tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42067576786834589382024-03-13T20:55:24.372-07:00(Bee)Waxing EloquentA novice beekeeper begins her journey toward helping her own little corner of the environment. Oh, and maybe some honey, too.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-62899396728816291782016-12-03T11:32:00.000-08:002016-12-03T11:33:41.636-08:00Inspection DayI left my hives alone for most of the summer, noting that they both were busy and humming. In September, I lifted the back of each hive. Both were almost too heavy for me to move, signaling they were full of bees and probably some honey. But what a difference a couple of months makes.<br />
<br />
Today I went out to winterize the hives. With Atlanta's moderate climate, there isn't a lot of winterizing to do, unlike what beekeepers are tasked with in colder climates. Generally, I remove the extra supers from the top of a hive (those are usually empty), make sure the hive beetle trap is in place and doing its job, and insert an entrance reducer to cut down on the cold air flow. <br />
<br />
Hive #2, which had not been named yet due to my superstition about waiting to be sure it's surviving, has been ravaged by wax moths. I won't document that in photos since I've shown it before, but suffice it to say that wax moths wreak a special, messy kind of havoc in a hive. There was a small cluster of honeybees left inside, but there is nothing I can do to save them. I took off two of the supers and then closed up the hive. On a warm winter day, I'll probably go out and dismantle everything. Most of that equipment will be unusable again.<br />
<br />
On to Gloriana's Gold, which has a much happier, healthier story. The top super was empty, but clean. When I removed it, the super below began to hum and bees began moving up toward me to see what was going on. Good thing I'd checked the smoker and added some fuel before I started working on this one! This hive isn't exactly docile, but the smoke and the mid-50's temperature kept them quieter than usual. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzvniiKg3xHsXc6i4XjtRM19A9-e4tzCC8lHKEmX8vhV6HRO1SMmiM1A89_EW2vJoaHp2FHq36eSg3OOr9qZoG2qqmKILqEC9G7vy7wGzW_QWlAXLMSp3s334RN7Uy8lyWpSYQlseIFQ/s1600/FullSizeRender-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzvniiKg3xHsXc6i4XjtRM19A9-e4tzCC8lHKEmX8vhV6HRO1SMmiM1A89_EW2vJoaHp2FHq36eSg3OOr9qZoG2qqmKILqEC9G7vy7wGzW_QWlAXLMSp3s334RN7Uy8lyWpSYQlseIFQ/s320/FullSizeRender-3.jpg" width="320" height="138" /></a></div>The GG girls have been busy! They sealed off the hive beetle trap with propolis, so I removed it and made a mental note to order some more — as soon as they come, I'll install a fresh one. The bees have also made their own entrance reducer (see photo above) out of light-colored propolis! This is something I've never seen before, but have learned is common. Some bees just like to do their own winterizing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJR0RlFqFM-x14xBonycGfJAxa4X3jVi8HwuLzye9jMP-GfLjXygKGRtjDTNtaAL8doWg5jHseQgz7OxgY6W9ZI3nv2BDkQaeyh0RNceCYdcZhbihtjSJZbK6SJzoKHliz1O-2u-2d5U/s1600/IMG_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJR0RlFqFM-x14xBonycGfJAxa4X3jVi8HwuLzye9jMP-GfLjXygKGRtjDTNtaAL8doWg5jHseQgz7OxgY6W9ZI3nv2BDkQaeyh0RNceCYdcZhbihtjSJZbK6SJzoKHliz1O-2u-2d5U/s320/IMG_0039.JPG" width="320" height="250" /></a></div>Finally, the best news of all...Gloriana's Gold is chock full of honey in two supers. I'm debating whether to take out a few frames before the weather turns too cold for opening the hive. I may just leave it all in there for the girls to feed on until spring.<br />
<br />
And yes, I will probably rebuild in the spring. After clearing out part of the side yard, there is more room and a level place for some hives, so I'm thinking of starting 2-3 more. Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-92012568145810288932016-03-30T07:19:00.000-07:002016-05-09T17:12:02.731-07:00Gloriana's Gold is ThrivingThis morning I went out to cut away some shrub and weed overgrowth around the hives and did a quick inspection of Gloriana's Gold (GG). This hive is composed of one deep with two medium supers on top of it. I was excited to lift the back of the hive and feel its weight — it is chock full of bees! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWF9BKotu61GDvl8P4S5YXx23DZN0oRsoaOjsY7LiYOLHfIieksLgXYRRE0q0XCCPrx7eiKxN_6rgBYQOz3GAUVsHeSFIdqSeDDVpGGxO351eeJNUWStuHZNX3TSk-aJjMQg7nkf0nww/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWF9BKotu61GDvl8P4S5YXx23DZN0oRsoaOjsY7LiYOLHfIieksLgXYRRE0q0XCCPrx7eiKxN_6rgBYQOz3GAUVsHeSFIdqSeDDVpGGxO351eeJNUWStuHZNX3TSk-aJjMQg7nkf0nww/s320/IMG_1572.JPG" /></a></div>The top super has honey in the outer frames and baby bees being laid in the middle. The laying pattern is a little spotty. I think that may be because the queen is laying more in the middle super, which is definitely heavier with brood.<br />
<br />
<br />
Last, I pulled out the IPM sheet for a check. The IPM (Integrated Pest Management) sheet fits below the screened bottom board and helps a beekeeper see and monitor a mite infestation. As far as I can see, there wasn't a mite problem, just heavily coated with pollen. Oh, and also a wax moth or two that the girls killed and mummified.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lhjWQF1rfrL-y4mblQBIS-q3qfCREZpd0PE17cbRg8x9Zfxyi1nEvfdjHqvkmH7rk2_H6EykMsCM3P7Gy6eHR7-0NIqeOdbRm4oQd3ra1meRvj_X37BcVyix8eRtX8gOOjSN6GYBmuE/s1600/IMG_1574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lhjWQF1rfrL-y4mblQBIS-q3qfCREZpd0PE17cbRg8x9Zfxyi1nEvfdjHqvkmH7rk2_H6EykMsCM3P7Gy6eHR7-0NIqeOdbRm4oQd3ra1meRvj_X37BcVyix8eRtX8gOOjSN6GYBmuE/s320/IMG_1574.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I'm excited about traveling to Temple, Ga. this weekend to pick up a nuc from Georgia Honey Bee Company. I've got an empty hive and it needs fillin'! Photos to come.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-33224644772327914712016-03-07T06:41:00.000-08:002016-03-07T06:41:11.765-08:00Gloriana's Gold<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOqgECeQVDczONl7M5JhE3gkWIa4O5ewDPonr_cV_5JpCiEKPYcXaMQ913F3rXrQayAhEyn7q14-HPeopWGiU3s6AVwbVHS-dKOC7W24KO8u4yznSetq1hQwiFXTcZiIPTxcAelg6JnQ/s1600/12798839_10209073317774546_6410585048540871692_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOqgECeQVDczONl7M5JhE3gkWIa4O5ewDPonr_cV_5JpCiEKPYcXaMQ913F3rXrQayAhEyn7q14-HPeopWGiU3s6AVwbVHS-dKOC7W24KO8u4yznSetq1hQwiFXTcZiIPTxcAelg6JnQ/s320/12798839_10209073317774546_6410585048540871692_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59cU0ul5v7RhamA4RpnzjuAOm2GGi7YaqemEpRg2d0pdeIbKDmM0sHeZUGRrrQZugQzy_jnYTBWiaL3wvXZd7HtRxRRFoOwIjINKolpf30TmMGPfra-gcNvboHbc113whtxawk5eyPjU/s1600/12804684_10209073317414537_8731442087025175914_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59cU0ul5v7RhamA4RpnzjuAOm2GGi7YaqemEpRg2d0pdeIbKDmM0sHeZUGRrrQZugQzy_jnYTBWiaL3wvXZd7HtRxRRFoOwIjINKolpf30TmMGPfra-gcNvboHbc113whtxawk5eyPjU/s320/12804684_10209073317414537_8731442087025175914_n.jpg" /></a></div>This, my friends, is a glorious sight after the last couple of years. My one surviving hive has made a super full of beautiful, golden HONEY! Thank you, sweet girls! In honor of their handiwork, we will name this hive Gloriana's Gold. Thank you, Richard Funderburke, for submitting the perfect name.<br />
<br />
