply will support a quick fill of the super.
As for the naming of the colonies...I have still not named them. I mean, it took enough brain power to name the new queen Sophia! Maybe it is time to name the other queen (picture on request, will get as soon as I can). So far names that have been suggested: Isabella, Nina, Santa Maria (Rob's suggestion)...let me know. Her nature is gentle and highly productive...and keep the name suggestions Italian!
Thanks for reading and as always...bee kind to your neighborhood pollinators!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Queen Sophia
Terrible news...I lost a queen. She died during the transit from the Plantation to her new home in Jerry's backyard. Jerry has several colonies of his own and allowed me to keep the two colonies in his backyard during the sewer pipe laying endeavor by the city of Miami through the Plantation. The queen could have passed for many reasons, but the important take away remains that re-queening needed to happen ASAP! How do you get a new queen that has already been bred? The Internet.
Worker bees can sense when queens are ill, old, or need to be replaced and will start to make a new one. They tried in my hive, but they were not successful. Also, it is better management practice to re-queen with young queens from reputable apiarists because it prevents the growth of Africanized colonies. So I introduce to you, for the first time, Queen Sophia. Emily thinks Sophia sounds Italian enough...and it the name is close to my niece's name.
When colonies lack strong leadership, they get lethargic and protective at the same time! The queen introduction got a little ugly and I had to wear the hood and gloves. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was overcast and thundering in the distance...you think I would learn my lesson about working the bees on ugly days. Anyways, I was very thankful I had my hood and gloves nearby or I would have paid for the weather by more stings than I already got (two, direct hits to the thumb)! I left her in the cage for two days before going back to get her ready for release. When I returned to the hive, the bees were bringing in lots of pollen and their temperament had improved greatly! I popped the cork out of her cage and put in a marshmallow. I will go back in two more days and see if she is released and laying. Why a marshmallow? The bees can eat through it and release Queen Sophia into the hive while it is all closed up.
The other colony, however, is producing small amounts of honey and has become a bit more protective themselves. Also, the amount of propolis (a sticky bi product bees use to seal things up) was ridiculous! When I was taking the boxes apart they would POP and the bees would get airborne and start stinging me. Needless to say, I am still learning and a little embarrassed I had to whip out the protective gear. I will continue to keep it close by, but most of the time I am able to work the hives without it (plus it is super hot out and the gear doesn't help).
That is about it...oh wait, forgot to mention one lesson I learned a very hard way: smokers are HOT! As I was quickly scooping all my gear up to get out of there, I picked up my smoker and let it rest against my arm equating to a second degree burn instantly.
Thanks for reading, send me your questions at buenobees@gmail.com and I can address them here. Until next time, bee nice to your neighborhood pollinators!
 |
| Lighting the smoker. |
 |
| Taking apart the hive. |
 |
| The bottom box. I was checking to see if another queen returned that the colony produced...there was no evidence of a new queen. |
 |
| Removing frames. |
 |
| As you can see, there are no filled cells...no eggs, larvae, NOTHING. This is hard evidence of a lack of a queen. |
 |
| Empty frames...sucks. |
 |
| The queens death was recent enough that bee populations have not been greatly affected yet. |
Worker bees can sense when queens are ill, old, or need to be replaced and will start to make a new one. They tried in my hive, but they were not successful. Also, it is better management practice to re-queen with young queens from reputable apiarists because it prevents the growth of Africanized colonies. So I introduce to you, for the first time, Queen Sophia. Emily thinks Sophia sounds Italian enough...and it the name is close to my niece's name.
 |
| Queen Sophia in her cage with some workers. This is how she came shipped to the house. She is the big one on the right. |
When colonies lack strong leadership, they get lethargic and protective at the same time! The queen introduction got a little ugly and I had to wear the hood and gloves. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was overcast and thundering in the distance...you think I would learn my lesson about working the bees on ugly days. Anyways, I was very thankful I had my hood and gloves nearby or I would have paid for the weather by more stings than I already got (two, direct hits to the thumb)! I left her in the cage for two days before going back to get her ready for release. When I returned to the hive, the bees were bringing in lots of pollen and their temperament had improved greatly! I popped the cork out of her cage and put in a marshmallow. I will go back in two more days and see if she is released and laying. Why a marshmallow? The bees can eat through it and release Queen Sophia into the hive while it is all closed up.