I will harvest some of this honey and leave the rest for a food source. Yesterday I could see the girls bringing in loads of bright yellow and orange pollen. So happy to see they are thriving in the warm March weather.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-64721145648593234532015-05-03T07:53:00.000-07:002015-05-03T07:53:58.692-07:00A Nuc Day DawnsThis weekend marked a new bee-ginning in my life as a beekeeper and brought me a brand new experience. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ADK4wVoS-QN8yaGwLb5ycj4DhDFzN4rhqb6lUfZGE7Svq3zdLpWcBYhiJwoDfag1nXKHzRpccROyCXAPOpXlcSRxS_8D3g33mHS6qZJoUXj4ZUxkOsuH1eWkQ5PZykRXT6U6vUJSbXM/s1600/2015-05-03+10.05.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ADK4wVoS-QN8yaGwLb5ycj4DhDFzN4rhqb6lUfZGE7Svq3zdLpWcBYhiJwoDfag1nXKHzRpccROyCXAPOpXlcSRxS_8D3g33mHS6qZJoUXj4ZUxkOsuH1eWkQ5PZykRXT6U6vUJSbXM/s320/2015-05-03+10.05.02.jpg" /></a></div>In the past, I've installed package bees, which is a relatively simple process of dumping the bees into the hive box and making sure they have released their queen within a few days. This time, I'm installing bees from two nuc (nucleus) hives that I bought from a local master beekeeper, Cindy Hodges.<br />
<br />
Last night, I went to pick up my bees at Cindy's house. She gave me verbal and written instructions on how to handle the installation process. Nuc hives come with five full deep frames of bees and a queen that is already part of the colony. The frames are full of comb, pollen, eggs and even some honey around the edges. <br />
<br />
When I arrived home, I placed the nucs on top of the hives where they will be living, opened their entrances and left them for the night. As I walked away, the girls were already bubbling out of the entrances, happy to have access to some cooler air and to start exploring their new yard.<br />
<br />
This morning, after gently smoking around the entrances, I opened the nucs one at a time. The nuc frames have to be placed in the center of and same exact order and position facing out in the new hive super, which helps orient the bees to their new surroundings. After placing the nuc frames in the center of super, I added three empty frames on the outer sides to fill in the box. Then, the inner and outer covers go on top. There are still some bees hanging out in the nuc boxes, which I left open and next to their respective new hives. The girls will find their way into their new homes within a day or two.<br />
<br />
Once I had both hives fully assembled, I inserted feeders with sugar water. Cindy tells me that nectar flow is good in Atlanta right now, so I probably won't have to feed the girls for more than a week or two. They will be out and about, finding their own nectar sources and pollen from flowers and other plants in the neighborhood.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrMs1bINvjVomAap8AI9FyfIn8Y6VhRt7uvxZ2S9McQbbp0Rosz5WEiMHEMsisvF58jZoPzyYXWVF2wAF3R_TJDlHAumZNSo1_vG3Engoon0ZmXLCHxVx-mQgq3Ogp7To_Vfn-0oHZ60/s1600/2015-05-03+10.03.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrMs1bINvjVomAap8AI9FyfIn8Y6VhRt7uvxZ2S9McQbbp0Rosz5WEiMHEMsisvF58jZoPzyYXWVF2wAF3R_TJDlHAumZNSo1_vG3Engoon0ZmXLCHxVx-mQgq3Ogp7To_Vfn-0oHZ60/s320/2015-05-03+10.03.58.jpg" /></a></div>It's so nice to look out into the back yard and see honeybees buzzing around again!Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-11821703030788178982015-01-24T12:03:00.001-08:002015-01-24T12:03:14.112-08:00Preparing for a new bee-ginning...Although it's January, today is a relatively mild day in Roswell — yesterday's cold rain has given way to sunny skies and mid-40s. Looking out the kitchen window at the back yard is a little sad for me. There are no bees to worry about right now. However, this seemed the perfect day to do some clean up in preparation for what's coming in the spring. <br />
<br />
I'm excited to say that I've ordered two nucleus hives or "nucs" from a nearby Master Beekeeper, Cindy Hodges, who also happens to be president of the <a href="http://www.metroatlantabeekeepers.org/">Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association</a>. A nuc is a small colony of a few thousand bees with a queen that has already produced brood on the frames being purchased. In the past, I have started hives from package bees, which, literally, come in a screened package with the queen in a separate cage. There are pros and cons to both nucs and package bees. Since nucs are locally produced, the bees and their queen are already acclimated to the climate. Additionally, nucs build up faster and are less prone to starvation, absconding or robbing by other bees. The nucs should be ready in mid-to-late April.<br />
<br />
Here is a neat explanation of <a href="http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-install-nuc.html">how to install a nuc</a> from my favorite bee blog, Linda's Bees.<br />
<br />
So, back to today's prep work. I took apart what was left of the old hives and threw away the parts that can't be salvaged. The rest of the hive components can be cleaned up with either a wire brush or a torch and the outsides repainted. Thanks to my good friend, Drea, and her donation of unused hive equipment in pristine condition, I have everything I need to set up two new hives this spring.<br />
<br />
And speaking of two new hives, I'll be holding another contest to name them. Winners will receive a jar of honey when the bees provide it!<br />
Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-76943491079860438662014-11-12T12:41:00.003-08:002014-11-12T12:42:29.715-08:00Sad. Just sad.I have lost Apollo, my original (and only) hive. Upon opening it this afternoon, I saw only a few handfuls of very sluggish bees. There is a little evidence of wax moth activity, but the hive beetle trap had been doing its job. There are a few queen cells, one of which was partially hatched, but it appears poor Apollo has been queenless for a while.<br />
<br />
Now I have to decide if I want to start this venture all over again next spring. I have a few weeks to ponder that question. Package bee orders must be placed in November/early December. Otherwise, I can order a couple of nucs from local sources early in the new year.<br />
<br />
I did freeze a couple of frames that had drawn comb and a little honey in them. Maybe that will help a new colony next year.<br />
<br />
Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-69297907812832948432014-09-07T08:17:00.000-07:002014-09-08T16:36:20.983-07:00Sweet HarvestAfter a summer of being a relatively bad bee mom, I lit the smoker, suited up and carried all my equipment out to check on Apollo. Apollo is my original and only hive. <br />
<br />
Digressing for a moment here...I'd intended to start a second hive this summer and ordered a nuc from Pigeon Mountain Trading Company in Dalton, Ga. Due to the cold winter, the bees were much later in their production cycle this spring and delivery was delayed for many weeks. As the weeks passed by and I had travel plans during the summer, I decided to cancel my order. Let's just say customer service at Pigeon Mountain is extremely poor and their representatives are rude and make multiple excuses. I forfeited my deposit as expected, but Pigeon Mountain did nothing to try and retain my business. I will NEVER buy anything from them again. And yes, I did some research and found a bunch of complaints on file against them with the BBB. Live and learn. I'll stick with Brushy Mountain Beekeeping in N.C.<br />
<br />