 |
| The hood comes out. |
 |
| Chickens share the yard with the bees...they stay clear of the hives. |
 |
| Taking care of business all dressed up! |
 |
| Queens Sophia's official welcoming to the hive. She cannot be released immediately or she will be killed. A few days later I came back and set her up to be released into the hive. |
That is about it...oh wait, forgot to mention one lesson I learned a very hard way: smokers are HOT! As I was quickly scooping all my gear up to get out of there, I picked up my smoker and let it rest against my arm equating to a second degree burn instantly.
 | |
| Swelling thumb. |
 |
| The burn...the blister already popped...gross. |
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
On the Road Again
As I lay on the beach in Montauk, NY, soaking up the sun and relaxing during the family summer vacation, I was reminded (by an avid reader of this blog) that I had not posted in a while! My apologies, Uncle Pat, for keeping you waiting.
Just before leaving the Miami area for a trip, something pretty major happened. The colonies had to be moved! Now, this is major for me for two reasons: 1. I am a mere hobbyest, 2. I was unable to supervise the evolution. The city of Miami is laying a new sewer pipe right through the garden and the hives happened to be in the exact path of the work. Moving honey bees requires little knowledge and lots of guts. Fortunately, since I was leaving town the day the notification came in, James (from the garden's organization) volunteered to assist.
Honey bees, unlike many college students, leave the hive at the first sign of light to begin their days work. At this time a small and mature group of workers head out to forage. They work all day, returning to off load their nectar and pollen and head back out immediately, until the sun goes down. Only after the workers have come home can a hive be closed and moved. I prefer to use newspaper and duck tape to close the hive openings, but there are many other techniques that work just as well.
Once the hives are closed an old beekeeper's adage takes effect: if a hive must be moved, move the hive either two inches or two miles. Honey bees are creatures of habit. Even if moved across the yard, honey bees will try to return to their old spot due to flight paths. After any move, several bees will come back to the old location to find it has been moved! Surprisingly, this has happened to several of my friends returning home for the holidays from college...anyways, the bees will fly around looking for the hive in confusion until their wings fall off and they die. Colony #1 and #2 have been moved to another location in Miami. I am very happy that someone opened their yard for this temporary move, but I have yet to see them since and have no idea exactly where they are! No worries, I will see them later this week and report back. Hopefully the city will finish their work sooner than later and we can get back to pollinating the gardens in Opa Locka.
On another note, often I am asked what I plan to do with the hives when I move from Miami. (Yes, the Coast Guard is the military and we have to move every few years.) I plan to pack them up and take them to my next station! Emily has volunteered to NOT be in the car with me and the bees as we drive north (says something about "what if the bees get out of the hive, blah blah blah"). Ok, maybe I will rent a truck and do it that way.
If you have not seen this yet, check out this video from a movement to "Help The Honey Bees":
http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/#tv
Until next time, bee nice to your neighborhood pollinators!
Just before leaving the Miami area for a trip, something pretty major happened. The colonies had to be moved! Now, this is major for me for two reasons: 1. I am a mere hobbyest, 2. I was unable to supervise the evolution. The city of Miami is laying a new sewer pipe right through the garden and the hives happened to be in the exact path of the work. Moving honey bees requires little knowledge and lots of guts. Fortunately, since I was leaving town the day the notification came in, James (from the garden's organization) volunteered to assist.
Honey bees, unlike many college students, leave the hive at the first sign of light to begin their days work. At this time a small and mature group of workers head out to forage. They work all day, returning to off load their nectar and pollen and head back out immediately, until the sun goes down. Only after the workers have come home can a hive be closed and moved. I prefer to use newspaper and duck tape to close the hive openings, but there are many other techniques that work just as well.
Once the hives are closed an old beekeeper's adage takes effect: if a hive must be moved, move the hive either two inches or two miles. Honey bees are creatures of habit. Even if moved across the yard, honey bees will try to return to their old spot due to flight paths. After any move, several bees will come back to the old location to find it has been moved! Surprisingly, this has happened to several of my friends returning home for the holidays from college...anyways, the bees will fly around looking for the hive in confusion until their wings fall off and they die. Colony #1 and #2 have been moved to another location in Miami. I am very happy that someone opened their yard for this temporary move, but I have yet to see them since and have no idea exactly where they are! No worries, I will see them later this week and report back. Hopefully the city will finish their work sooner than later and we can get back to pollinating the gardens in Opa Locka.
On another note, often I am asked what I plan to do with the hives when I move from Miami. (Yes, the Coast Guard is the military and we have to move every few years.) I plan to pack them up and take them to my next station! Emily has volunteered to NOT be in the car with me and the bees as we drive north (says something about "what if the bees get out of the hive, blah blah blah"). Ok, maybe I will rent a truck and do it that way.
If you have not seen this yet, check out this video from a movement to "Help The Honey Bees":
http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/#tv
Until next time, bee nice to your neighborhood pollinators!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Rainy Season Expansion
The rainy season began since the last posting. Currently it rains everyday somewhere in the greater Miami area. This weather pattern will continue until hurricane season ends in November. The colonies, however, thrive during this wet time as anything and everything blooms. South Florida's sub-tropical climate allows for unusually long colony expansion time and almost an endless honey flow (11 of the 12 months!). In the rest of the country, the honey flow might be only 2 or 3 weeks!
When Emily and I took the bee-ginners beekeeping class at the Fairchild Gardens, we were warned about working the hives on cloudy, cold, or ugly days. The teacher was right and lessons were learned the hard way yesterday. As I arrived at the hives around noon, the cloudy sky and warm temperatures gave me mixed feeling about the ensuing encounter. The goal for this trip: check the health of the colonies, add a second box to Colony #1, and add the first honey super to Colony #2. Both colonies displayed great activity at their entrances. As I lit the smoker I made a play-by-play in my mind to ensure a quick and efficient visit. Did you know that, on average, 150 bees are killed during hive manipulation? This serves as more proof that honey bees should remain uninhibited as much as possible (within reason, of course). Also, it does not help when I accidentally drop the lid 2 inches and get a few hundred ticked-off bees airborne. Granted, I kept my cool and only got stung once (on my thumb).
As I opened hive #1, it looked more crowded than a Japanese subway. Never have I ever seen that many honeybees in one box! Bees, like humans, allow weather to affect foraging and their overall mood. Ask Emily, when cold or overcast days become too much for me, I become a cranky old man. On cloudy or rainy days the colony comes home to the hive. Anyways, I methodically inspected the frames and observed new worker brood in a nice tight formation. Oh, and I also saw the second Queen! She is a golden beauty. Unfortunately, I did not capture a picture of her...maybe next time. I quickly replaced the frames to their positions and added a second, empty medium hive body.
Colony #2 provided a surprise of more honey comb on the roof of the hive! This colony is ready to expand into a honey super. At least two frames in the top box were almost strictly capped honey. Working from the bottom box up, I only inspected a few frames observing more worker brood and a few drone brood as well! Drone brood looks like a bullet is sticking out of the hive since drones are bigger and they incubate just a little longer than queens and workers. I removed the queen excluder from the hive floor and moved it to the top to separate where the queen can lay and where I will collect the honey. Yes, this means the queen has access to leave now, but the strong hive she rules over keeps her within the hive. I then added the first honey super (an empty medium hive body with 10 frames).
Sometimes necessity dictates the manipulation of the hives on cloudy days. If avoidable, remember to work honey bees only on nice beautiful days that you would rather lay on the beach and drink mojitos.
When Emily and I took the bee-ginners beekeeping class at the Fairchild Gardens, we were warned about working the hives on cloudy, cold, or ugly days. The teacher was right and lessons were learned the hard way yesterday. As I arrived at the hives around noon, the cloudy sky and warm temperatures gave me mixed feeling about the ensuing encounter. The goal for this trip: check the health of the colonies, add a second box to Colony #1, and add the first honey super to Colony #2. Both colonies displayed great activity at their entrances. As I lit the smoker I made a play-by-play in my mind to ensure a quick and efficient visit. Did you know that, on average, 150 bees are killed during hive manipulation? This serves as more proof that honey bees should remain uninhibited as much as possible (within reason, of course). Also, it does not help when I accidentally drop the lid 2 inches and get a few hundred ticked-off bees airborne. Granted, I kept my cool and only got stung once (on my thumb).
As I opened hive #1, it looked more crowded than a Japanese subway. Never have I ever seen that many honeybees in one box! Bees, like humans, allow weather to affect foraging and their overall mood. Ask Emily, when cold or overcast days become too much for me, I become a cranky old man. On cloudy or rainy days the colony comes home to the hive. Anyways, I methodically inspected the frames and observed new worker brood in a nice tight formation. Oh, and I also saw the second Queen! She is a golden beauty. Unfortunately, I did not capture a picture of her...maybe next time. I quickly replaced the frames to their positions and added a second, empty medium hive body.