So, back to Apollo. The hive has three medium supers and a shallow honey super on top. I removed the shallow today and then was pleased to look down into the top two mediums to see that they are brood heavy and the queen is laying in a healthy pattern. Lifting the hive from the back, I could feel its weight. Heavy = full o' bees!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisp9nlPxBMqmknb0o0mjk-7Cgx8ZI6VCVOIVEm9YE7veiqTIOwoKBc9oGVhKZmOAMQXdsn8bl_7MWKd3SgPvNSKhASuTi40ObKs4NGX0qE_yGGYV8IBUla8bp_5Hbl6zBEMeZ3fcvKk_o/s1600/capped+honey+frames.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisp9nlPxBMqmknb0o0mjk-7Cgx8ZI6VCVOIVEm9YE7veiqTIOwoKBc9oGVhKZmOAMQXdsn8bl_7MWKd3SgPvNSKhASuTi40ObKs4NGX0qE_yGGYV8IBUla8bp_5Hbl6zBEMeZ3fcvKk_o/s320/capped+honey+frames.jpeg" /></a></div>I took four frames of honey for harvest and left some for the bees. But now that nectar flow has tapered off with summer ending, the girls will need food. I'll start giving them simple syrup and then, when the weather turns colder, I'll make sure they have pollen patties and fondant for winter.<br />
<br />
Linda Tillman, who writes an <a href="http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/">excellent blog on beekeeping</a>, made a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we28Oet6KT0">YouTube video of her "crush and strain" method of honey harvesting</a>. This is a simple method for the backyard or beginning beekeeper. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLssraWHMeAPKs1wG2HSDI3LIm2Ehpk-DawpxwC5b7gOZTJKyiyQoXGMMa3Nn6mdeN1Ppi92R9SeeeMWbI993cd6UQovPRh3oh7dPI2m_wyOlDH11vPD8D7dbgRpwfcnfDdInVuUaHTU/s1600/crush+and+strain.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLssraWHMeAPKs1wG2HSDI3LIm2Ehpk-DawpxwC5b7gOZTJKyiyQoXGMMa3Nn6mdeN1Ppi92R9SeeeMWbI993cd6UQovPRh3oh7dPI2m_wyOlDH11vPD8D7dbgRpwfcnfDdInVuUaHTU/s320/crush+and+strain.jpeg" /></a></div>First, using a serrated knife, I cut or scrape the honey from the frames into a pan. Then, I crush the honeycombs with a pestle.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulErpWGyflmICSDkhiLWcgbfOIKtvvwKJE7QGDvMXkWjaTLlxPL8TUpULnx4XFUIKTs-_7WBScrq1_KpBT4dF2LLjhdPAWbCWFmPbHZjgKL1oQA4fD5fwhDEI0SXRuhVdmjjcFmASsHc/s1600/cappings+in+bucket.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulErpWGyflmICSDkhiLWcgbfOIKtvvwKJE7QGDvMXkWjaTLlxPL8TUpULnx4XFUIKTs-_7WBScrq1_KpBT4dF2LLjhdPAWbCWFmPbHZjgKL1oQA4fD5fwhDEI0SXRuhVdmjjcFmASsHc/s320/cappings+in+bucket.jpeg" /></a></div>Next, I pour the contents of the pan into a two-bucket strainer system. The top bucket is lined with a fine mesh bag with a metal strainer plate below. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBpKs6BoJPYTt7NDjfg9LVGFuP_zwD3cBwwplo6x87p6FhbZt0OrAaHxmGjnoqYqKmbPRxdps53mNPmptLCUgrINc1KIouhJSEqamdkenjnKqIqD2qgVPlXszAKHnxaDFWYLQk-7hF-g/s1600/gate+bucket.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBpKs6BoJPYTt7NDjfg9LVGFuP_zwD3cBwwplo6x87p6FhbZt0OrAaHxmGjnoqYqKmbPRxdps53mNPmptLCUgrINc1KIouhJSEqamdkenjnKqIqD2qgVPlXszAKHnxaDFWYLQk-7hF-g/s320/gate+bucket.jpeg" /></a></div>The contents of the top bucket are strained and the filtered honey drips into the lower bucket, which is equipped with a gate. When the honey has finished filtering, I will fill individual bottles from the honey gate. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It's a hot and sticky process, but the results are so worth it! I love my girls and thank them for the hard work they do to help our environment and provide such a beautiful perfect food.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-55774071871904205662014-02-09T12:17:00.002-08:002014-02-09T12:20:21.944-08:00Fond of FondantIt's a beautiful and mild (60 degrees) winter day in Roswell...and with colder temperatures and a "possible weather event" coming later this week, I thought it would be a good time to give my bees a little winter boost in the form of fondant.<br />
<br />
Fondant is a simple sugar candy. Here is my recipe:<br />
<br />
2 cups white sugar<br />
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup<br />
1-1/2 cups boiling water<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmsBxYIZAfZd0juJrJTWqUTgZa5K2RHrxPvujMhHd3HNLTpf3mPfmqrna1k4fb8D2v6IjQUIVP-YVgBPtVuFFLZvpqRe4trwugG_2Cs4g9Fn8FecSdSoxasAyvAwrnGf2Qc3fqAYmrZY/s1600/boiling+mixture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmsBxYIZAfZd0juJrJTWqUTgZa5K2RHrxPvujMhHd3HNLTpf3mPfmqrna1k4fb8D2v6IjQUIVP-YVgBPtVuFFLZvpqRe4trwugG_2Cs4g9Fn8FecSdSoxasAyvAwrnGf2Qc3fqAYmrZY/s320/boiling+mixture.jpg" /></a></div>Combine and heat ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Then, heat — without stirring — until the mixture reaches 238 degrees on a candy thermometer (or until medium ball stage). <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFlBGJ7fINlvXpFMr-gQCZPWT9Tmb90fq9F2NuwP1Ze4r1WrW0RKADCOO5-2RFC8fuTyLurrg21OAe_FnEculVbZELN4m0AVTbq61-Lmi0tHnsUSEMgj4XuP83GbA9BnMT4u3E_hL4S8/s1600/Mixture+ready+to+beat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFlBGJ7fINlvXpFMr-gQCZPWT9Tmb90fq9F2NuwP1Ze4r1WrW0RKADCOO5-2RFC8fuTyLurrg21OAe_FnEculVbZELN4m0AVTbq61-Lmi0tHnsUSEMgj4XuP83GbA9BnMT4u3E_hL4S8/s320/Mixture+ready+to+beat.jpg" /></a></div>Pour into a bowl and let cool to touch. Beat the mixture until it's light and pour into a wax paper-lined mold.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsreRmNBN3QUk_3mdpJ7GqATRxSRTo-BlYEpcrbNBTA6w__gkaEIrZ5K_TdK0Ovqd9MwtQpQzioIJf5Siszubivc8uK3DBWAQUmlsBl1saT37A-Ib-f8FyTe-8uuk0iNqbkkLo7tK13mQ/s1600/Loaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsreRmNBN3QUk_3mdpJ7GqATRxSRTo-BlYEpcrbNBTA6w__gkaEIrZ5K_TdK0Ovqd9MwtQpQzioIJf5Siszubivc8uK3DBWAQUmlsBl1saT37A-Ib-f8FyTe-8uuk0iNqbkkLo7tK13mQ/s320/Loaf.jpg" /></a></div>As you can see here, I let the fondant cool a bit in a wax paper-lined loaf pan. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRHqsOOUyWLkknTb_VgaXMDSIYsZ3ijQRG0WZSUtLPsmRDR5F88jvOUovC2fjHC5LfiVfzinKEIEgOTL3uZH6xisOpN1VHZqWAw0g3l_Qdd8LRfVlfNGGaXVVcdoUhA1p_PQRz8piaPw/s1600/roll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRHqsOOUyWLkknTb_VgaXMDSIYsZ3ijQRG0WZSUtLPsmRDR5F88jvOUovC2fjHC5LfiVfzinKEIEgOTL3uZH6xisOpN1VHZqWAw0g3l_Qdd8LRfVlfNGGaXVVcdoUhA1p_PQRz8piaPw/s320/roll.jpg" /></a></div>Later I removed it from the pan, lifting it by the wax paper. I put another sheet of wax paper on top and rolled the fondant out into a thin sheet, which I then cut in half. The bees will get half the fondant today and, whenever they finish it off, I'll give them the other half.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqIoHsdTJRXdVaAawHTyAtph7WM3SONti4mutwWFawhGdqRe4lshiNPVze4HIxrJcxa0x7-M3-Ydke6vgM6HGhe7E6FGMIX1xUGt70cGl5CDMLU_02wyjHgDX15Nn2KdqPMFaqgED0Dk/s1600/bees+on+fondant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqIoHsdTJRXdVaAawHTyAtph7WM3SONti4mutwWFawhGdqRe4lshiNPVze4HIxrJcxa0x7-M3-Ydke6vgM6HGhe7E6FGMIX1xUGt70cGl5CDMLU_02wyjHgDX15Nn2KdqPMFaqgED0Dk/s320/bees+on+fondant.jpg" /></a></div>As soon as I placed the sheet of fondant on top of the frames, the bees were on it. (The darker substance on the left is a pollen patty that I placed in the hive a few weeks ago for a protein source.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDsFpKL9xZEumSvIxu4_2wC2UcS64UqPNRPM_cd9EfpCdzljsgA0uyXnb5hwNZSpkyhqyOpbXj6yuG-QUeyDAV7vLNTawblpuT6qoLWUYL9FVe54tfYssDWzwearNqZXJqA1AmhhD9e0/s1600/inner+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDsFpKL9xZEumSvIxu4_2wC2UcS64UqPNRPM_cd9EfpCdzljsgA0uyXnb5hwNZSpkyhqyOpbXj6yuG-QUeyDAV7vLNTawblpuT6qoLWUYL9FVe54tfYssDWzwearNqZXJqA1AmhhD9e0/s320/inner+cover.jpg" /></a></div>When I replaced the inner cover, a few of the girls peeked out at me and the sunshine. And then it was time to replace the outer cover and seal up the hive so the bees can eat and get back to their important work. <br />
<br />
Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-22788407030683145222013-09-13T06:39:00.000-07:002013-10-04T04:31:09.968-07:00Starving!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtGOtqC2h9C0hhEMCMWndBTTpMt85X26W5t_hb_Aw_DCjyK_JT4YSTg_rffEp_-_gngPpQtISN6xxUn-dmrUtlIMbO9SXa7IHmJzIg6hjuSPgM7p4xiFfnz8D7iWxafemLypNAw0U75M/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtGOtqC2h9C0hhEMCMWndBTTpMt85X26W5t_hb_Aw_DCjyK_JT4YSTg_rffEp_-_gngPpQtISN6xxUn-dmrUtlIMbO9SXa7IHmJzIg6hjuSPgM7p4xiFfnz8D7iWxafemLypNAw0U75M/s320/photo.JPG" /></a></div>I was so thankful to receive dire warnings via Facebook and email from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Metro-Atlanta-Beekeepers-Association/111172115629731">Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/brushy.farm?fref=ts">Brushy Mountain Beekeeping</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PigeonMountainTrading">Pigeon Mountain Trading Co.</a> about the immediate need to feed the bees! Even though the season is deceptively warm and we're lured into thinking the bees have plenty of food, an actual lack of nectar flow has put Southern bees into starvation mode.<br />
<br />
Yesterday I made a big batch of sugar syrup and went out to inspect Apollo, my only remaining hive. Sure enough, when I pulled off the inner cover, there was a cluster of about 100 dead bees on the top super. Sad, sad, sad. This super, which was full of honey a couple of months ago, was now almost devoid of honey. The bees were STARVING and had been feeding off their stores. <br />
<br />
On the positive side, the queen had apparently made it up into this super and been hard at work laying eggs. Six of the frames were full of beautifully capped brood, eggs and larvae, and the laying pattern looked just as it should. My sweet little honeybees need a food source so that they can, in turn, nourish these baby bees and make a strong colony.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5y1F9AcoiUPqn02LNGZkVw4Y2sgCovNghfSPNzvtlJ0CWXdWqRDWp7Nr3qAjhYy7DdUxTJ6PU2_AgJaO44CVm3Cpeho-mWTckdpJuYianvVH8Hff-tFSisWtEYVA1a5beasSlEcl9sM/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5y1F9AcoiUPqn02LNGZkVw4Y2sgCovNghfSPNzvtlJ0CWXdWqRDWp7Nr3qAjhYy7DdUxTJ6PU2_AgJaO44CVm3Cpeho-mWTckdpJuYianvVH8Hff-tFSisWtEYVA1a5beasSlEcl9sM/s320/photo-1.JPG" /></a></div>The girls went through a large plastic feeder of syrup yesterday and they are now working on a small feeder this morning. Probably time to think about ordering a feeder that can supply them for at least a few days at a time.<br />
<br />
Hope I've dodged a bullet and kept Apollo going — I'd hate to lose yet another hive. Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-34286862800132496142013-06-04T10:36:00.003-07:002013-06-04T10:36:39.642-07:00Queen or no queen, that is the question...Two weeks ago, my package bees arrived and I installed them in Sweet Beezus. Unfortunately, I made a rookie mistake with the queen's cage and forgot to remove the small cork that covers the candy plug right away. Two days later, I remembered and removed it. <br />
<br />
A few days after that, I opened the hive and found that the workers had eaten through the candy and released the queen from her cage. I looked and looked, but couldn't see the queen anywhere...until I noticed her on the inner cover, which I'd placed on the ground nearby. Yikes! I put the inner cover back on the hive immediately, and closed things up.<br />
<br />
Today I thought it should be time to add another brood super. However, when I opened the hive and inspected the frames, they were only full of stored sugar water. No brood in sight. So, either the queen is dead or she is not laying.<br />
<br />
Since I don't know how long it "too long" to wait and see if the queen will start laying, I called Rossman Apiaries to ask what to do. They advised me to open the hive again and find the queen. Obviously, if there is no queen or the queen is not laying, there is no brood. And without any brood, the hive cannot survive because the workers have no larvae available from which to a new queen. This means I'll have to requeen the hive.<br />
<br />
Requeening is a process I'm not looking forward to — it involves killing the old queen (if she's still alive) and then introducing a new queen (in her cage). But first things first. Tomorrow I'll figure out whether or not Sweet B has a queen and go from there.<br />
Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-78534529005733175882013-05-11T07:31:00.004-07:002013-06-02T06:20:44.484-07:00On a wing and a prayer...Since Apollo is my only surviving hive at the moment and its residents have been through a lot already this year, I can only send up a prayer on little honeybee wings that these girls will make some honey to spare this summer. <br />
<br />
This morning I installed a beetle trap and put on a queen excluder and two shallow honey supers. The inner cover had deteriorated over the past three years (assisted by the wax moth infestation a few months ago), so I replaced it. While I waited for the smoker to do its job and the bees to calm down and retreat, I peered down into the top brood super -- nice to see it was chock full of bees and they were storing some honey around the edges of the frames. <br />
<br />
I removed Rocky from its perch and will break it down and bag it for trash. While there is evidence that the hive had wax moths, I can't help but believe there were other problems that contributed to its demise, including hive beetles, mites and maybe too much moisture. <br />
<br />
Sweet Beezus is ready and waiting for new occupants. I can't find my receipt from Rossman Apiaries, but if I recall correctly, my package bees will ship out sometime next week or the following week. Maybe the second time around will be the charm for this hive.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-29399072499231357782013-03-07T12:19:00.000-08:002013-03-07T15:08:30.499-08:00A Tale of Two HivesThis has been a challenging winter for both hives. I've learned more about the pests that plague honeybees and about the value of regular hive inspections, winter feeding and "re-queening." Let's just say I've learned these lessons the hard way.<br />
<br />
<b>Apollo</b><br />
<br />
Apollo is my original hive, which I started with a package back in May 2010. This hive has overcome numerous problems including multiple swarms, one particularly brutal and prolonged cold snap and several different pests. <br />
<br />
A couple of months ago, I pulled off the cover and noticed that there was a white substance underneath the inner cover. It looked like expandable foam sealant, actually. I had a very hard time prying the inner cover off the top super, and when I finally did, was horrified to see a thick layer of white cocoons. Apollo had a wax moth infestation. (Click on the photo below if you'd like to see an enlarged image.)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYR1QpfK2gO7AEOkDtefsD5GZn1843OwSXfiWQko9ixrWo6GUbXIUguVAxzP1_LaZrvpECN3GP9pTsdICJ0SeqSPnA1zEoQlwt43otKZsvw1DdGAossV9YtMfbEAbzZHgU46s88PGz3Y/s1600/DSCN1152.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYR1QpfK2gO7AEOkDtefsD5GZn1843OwSXfiWQko9ixrWo6GUbXIUguVAxzP1_LaZrvpECN3GP9pTsdICJ0SeqSPnA1zEoQlwt43otKZsvw1DdGAossV9YtMfbEAbzZHgU46s88PGz3Y/s320/DSCN1152.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Wax moths are extremely destructive insects, spinning webs throughout the hive and their larvae destroying not only the brood comb but also the hive equipment. Here is a picture of the damage done to the super and frames by larvae burrowing into the wood. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURbx2fpzEbuvDmDmDnam8WcFhxXl5VjyeK4bHMhN-Mfr321GfsY4zJeb6Jxga953fKAL4jZRvTudfxSkrMktqr2Uu5vzzkRjGH7BMhsFQBHw91natpDjwElFQBj8Uv0Ki7OkX4UBcyNY/s1600/DSCN1158.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURbx2fpzEbuvDmDmDnam8WcFhxXl5VjyeK4bHMhN-Mfr321GfsY4zJeb6Jxga953fKAL4jZRvTudfxSkrMktqr2Uu5vzzkRjGH7BMhsFQBHw91natpDjwElFQBj8Uv0Ki7OkX4UBcyNY/s320/DSCN1158.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