Colony #2 provided a surprise of more honey comb on the roof of the hive! This colony is ready to expand into a honey super. At least two frames in the top box were almost strictly capped honey. Working from the bottom box up, I only inspected a few frames observing more worker brood and a few drone brood as well! Drone brood looks like a bullet is sticking out of the hive since drones are bigger and they incubate just a little longer than queens and workers. I removed the queen excluder from the hive floor and moved it to the top to separate where the queen can lay and where I will collect the honey. Yes, this means the queen has access to leave now, but the strong hive she rules over keeps her within the hive. I then added the first honey super (an empty medium hive body with 10 frames).
 |
| Colony #2: The queen excluder is on top of the second hive body. The queen excluder is just that, it allows workers and drones to pass through, just not the queen. Also, observe the fresh honey comb on the roof of the hive. |
 |
| Goals Met: Additional hive body for Colony #1 and the addition of a honey super to Colony #2. |
Sometimes necessity dictates the manipulation of the hives on cloudy days. If avoidable, remember to work honey bees only on nice beautiful days that you would rather lay on the beach and drink mojitos.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Queen Clarification (for Cathy)
Happy Father's Day to all the current and future Fathers of the world (especially those who read this blog)! I would wish a Happy Father's Day to all of the bee-daddies, but they die shortly after they mate with a queen...not quite a royal wedding.
Honeybees only come in three varieties: queens, workers, and drones. The males (drones) remain highly regulated by the colony because they serve only one purpose...mating. Also, little known fact, drones do not have stingers! Otherwise, the majority of a hive composition is females: queen and her workers. Queens and workers start their lives in the same way but things change three days into their life. The food of choice for both in the beginning is royal jelly. Royal jelly is produced within the hive as a food for these youngsters. After day three, the workers are weened off of the royal jelly and begin a different diet with more proteins and carbs. The virgin queen continues to feed on only royal jelly which allows her to grow larger and enables her to develop reproductive organs. A queen cell will be much bigger than the rest (will get a picture when they start making them). Queens only get one shot at mating, so they make it count by reproducing with several drones in special swarm of queens and drones! Not to get too involved with the details, a much more technical explanation will be found in any of the books I have recommended on my profile. Unfortunately, due to the influx of Africanized honey bees (A. m. scutellata) in the state of Florida, the common practice is to replace your queen annually with one mated at a reputable apiary. This prevents one of your own virgin queens from going and mixing it up with a swarm of Africanized drones and end up producing the species from within your own hives!
Now for the real purpose of this posting: I received feedback a reader...who will NOT remain anonymous...my mother-in-law...who said that she could not find the queen in the picture provided. So here is clarification:
In summary, it is a good but short life for the males of the colony...it just goes to show that behind every "he-bee" is a strong queen bee ready to rip off his reproductive organs and allow him to pass on from this life.
Happy Father's Day!
Honeybees only come in three varieties: queens, workers, and drones. The males (drones) remain highly regulated by the colony because they serve only one purpose...mating. Also, little known fact, drones do not have stingers! Otherwise, the majority of a hive composition is females: queen and her workers. Queens and workers start their lives in the same way but things change three days into their life. The food of choice for both in the beginning is royal jelly. Royal jelly is produced within the hive as a food for these youngsters. After day three, the workers are weened off of the royal jelly and begin a different diet with more proteins and carbs. The virgin queen continues to feed on only royal jelly which allows her to grow larger and enables her to develop reproductive organs. A queen cell will be much bigger than the rest (will get a picture when they start making them). Queens only get one shot at mating, so they make it count by reproducing with several drones in special swarm of queens and drones! Not to get too involved with the details, a much more technical explanation will be found in any of the books I have recommended on my profile. Unfortunately, due to the influx of Africanized honey bees (A. m. scutellata) in the state of Florida, the common practice is to replace your queen annually with one mated at a reputable apiary. This prevents one of your own virgin queens from going and mixing it up with a swarm of Africanized drones and end up producing the species from within your own hives!
Now for the real purpose of this posting: I received feedback a reader...who will NOT remain anonymous...my mother-in-law...who said that she could not find the queen in the picture provided. So here is clarification:
 |
| The queen is circled in green...if you are still wondering. |
Happy Father's Day!
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Colony Grows
Colony #1 and Colony #2 continue their growth at an amazing rate! South Florida FINALLY received some well needed rain and the plants began to bloom again. Today's hive inspection came as the worst type: surprise. Contrary to popular belief, there never were many (if any) surprise inspections at the Coast Guard Academy...except that one time I got busted with having DVDs in my room as a freshman (pure contraband as a freshman...the movies? Master and Commander and The Nightmare Before Christmas). Alas, I digress.
Purpose must be present during every hive inspection. Today's inspection looked for continued growth...new brood development (that is where the bees make more bees...like a little bee nursery). The comb is getting drawn out in the new frames and there is new nectar/honey/royal jelly stores in the hives! Oh, and did I mention...I SAW A QUEEN TODAY!!!!!!!!
Yeah, no big deal. Just kidding! I was so excited I almost dropped the frame she was on! She is much bigger than the other bees...it was AMAZING!
As always, I appreciate the comments, jokes, and questions both verbally and through email. It appears the next box on Colony #2 will be a honey super! I think we still have a bit of expansion to do with Colony #1. Of course, I cannot make this call...it is all up to the royal highness...the QUEEN!!!!!!
We have officially created a business to cover the bees and their products when we start producing. Introducing... Bueno Bees, LLC. With that, please feel free to email me at: buenobees@gmail.com
Also, I am sad to report that a bee lost its life today in my pants. Yes, she climbed up, I smacked her to prevent any higher exploration, and my thigh rightfully received a nice sting. It wasn't too bad since I inherited thunder thighs (from dad) and barely felt it.
Have a wonderful weekend, and keep an eye out for your favorite little pollinators!
Purpose must be present during every hive inspection. Today's inspection looked for continued growth...new brood development (that is where the bees make more bees...like a little bee nursery). The comb is getting drawn out in the new frames and there is new nectar/honey/royal jelly stores in the hives! Oh, and did I mention...I SAW A QUEEN TODAY!!!!!!!!
Yeah, no big deal. Just kidding! I was so excited I almost dropped the frame she was on! She is much bigger than the other bees...it was AMAZING!
 |
| Colony #2: The honeybees are drawing out comb! You can also see bits of food they have stored. |
 |
| Colony #1: Worker brood. This is good stuff since these bees are the future survival of this colony! |
 |
| Colony #2: Straight on shot of new comb! |
 |
| Colony #1: Another shot of worker brood. |
 |
| Colony #2: Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to introduce you to the queen! Not gonna lie, she is HUGE! I am so proud. The shot is blurry as she tried to escape back to shade. |
 |
| Colony #1 |
 |
| The smoker...ready to rock (see, I did learn a lesson). |
 |
| Colony #2 |
As always, I appreciate the comments, jokes, and questions both verbally and through email. It appears the next box on Colony #2 will be a honey super! I think we still have a bit of expansion to do with Colony #1. Of course, I cannot make this call...it is all up to the royal highness...the QUEEN!!!!!!
We have officially created a business to cover the bees and their products when we start producing. Introducing... Bueno Bees, LLC. With that, please feel free to email me at: buenobees@gmail.com
Also, I am sad to report that a bee lost its life today in my pants. Yes, she climbed up, I smacked her to prevent any higher exploration, and my thigh rightfully received a nice sting. It wasn't too bad since I inherited thunder thighs (from dad) and barely felt it.
Have a wonderful weekend, and keep an eye out for your favorite little pollinators!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Bee Productive
Long live the queen! At least...well...I can only assume the queens still reside in their hives happy and healthy since the rest of the colony continues to build in their new home. I have not seen the queens yet. The blame lies in my novice nature with the bees. I can find workers, drones, larvae, and bees in all the stages of their life...just not the queen. I am sure she will pop up soon enough and when she does, I hope to capture a picture for all of you to see!
On another note, I am appreciating the feedback for names on the hives. So far I have had names like "Beeopolis" and "Bernsting"...and "Michigan"...keep them coming! Also, being a novice blogger, I finally enabled comments...so post them in order to ensure all the good (and bad) names make it for consideration!
This week marked a momentous (yet premature) event in the big hive's history. I collected about a pint of honeycomb from the roof of the hive. The bees were already building on the roof and that is wasted effort since I want them to build in the hive. They are making progress in drawing out the frames in the hives, but they were spending way too much energy on their ceiling honey stores...so like a good beekeeper, I stole it! I hope this encourages growth within the frames which will equate to easier collection in the future. You will know as soon as I get my first crop of honey!
I hope you enjoyed the pictures from this adventure. There were no stings...but there was a nice (maybe crazy) lady who basically sat and watched me work the bees this week. We spoke like old friends...I estimate her to be about a 70 year old black woman. She was sweet as can be and asked me questions about the bees as she sat by the canal and enjoyed her afternoon snack of mixed nuts and San Pellegrino water on the outside of the fenced-in garden. At the end of the conversation I asked her for her name and introduced myself. She said, "I know who you are! I've known you since you were a baby! You probably don't remember me, but your mama and daddy and wife have bet a lot of money on my name! I'm Gladys." It was weird, yes, but refreshing because she was really enjoying her day.