I removed the top super — which could not be salvaged — and cleaned out as much webbing and other wax moth debris as I could, put in some fondant for the bees to feed on, closed the cover and hoped for the best. Although I've been told that honeybees are likely to abscond from a wax moth-infested hive, the Apollo bees chose to stay and, miraculously, appear to be thriving right now. <br />
<br />
Recently I attended a lecture given by honeybee expert Dr. Keith Delaplane about colony collapse disorder and what the disappearance of honeybees and other pollinators means to the environment and to our way of life. (Check out this informative editorial, <a href="http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/OnEinsteinBeesandSurvivaloftheHumanRaceHoneyBeeProgramCAESEntomologyUGA.html">"On Einstein, Bees, and Survival of the Human Race."</a>)<br />
<br />
Afterward, I was able to ask Dr. D. about my wax moth issue and he just smiled and said, "Wax moths are generally only a symptom of a bigger problem. If the hive is healthy and the bees are robust, they can fend off wax moths pretty easily." So, we talked about the probability of Varroa mites (at least the small hive beetles are under control, I'm glad to say), or... an unhealthy or dead queen. He suggested I "re-queen" the hive, which involves killing the old queen and introducing a new, healthy queen. I shuddered visibly, I guess, because Dr. D. simply smiled again and wished me luck.<br />
<br />
For now, I'm watching and waiting to see if Apollo has the strength to keep on keepin' on. There are hundreds of girls out and about lately, flying around in the sunshine on these warm afternoons, so I'm thinking they're gonna make it.<br />
<br />
<b>Rocky</b><br />
<br />
Sadly, today I discovered that the Rocky hive is dead. I'd suspected as much because there have been so few bees visibly out and about, nowhere near as many as Apollo. I'm sad and feeling like a "bad mom" because if I'd paid more attention sooner, I might have been able to salvage the situation. I could've re-queened this hive and fed the bees with not only fondant, but also pollen patties. <br />
<br />
Bees need a food source during the winter, even in Atlanta where there is some pollen available for foraging pretty much year-round. This year, I didn't give them pollen patties and I feel like this was part of the reason for hive failure.<br />
<br />
So, I fell down on the job and it's a hard lesson learned again after losing the Sweet Beezus hive last winter.<br />
<br />
<b>Plan B</b><br />
<br />
I've got a package of bees on order to repopulate Sweet B, and those bees will arrive in May. In the meantime, I've signed up to attend a hive inspection tour offered by the <a href="http://www.metroatlantabeekeepers.org/">Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association </a>in a few weeks. The inspection of multiple hives will be conducted by a master beekeeper and we'll be able to observe and learn what to look for in determining whether the hive is healthy or has problems.<br />
<br />
Also, I found out that, as a MABA member, I can put my name on the "swarm list" and possibly be the recipient of a swarm of bees that MABA beekeepers are routinely called on to collect from people's yards, businesses, school playgrounds, etc. As often as my own Apollo bees have swarmed in the past, I might be lucky enough to collect my own swarm again this spring and repopulate the Rocky hive. And that's an interesting idea in itself, because Rocky was started from an Apollo swarm the first year I began beekeeping.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-12279363388575075502013-01-03T07:36:00.001-08:002013-01-03T07:52:08.171-08:00Happy 2013!I can't believe it's been 6 months since I posted anything about bees. Shame on me!<br />
<br />
<b>Winterizing time:</b><br />
<br />
This year, I remembered my lesson about leaving some honey in the hives for the bees to feed on during the cold months — both Apollo and Rocky have a box of frames nearly filled with honey. I'm also planning to make fondant and put that in the hives as an extra food source. When colder temps arrived in north Georgia a couple of months ago, I went ahead and inserted entrance reducers to keep some of the cold wind out, but I also made sure the outer covers are pulled forward to allow for some ventilation. <br />
<br />
I haven't opened the hives in several weeks, so I must do that soon and "bee" sure everything is okay. Perhaps this weekend will bring a rain-free day just right for a hive check.<br />
<br />
<b>Repopulating Sweet Beezus:</b><br />
<br />
A new package of bees is on order to be delivered in May, so Sweet Beezus will have occupants once again. In the meantime, I need to move this hive to a more hospitable location...probably closer to Apollo and Rocky, which have both had pretty good success.<br />
<br />
<br />
This spring will mark the beginning of my fourth year of beekeeping. It seems like only a few weeks have passed since that first package of bees arrived in 2010. And oh, what an adventure and fabulous learning experience it's been ever since!<br />
<br />
Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-24839956259158129332012-06-07T09:35:00.001-07:002012-06-07T09:35:28.480-07:00Shallow honeyToday is a relatively cool day for June with temps in the 70s, so it's a good day to harvest more honey. I took the top super off Apollo and found all 8 frames were filled with honey, so I removed them. This is a shallow super and I was pleased to see that the honey is a light amber, plus most of the frames were dry capped. They look "cleaner" than some previous frames that had multi-colored pollen stores as well as honey.<br />
<br />
When I scrape the wax cappings off these frames, I'm hoping to be able to wash and melt them down to use as a side product — perhaps candles or hand cream. So there is my winter project!Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-24290375836813640622012-05-29T14:08:00.002-07:002012-05-29T14:08:49.198-07:00Why Sweet B is inhospitable and more...My goodness, how time flies! It's been two months since I last posted and there's a lot to catch up on here.<br />
<br />
First, several people have asked if there are bees in Sweet Beezus. The current answer is no. I decided against ordering another package of bees this year, instead hoping to attract a swarm. A few weeks ago, there was a buzz inside Sweet B one afternoon and it appeared a swarm had taken up residency. By the next day, however, the bees had moved on. <br />
<br />
Today I noticed a lot of frantic activity in front of the Rocky hive, so I went out to prepare Sweet Beezus in case the activity turned out to be another swarm. When I opened Sweet B, I saw some icky, scary stuff: there was evidence of wax moths, a couple of roaches and a whole colony of earwigs. I started taking the hive apart, removing the frames that had wax moth webs, knocking the earwigs and roaches out...and then I turned over the bottom board to brush off some spider egg cocoons. Fortunately I spotted the round black spider before my fingers reached it — it was a black widow! YIKES! Talk about inhospitable for new bees!<br />