On another note, I am appreciating the feedback for names on the hives. So far I have had names like "Beeopolis" and "Bernsting"...and "Michigan"...keep them coming! Also, being a novice blogger, I finally enabled comments...so post them in order to ensure all the good (and bad) names make it for consideration!
This week marked a momentous (yet premature) event in the big hive's history. I collected about a pint of honeycomb from the roof of the hive. The bees were already building on the roof and that is wasted effort since I want them to build in the hive. They are making progress in drawing out the frames in the hives, but they were spending way too much energy on their ceiling honey stores...so like a good beekeeper, I stole it! I hope this encourages growth within the frames which will equate to easier collection in the future. You will know as soon as I get my first crop of honey!
 |
| This is an old picture from the day I first opened the hives. All of the comb you see was at least twice the size...which means WAY too much attention was being given to this sweet temptation. |
 |
| Raw honeycomb at its finest. When you can see the honeycomb shapes so clearly that means they were never fully capped and therefore full of honey. Yes, we had some nectar mix in with the honey. |
 |
| CLOSE-UP! |
 |
| Some cappings were compromised on the extraction from the hive and thus began a natural honey flow. |
 |
| The final product. |
 |
| Next I must melt and filter this wax for further use. I am thinking maybe candles or soap. |
Saturday, June 4, 2011
A Lesson in Smokers (why it is good to have one nearby at ALL times)
 |
| I am definitely no artist. |
Just kidding! I will get to the sketch later, but first an update on this week with the new bees.
Tuesday almost brought heartache as I attended to the hives. The bees never vacated the NUC (pronounced NOOK...it is a nucleus hive)! There were some in the new hive, but the NUC was teeming with bees. Once again, I did not see the queen, but I learned something new. When moving bees from a NUC to a hive, you must remove the NUC from the picture all together and the new hive must be in the same place as the NUC was previously. Why? Bees are creatures of habit. They create flight paths and will follow them exactly to and from the hive. So what was the solution? Remove the cover of the new hive...pick up the NUC...turn it over the new hive...and shake! A majority of the bees fell right into the new hive and I quickly covered it. Then I moved the NUC well out of the picture. Two days later, the bees were hard at work in their new home and the NUC was completely empty. No stings were awarded!
A quick note about this endeavor: I did not use my smoker since it was so quick and the bees were pretty docile. This hive has not started producing honey, so there is not a whole lot to protect. Now for Friday...
Friday was a beautiful day! The sun shone bright and hot in the sky. A moderate breeze kept the temperature reasonable. The goal of this trip was to photograph the bee's progress for you, the reader. Instead, here is what happened: I arrived at the hives ready to go. I approached the big hive...which I shall name later (please give me ideas...I need to name the hives so you will know exactly which one I am talking about...). Anyways, the bee activity out front was normal. Foragers were coming and going and everything seemed right with the picture.
Unfortunately for me, I had not lit off my smoker and was a little cocky about the whole situation. I gently lifted the cover and flipped it over to find thousands of bees clinging to it! There is a bit of comb built on the lid and it is full of honey! Before I could react, three bees came directly onto my head and ear...within microseconds it had happened. The stings were immediate and I decided that was enough for the day. I carefully replaced the cover trying to not smash any bees and get out of there. I calmly walked away back towards my car (believe what you want, but I was not about to go running away and get chased by a bunch of ticked off bees!). I got back into my car and removed the stingers. Needless to say, my ego was mostly sore. My head and ear were fine, just a little tender.
Now for the take away: I will keep my smoker lit and nearby anytime I am working the bees (even if I don't plan to do a whole lot with them). A calm hive makes for a calm beekeeper. I plan to go back out on Wednesday afternoon to scrape off the extraneous comb and keep the bees contained to the frames!
Until then, remember to bee kind to your neighborhood pollinators!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Hi, I'm your new beekeeper! Nice to meet you and you and you and you...
A wise apiarist once said to me, "Let the bees just bee and they will thrive...interact only as necessary to keep them happy, healthy, and productive." Some may argue that "wise apiarist" is an oxymoron, but that is a whole new post within itself.
A day has passed since I last manipulated the hives. I worked as diligently as a worker bee Sunday(though Emily would argue I am more like a drone) so I could drive up The Plantation today to check the bees! "The Plantation" is what Ben calls the plot of land we are using to develop these hives as well as expand his organizations horticultural ventures. One word to describe today...glorious! The sun was shining and only a few clouds dotted the sky. The hives were baking in the sun as all good bee hives love to do. The water is plentiful nearby and the bees were already hard at work collecting pollen and nectar and growing the hives at their new location.
I took my friend Tim with me this time. He was able to take a few shots on my camera of what he was surely hoping would be a good old fashion sting fest. Unfortunately for him today was ideal for me to visit the hive and move some frames around. Oh yeah, that means I received no stings!
Today was hive introduction and expansion day number one. Basically I moved all the frames from the NUC to a hive body I had prepared, inserted follower boards into the 10 frame medium hive, and moved two frames to an upper, mostly empty box. What is a follower board? A follower board is sometimes called a dummy board. It is the same size as a frame, but there is nowhere for the bees to build on because it is solid wood. The idea is that it creates a buffer between occupied frames and the hive body wall and acts like insulation. It also creates better ventilation in the hive and gives the bees a place to chill that is not directly on the drawn comb. In short, this is my effort to maximize the queens ability to lay close to the edge of the hive and allow for less boxes to be used solely for brood (where baby bees come to...well...bee!). Also, a well ventilated hive means a happy and healthy colony!
I put the top back on the NUC since I could not find the queen. This means that she is either still in the NUC or in the new hive (hopefully). I will find out next time when all of the bees are in one or the other location. I will probably go back out tomorrow just to take a peek at how they are doing after all the commotion today. This does, however, bring us back to the opening of this posting. I will not be manipulating the bees at all, just observing...so no worries there.
Enough talk...enjoy the pictures!
Until next time, remember to bee kind to your neighborhood pollinators!
A day has passed since I last manipulated the hives. I worked as diligently as a worker bee Sunday(though Emily would argue I am more like a drone) so I could drive up The Plantation today to check the bees! "The Plantation" is what Ben calls the plot of land we are using to develop these hives as well as expand his organizations horticultural ventures. One word to describe today...glorious! The sun was shining and only a few clouds dotted the sky. The hives were baking in the sun as all good bee hives love to do. The water is plentiful nearby and the bees were already hard at work collecting pollen and nectar and growing the hives at their new location.
I took my friend Tim with me this time. He was able to take a few shots on my camera of what he was surely hoping would be a good old fashion sting fest. Unfortunately for him today was ideal for me to visit the hive and move some frames around. Oh yeah, that means I received no stings!
Today was hive introduction and expansion day number one. Basically I moved all the frames from the NUC to a hive body I had prepared, inserted follower boards into the 10 frame medium hive, and moved two frames to an upper, mostly empty box. What is a follower board? A follower board is sometimes called a dummy board. It is the same size as a frame, but there is nowhere for the bees to build on because it is solid wood. The idea is that it creates a buffer between occupied frames and the hive body wall and acts like insulation. It also creates better ventilation in the hive and gives the bees a place to chill that is not directly on the drawn comb. In short, this is my effort to maximize the queens ability to lay close to the edge of the hive and allow for less boxes to be used solely for brood (where baby bees come to...well...bee!). Also, a well ventilated hive means a happy and healthy colony!
I put the top back on the NUC since I could not find the queen. This means that she is either still in the NUC or in the new hive (hopefully). I will find out next time when all of the bees are in one or the other location. I will probably go back out tomorrow just to take a peek at how they are doing after all the commotion today. This does, however, bring us back to the opening of this posting. I will not be manipulating the bees at all, just observing...so no worries there.
Enough talk...enjoy the pictures!
 |
| This is a scene as we left today. You can see the irrigation channel in the background. |
 | |
| This was a true test...did I seal up the hives tight enough? Needless to say I drove with my beekeeper's veil right next to me (just in case). |
 |
| Moving from the NUC to the new hive body. |
 |
| The leftovers in the NUC...can you see the queen? I sure didn't. |
 |
| Brenhan apparently does not use frame foundation. I must read more about this technique before employing it. |
 |
| Another shot of the medium hive with entrance reducer and "queen includer". |
 |
| The first time I opened the hives...11 p.m. after an hour drive. Next scene is me running to the car... |
 |
| Removing Frames to expand the hive and also install follower boards. |
 |
| Yum! Look at all that comb! |
 |
| One last shot at the hives before we left to celebrate Memorial Day. |
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Let's Bee-gin
The first rule in beekeeping is you don't talk about beekeeping. The second rule in beekeeping is you don't talk about beekeeping.