<br />
I cleaned up Sweet B as best I could, put in some clean frames and added some "bee lure," a pheromone that is supposed to attract bees. Perhaps now it will be more inviting.<br />
<br />
Second, I harvested my first batch of honey for the year a couple of weeks ago. I took only five frames each out of Apollo and Rocky, and spent half a day crushing, straining and filtering the honey. Those 10 frames (from medium supers) yielded about 30 pounds of honey. I left three half-finished frames in each super and replaced the ones I took out with empty frames. Also, I moved the shallow honey supers to the top of each hive and was excited to see those were almost full of capped honey, too! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLZwEWaUESsWwelxWHYsudeqWPUyOdfOVHOufKh8EGWuUH73CkQ1QL0gDFJ9FtFG2ZyAiXUaYmUBxjBPXzO_e6mXjxl3qy03DIYfc6qBtmGYEHKmd_qv1flhfNZtNz_32Tepb_a6abWI/s1600/DSCN1100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="112" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLZwEWaUESsWwelxWHYsudeqWPUyOdfOVHOufKh8EGWuUH73CkQ1QL0gDFJ9FtFG2ZyAiXUaYmUBxjBPXzO_e6mXjxl3qy03DIYfc6qBtmGYEHKmd_qv1flhfNZtNz_32Tepb_a6abWI/s200/DSCN1100.jpg" /></a></div>So, with this banner crop of honey, I decided it was time to sell it. I ordered 8-ounce squeeze bottles with flip-caps and a roll of labels from Brushy Mountain. This weekend, I filled 40 bottles to sell and began getting the word out to friends and acquaintances. So far, 10 bottles are gone with orders coming in for more. Very exciting!<br />
<br />
<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-45915387887565955462012-03-25T07:20:00.002-07:002012-03-25T07:43:56.249-07:00There's a lot going on in the bee world right now.The unusually warm temperatures for this time of year have generated a lot of early activity among honeybees in many parts of the country. Here in Atlanta, trees and flowers bloomed early, the pollen count has reached extreme levels, and swarming began in late February. <br /><br />My Apollo bees swarmed a couple of weeks ago. They "buzz level" was audible for a few days beforehand and bearding happened the day before. The swarm made its way to the pine tree limb in my neighbor's yard, a popular spot for last year's swarms. Later that same day, the bees came back down into my yard and clustered near the ground on some scrub shrubbery. My attempt to collect them from the ground failed miserably (including taking a couple of stings to my right leg). The next afternoon, the bees were back up in the pine tree and later took off for parts unknown.<br /><br />I have since learned how to collect a swarm from the ground via a YouTube video and some words of wisdom from Jerry Wallace of the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers. In a couple of weeks, my friend Drea and I are driving up to Lafayette, Ga. to visit Pigeon Mountain Trading Company, which has quite a cache of beekeeping supplies. I plan on buying a swarm trap and some bee lure (pheromone) to see if I can attract some bees to fill my empty Sweet Beezuz hive.<br /><br />This morning's inspection was really interesting, probably generating more questions than answers. First, the Rocky hive: I removed the top shallow super when I saw that the wax inserts were all coming out of their frames. It would be almost impossible for the bees to shore them up enough to store honey. I'll fix them and put the box back on next time. A look into the next super showed that the Rocky girls are busily making honey there — no sign of laying activity, so I hope to harvest this box in a couple of months. I pulled out the sticky board from below and saw something interesting — a bunch of dark "pods." I can't tell if these are just propolis or if the bees have entombed some kind of insect. I set the board aside to look at later.<br /><br />Now, the Apollo hive: there were bees in the top shallow super and the frames there were in good shape. But when I went down into the next box, I got a little shock. The Apollo girls are storing honey around the edges of the frames, but there were a LOT of supersedure cells (emergency queen cells) on the middles frames. Does this mean the hive is without a queen or is it just an indication of a lot of future swarm activity? So there's my homework. When I pulled out the sticky board, dozens of earwigs came with it. Ugh. I am leaving these boards out of the hives for now — most insects that the bees can't take care of themselves will fall onto the screened bottom board and not cause problems.<br /><br />I removed the plastic feeders from the entrance of both hives. I found wax moth larvae at the Apollo hive entrance, which I quickly destroyed. The beetle traps seem to be working well in both hives. Next time, I must remember to take the camera and document with photos!<br /><br />Here's a video of my first swarm of the season.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz8cJbu6czIns_mQiEtL7fkXKozxNjs_3rzE2SURGr-FuAKM4Q9GyELGUd34boKtPeyx3o65vmDpp1Dc5tpPw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-2086517592034216882012-02-01T08:23:00.000-08:002012-02-01T08:28:27.018-08:00Sound detectives...Here is an excellent article (complete with audio) about research being done on detecting the health of a hive by its sounds and sound levels. It also makes clear the importance and contributions of bees to agriculture, to the environment and to our world in general. (If an active link doesn't appear below, just copy and past the URL into the subject bar of your web browser.)<br /><br />http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16114890Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-34764727278795096682012-01-15T11:29:00.000-08:002012-01-15T11:53:05.106-08:00Dead hive inspectionIt's a beautiful, crisp Sunday afternoon in January. The sunshine made it warm enough that I wanted to go outside to do a better inspection of Sweet Beezus, the dead hive. I removed five frames that contained either honey or brood cells and placed them in a sealed bag to bring indoors for a closer look later.<br /><br />On the recommendation of Linda Tillman, a local master beekeeper who maintains a very thorough and informative blog -- and who doesn't mind answering a novice's questions -- I did the "toothpick test" for American Foulbrood. AFB is a spore-producing disease that systematically destroys a hive by infecting the bee larvae. One of the first signs of AFB is sunken capped brood (sometimes with small chew marks in the caps) and "ropey" larvae. The test is simple: insert a toothpick into a capped cell, wiggle it around a bit and pull it out; if the toothpick is slimed with a mucous-like, ropey substance, the hive's infected with AFB. There is usually a foul odor to accompany this.<br /><br />Thankfully, I found neither ropey larvae nor a foul odor in Sweet Beezus. There was very little capped lavae at all. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQNXluIqt_5Cl72hUSLt2_lwU3jcBVRWX4Pp4cgIHAABJNfJyIox11sEa98upD8_gRXD6spE8cR8FIzcBGR5k1VfZmw5XTMwnFqh3_yPGCA18GpT0kM20LsS2d17LwtWbX1HKJ1CQMyI/s1600/DSCN1027.