JUST KIDDING! As a matter of fact, it should be quite the opposite.
Welcome to my blog. It is devoted to getting information out there about what is entailed in becoming an amateur (hobby) apiarist (beekeeper).
A little bit about me...I love flying and sugar! Mix the sweet with the altitude and what do you have? Apis mellifera L, or better known as the honeybee. When people find out that I am taking up the gentle hobby of beekeeping they first ask if I am allergic. Then they proceed to tell me all about their own allergies and how much they love honey and expect me to inform then when I get my first batch. I don't think that I am allergic. I got stung yesterday while picking up the bees. Did it hurt? A little. Poor worker bee gave its life in the defense of her home and way of life. Now that is admirable. In all honesty, I just love honey and saving the world. Once I found out that the first apiarists were Germans, I was sold!
Oh, I forgot to mention, I have just picked up my bees! It was a long process getting here (8 months long!). First I read a few books about the topic and started to plant the idea in my bee-autiful wife's head that we should keep bees! Emily is "allergic" to bee stings. She swells up pretty bad when stung (a pretty normal reaction). She is worried about multiple stings...understandably. In short, I am working the hives and she is awaiting the product for bottling and candle-making. Em and I took a class at the Fairchild Gardens about beekeeping. The man who taught the class really just got me more excited about beekeeping. Then I went away to learn how to fly a new plane and I started to work on a new location to keep the bees. No, we are not keeping them in our backyard...ref Emily's reaction and also look up "really pissed neighbors when they get stung from having bees in close proximity to their house". So I teamed up with a man named Ben and we are working in partnership with my bees and his organization's garden!
Next I purchased a bunch of equipment from Dadant and Sons. It was expensive because of shipping costs...but hopefully I will recoup the cost with the sale of honey and other products. In short, if you have the room and equipment to make your own boxes and equipment...do it!
Now I got the bees. They are Italians. I purchased a complete 10 frame medium Langstroth hive (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langstroth_hive) and a 5 frame medium Nucleus Hive (NUC) from Brendhan of Bee Barf Apiaries in West Palm Beach.
I will write more about the equipment and why I am doing things this way with all medium hive bodies, but I think this post has been long enough. Thanks for reading and make sure you bee kind to you neighborhood pollinators!
JUST KIDDING! As a matter of fact, it should be quite the opposite.
Welcome to my blog. It is devoted to getting information out there about what is entailed in becoming an amateur (hobby) apiarist (beekeeper).
A little bit about me...I love flying and sugar! Mix the sweet with the altitude and what do you have? Apis mellifera L, or better known as the honeybee. When people find out that I am taking up the gentle hobby of beekeeping they first ask if I am allergic. Then they proceed to tell me all about their own allergies and how much they love honey and expect me to inform then when I get my first batch. I don't think that I am allergic. I got stung yesterday while picking up the bees. Did it hurt? A little. Poor worker bee gave its life in the defense of her home and way of life. Now that is admirable. In all honesty, I just love honey and saving the world. Once I found out that the first apiarists were Germans, I was sold!
Oh, I forgot to mention, I have just picked up my bees! It was a long process getting here (8 months long!). First I read a few books about the topic and started to plant the idea in my bee-autiful wife's head that we should keep bees! Emily is "allergic" to bee stings. She swells up pretty bad when stung (a pretty normal reaction). She is worried about multiple stings...understandably. In short, I am working the hives and she is awaiting the product for bottling and candle-making. Em and I took a class at the Fairchild Gardens about beekeeping. The man who taught the class really just got me more excited about beekeeping. Then I went away to learn how to fly a new plane and I started to work on a new location to keep the bees. No, we are not keeping them in our backyard...ref Emily's reaction and also look up "really pissed neighbors when they get stung from having bees in close proximity to their house". So I teamed up with a man named Ben and we are working in partnership with my bees and his organization's garden!
Next I purchased a bunch of equipment from Dadant and Sons. It was expensive because of shipping costs...but hopefully I will recoup the cost with the sale of honey and other products. In short, if you have the room and equipment to make your own boxes and equipment...do it!
Now I got the bees. They are Italians. I purchased a complete 10 frame medium Langstroth hive (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langstroth_hive) and a 5 frame medium Nucleus Hive (NUC) from Brendhan of Bee Barf Apiaries in West Palm Beach.
I will write more about the equipment and why I am doing things this way with all medium hive bodies, but I think this post has been long enough. Thanks for reading and make sure you bee kind to you neighborhood pollinators!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