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQNXluIqt_5Cl72hUSLt2_lwU3jcBVRWX4Pp4cgIHAABJNfJyIox11sEa98upD8_gRXD6spE8cR8FIzcBGR5k1VfZmw5XTMwnFqh3_yPGCA18GpT0kM20LsS2d17LwtWbX1HKJ1CQMyI/s200/DSCN1027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697947507404444354" border="0"></a>And when I took the supers off and sifted through the dead bees on the screened bottom board, I couldn't find the queen. So, the hive was without a queen for quite some time. <br /><br />In the past, I've always been afraid to keep the hive open for more than a very few minutes in case the queen escaped. One of the most important lessons I've learned from this experience with hive death is that I cannot be afraid to open up the hives all the way down and examine all of the frames once in a while to be certain that there IS a queen and that she's laying eggs. <br /><br />On the positive side, since there is no evidence of AFB, I can use this hive again. If it had been infected, I would have to burn the frames and at least scorch the insides of all of the hive components, if not burn them all, to make it safe for new bees. Also, according to Linda, I can use the existing frames that already have comb drawn out on them, courtesy of the bees that are now gone. This will make a great home for a new colony because they won't have to work quite as hard to get things going and the queen will have cells ready and waiting for eggs.<br /><br />I had enough smoke left in the smoker to open one of the other hives for a few minutes, so I took a peek in Rocky. The Rocky girls have been busy eating the fondant and pollen patties, and when I took out some of the frames in the top super, they were LOADED with honey! It's a beautiful golden color and smelled so good. Too bad I can't harvest it for myself, but this is their food source for the winter. <br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxzPur0tW88ejpR3o3oqWJghiD2MzqgVToq-yxFQFVpU3YTSY7CyqFv-OXf0312IOKL7131LlnfIAEroWkRrQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-75617631826084689622012-01-07T07:33:00.000-08:002012-01-07T08:06:51.685-08:00Mourning a loss.A couple of years ago, I met a fellow novice beekeeper who had lost his two hives during the very cold winter. Sadly, he found the bees in clusters on their frames in the center of the hives, as if they were huddled together to keep warm. We both assumed that the bees had died due to an extended frigid period (for Georgia, anyway) that January, which could certainly be true. But there are many other reasons honeybees die, including starvation, pests, diseases, loss of the queen or old queen...all of which stress the bees.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorRjfaNMrXd6GSQiOUHRC9OUQqAPzt9k96_GP89MP_YZXGR8GKElIrQNVGG6KMqW0FXvw_Gv-EqYrbklwjCnihSCkv14pHHQ4hw-lEGwb08u4OJtznpqxWMye0LuGe7SqhfwZjE179gQ/s1600/DSCN1022.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorRjfaNMrXd6GSQiOUHRC9OUQqAPzt9k96_GP89MP_YZXGR8GKElIrQNVGG6KMqW0FXvw_Gv-EqYrbklwjCnihSCkv14pHHQ4hw-lEGwb08u4OJtznpqxWMye0LuGe7SqhfwZjE179gQ/s200/DSCN1022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694920727349845218" /></a><br />This morning, I made a sad discovery of my own. I lost Sweet Beezus — the girls were dead, in clusters on the frames and below the hive. I pulled out frames from both supers and didn't see any signs of mites, although there were a few dead small hive beetles. No sign of Foulbrood, either. There was a good bit of honey stored, so my best guess is that either the girls couldn't withstand the cold temperatures last week or the queen died (or was incapable of laying new eggs).<br /><br />This is my first experience with hive loss, so I'll have to research how to clean out the hive and what to do next — whether to order a new package of bees or try to attract a swarm to live there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ay_0uDyGxIW7-R77nLCJuKHsHSIAbhRU2n9kWbCx7fC8PMYXKGOxZnCGFdsOYWhaYBDq9ao76EVTuHWm5wEPN0-v6XN1mFxhJvGZtOI_JOzwg-G1E_kJ_QxXCAMw6H3z-x31XeXp1B0/s1600/DSCN1020.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ay_0uDyGxIW7-R77nLCJuKHsHSIAbhRU2n9kWbCx7fC8PMYXKGOxZnCGFdsOYWhaYBDq9ao76EVTuHWm5wEPN0-v6XN1mFxhJvGZtOI_JOzwg-G1E_kJ_QxXCAMw6H3z-x31XeXp1B0/s200/DSCN1020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694921327807554274" /></a><br />Another new experience: I made fondant candy to feed the bees. This is easier than trying to supply them with sugar syrup, which can freeze during the winter months. The fondant is made by heating a mixture of sugar, corn syrup and water to 238° and then letting it cool before beating it until it turns white. The candy solidifies, but is soft and easy to cut. In addition to the fondant, I wanted to feed the bees some protein in the form of pollen patties (dark strips pictured on left next to fondant).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJroja-_Eyq7D8GV83x1aEUdJBQNCvWQ0U5_IeupRhhjiPJxSlX9lTANRS_SQXhlZyfDovzzuEva-GKh26j3dEqo_7UuQ90fbrzDbm_VhdurKM-aW6j9L2b5z80iv6JkIfN9zbG_sNdA/s1600/DSCN1025.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJroja-_Eyq7D8GV83x1aEUdJBQNCvWQ0U5_IeupRhhjiPJxSlX9lTANRS_SQXhlZyfDovzzuEva-GKh26j3dEqo_7UuQ90fbrzDbm_VhdurKM-aW6j9L2b5z80iv6JkIfN9zbG_sNdA/s200/DSCN1025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694921722828228658" /></a><br />Both the Apollo and Rocky bees seemed healthy, thank goodness. When I took the covers off each hive, the girls started buzzing and coming up to investigate. Here's a photo of the Rocky bees coming up through the inner cover, happy to discover someone had provided dinner and dessert.<br /><br />R.I.P. sweet girls of Sweet Beezus. Thank you for making some wonderful honey. I'll do my best to honor your memory by repopulating your hive!Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-55703716663778272192011-10-23T07:10:00.000-07:002011-10-23T07:33:20.127-07:00Cleaning house!There was not a lot happening with the hives in the past few weeks worthy of a post. However, now that the weather's turned cool, there are some interesting activities to report.<br /><br />For the past week or so, I've noticed a few dead bees and white larvae at the entrance to each hive; mysteriously they vanished within a few hours. Since the numbers weren't large, I wasn't too alarmed (I knew the hives weren't being robbed) — but I did open my beekeeping books to do a little research. I learned that, since bees are very hygienic creatures, they take advantage of mild weather days to do some housekeeping. The girls drag dead bees and larvae out of the hive and then the bodies are carried away for disposal. Mystery solved.<br /><br />This morning I did a quick inspection. Sweet Beezus has a few frames of honey along with a few frames of brood in the top super! When I harvest the honey in a few weeks, I'll take the frames that are honey-only and leave the brood frames. Way to go, first year bees!<br /><br />Apollo also has some honey in the top super, but only on the frames in the center of the box. I'm a little surprised the Apollo girls haven't stored more, but then they had better things to do this spring and summer. They were busy, swarming more than once and then defending their hive against would-be robbers and other intruders like bumblebees and yellow jackets. <br /><br />The Rocky girls were angry this morning when I opened their hive, so I was hopeful that meant they were protecting a supply of honey. No luck, though — bees are in the top super building out comb but nothing has been stored. Haven already given up their honey supply earlier this summer, they're probably holding a grudge against me!<br /><br />There are small hive beetles present in all three hives, so on harvest day, I'll install some traps. It will also be time to reduce the hive entrances and put in some pollen patties for the girls to eat during the winter. I think the extra protein from the patties, along with installing the beetle traps and reducing the hive entrances to better keep out the cold air, helped keep my girls healthy last winter.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-43350983431707220592011-07-24T07:39:00.000-07:002011-07-24T07:51:24.258-07:00Bee movieHere's what it looks like when honeybees "beard" during hot weather. <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwIdUot5PydMZ1BOdPBrvvb_QUDFM544X7hj52F_ST0kAcIj_toxecyByBdsGkxG7ZsDvOWiCAS9gxD0tUMJA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-72942578607743815362011-07-24T07:10:00.000-07:002011-07-24T07:39:53.322-07:00Sweetness!It was finally time to collect honey from the Rocky hive this week. With the smoker, wheelbarrow and a sheet, I went out early Thursday morning while the day was still cool enough to tolerate. <br /><br />Unfortunately, the escape screen had not worked as well as expected and there were still quite a few bees in the honey super. I decided the best course of action was to remove one frame at a time, using the smoker and bee brush to gently move the bees off. When each frame was bee-free, I put it in the wheelbarrow and covered it with the sheet. Pretty soon, I had seven honey-filled frames (the eighth and final frame had built-out come but no honey). I hurried them into the garage and shut the door to keep the Rocky bees at bay. Bees will automatically try to retrieve the honey that you rob from their hives, and will follow it wherever it goes!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PnltklSHzO56xeT8CBe3023MkeVWz4_udDJTdkrL8hXa3qnuABLFItLVxQzNPSpD2FVm3JpucceK3iD1EIIibW5Vv84jNhUxl4RW3bwYdJ8g74Tk9uy0Rh2hPdA2DeYMIv05B3nwj_M/s1600/DSCN0969.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PnltklSHzO56xeT8CBe3023MkeVWz4_udDJTdkrL8hXa3qnuABLFItLVxQzNPSpD2FVm3JpucceK3iD1EIIibW5Vv84jNhUxl4RW3bwYdJ8g74Tk9uy0Rh2hPdA2DeYMIv05B3nwj_M/s200/DSCN0969.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632928174483646450" /></a><br />The two-can filtering system works great for a small beekeeping operation like mine. It's easy to use the cold knife to scrape the wax and honey into the top can. And then the honey runs down through the filters and into the bottom can, which has a gate for filling the jars. Here's a photo of just a small portion of the harvest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9AINgNkCgc3k0yJvPGH6sK6-mzq6tHg_qlCCyPcA1S6-R_Fd6P13A7e2TBA9dXBE1LDQJ4Y6gdofUn8nwtgm2dIsFT1resk-CEz610s1ZDlAhDf3Smi6btyHjPhK9M4lrmlbs8HY2Vk/s1600/DSCN0972.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9AINgNkCgc3k0yJvPGH6sK6-mzq6tHg_qlCCyPcA1S6-R_Fd6P13A7e2TBA9dXBE1LDQJ4Y6gdofUn8nwtgm2dIsFT1resk-CEz610s1ZDlAhDf3Smi6btyHjPhK9M4lrmlbs8HY2Vk/s200/DSCN0972.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632928178550983890" /></a><br />Later I took the empty frames, inserted them back in their box and set it out on a table in the yard. The bees were immediately all over it, cleaning every vestige of honey left behind on those frames. Honeybees are such efficient creatures. Nothing goes to waste.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-24628803370735468782011-07-17T07:11:00.000-07:002011-07-17T07:30:36.334-07:00The waxy element.For the past couple of days, we've experienced unseasonably cool temperatures for July in Georgia, making it much more appealing to suit up and inspect the hives this morning. I made sure there was plenty of fuel in the smoker and took an escape screen with me.<br /><br />The Sweet BEEzus girls have moved up into their shallow super on top, but it looks like they are only storing pollen there so far. The Apollo bees are making honey in their top super, but very little of it is capped off. <br /><br />I saved Rocky for last. Despite the smoke, these girls are feisty and they did not like it one bit when I took the cover off their hive and started poking around in the top super. The buzz was angry! <br /><br />Their honey super is very heavy, and the middle frames are full of honey and mostly capped. Even though the end frames are not filled in, I decided to go ahead and insert the escape screen today (for more about how the escape screen works to separate the bees from the honey box, see http://beewaxingeloquent-helen.blogspot.com/2010/11/honey-harvest.html). I will be able to harvest this honey in a few days. <br /><br />My decision was based on the sheer difficulty of being able to work with this hive. The amount of wax and propolis the girls are making have tightly sealed together not only all of the frames in the honey super, but also the inner and outer covers to the hive. It takes some muscle to pry things apart and even more finesse not to break anything! <br /><br />So, honey harvest and photos coming soon. Once I've un-gummed up the works.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-58271590595964251252011-07-07T14:12:00.000-07:002011-07-07T14:15:21.266-07:00Up close viewsFYI to those following this blog: You can see a much larger view of the photos by clicking on them with your mouse.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4206757678683458938.post-52457054319240104852011-07-02T07:46:00.000-07:002011-07-02T17:28:47.367-07:00Now, that's progress.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0E2x4eQ65_lkLH-8Kq6n10aJcGtTSUwN4LP1hl231WWPqKpKBvHqjDGteS6BhaGcCMY657namDttrWA3rSTolEftIq9VYd9wExZBjY06PSiom6LWCSM1sJCaIVtXf_D5orbHxYF9v0c/s1600/DSCN0965.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0E2x4eQ65_lkLH-8Kq6n10aJcGtTSUwN4LP1hl231WWPqKpKBvHqjDGteS6BhaGcCMY657namDttrWA3rSTolEftIq9VYd9wExZBjY06PSiom6LWCSM1sJCaIVtXf_D5orbHxYF9v0c/s200/DSCN0965.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624914918492680930" /></a><br />Just a quick note about today's inspection. The girls of Sweet BEEzus have filled the two main supers with brood and stored sugar-syrup, so it was time to remove the feeder. I added a shallow super on top and hope that they'll make some honey by fall.<br /><br />Apollo has made more progress in the top super and I'm optimistic that I'll be able to harvest some honey there later this summer. The Rocky girls were angry when I took off the inner cover today, a sure sign that they're guarding some major honey stores. Sure enough, most of the middle frames are capped and they're starting to fill in the frames on either end of the box. Hopefully that means a harvest in a couple of weeks.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitms6eIVnPLKWFLQIftiOh6V0_tKm8QmDKqaTg62BW3Sniu8XYDPNEe4f67vZyOqbNrHUBf1hmBwOgp5YslssGp-8zE2Pe_qoybN9p6Erl1PlCbI2EPF0ryERzbXAuzX5-C-oywr1YlkE/s1600/DSCN0963.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitms6eIVnPLKWFLQIftiOh6V0_tKm8QmDKqaTg62BW3Sniu8XYDPNEe4f67vZyOqbNrHUBf1hmBwOgp5YslssGp-8zE2Pe_qoybN9p6Erl1PlCbI2EPF0ryERzbXAuzX5-C-oywr1YlkE/s200/DSCN0963.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624915710787576754" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_eGx6vIYJ3PYCL-ZA3T2Yp-Wxp7CP8tfsEb5RRiuxkPUemTKRhOxoRnyk5BsapytmlDuCUrtIgkRZh6-pvL2iZrAAPrrlvITfdfcWVFQhvbbTFYBzqGhXvkUA_5UGudEVgWEQmgAmxQ/s1600/DSCN0964.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_eGx6vIYJ3PYCL-ZA3T2Yp-Wxp7CP8tfsEb5RRiuxkPUemTKRhOxoRnyk5BsapytmlDuCUrtIgkRZh6-pvL2iZrAAPrrlvITfdfcWVFQhvbbTFYBzqGhXvkUA_5UGudEVgWEQmgAmxQ/s200/DSCN0964.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624915707292590178" /></a><br />Also, Apollo and Rocky are "bearding" in this hot weather. Last year, I freaked out the first time I saw this behavior. This year, it's just normal.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05216999316540457819noreply@blogger.com2