Honeybee Inspection Day

I have been keeping an eye on my bees this Spring after the fiasco I faced last Spring. There's nothing like having a houseful of company in from out of state and looking out at your beehive that's decided to swarm. Yes, May 2010 was eventful. So much busy work getting ready for the big event of my son's graduation that I had neglected to watch for the signs of a potential swarming to come. I should have known. Spring blooming was strong and everything was nice and lush around here. That kind of activity tells the bee colony that they need more workers to collect nectar and pollen. But, I was just too busy to see it, until it was close to being too late. Thanks to the help of my dad and some quick thinking we were able to set up the second hive to attract the swarm. It was touch and go for awhile but in the end we succeeded!

In case you are wondering, I have two Kenyan Top Bar Hives. I have a lot of reasons for choosing it because of the more natural environment. I have previous posts that explain it in further detail here about beekeeping.

Being May again I am monitoring those hives like a hawk. I'm ready with the third hive if needed. 

This is a brood comb where bees are raised
The  brood comb will be darker and the wax harder. The raised cells are drones. The flat will be workers. No queen cells here.  

This is an actual honey comb that is just starting to be filled.
In a Top Bar Hive it is behind the brood combs. The wax is light and they will  add more combs as the season progresses

This is the new hive we added last year. By moving several bars of brood combs from the older hive about to swarm, they stopped and relocated to this hive which is next to the older one. See the different color bars?

Every bee has a job and these are a couple of undertaker bees removing one that has died.

The bees are doing well and the hive looks healthy. I am concerned though about another round of cross-combing in the older hive. I battled this last year and cleaned them out, checked that the hive was level and it still happened. How do you tell a bee they are building honeycombs the wrong way? I just hate it because inspecting the honey area always causes damage to the combs they are forming. The new hive is fine thankfully. I will just keep checking and see what I can do.

Honey harvesting here starts at the end of June through July. And last year's honey was delicious! 

Busy As A Bee

It has been over two weeks since I've last posted anything on here. Shame on me! I wish it were because I was off on some tropical vacation or something as a reason why, but NO I've been here "busy as a bee." With school work, yard work, the animals and my volunteer obligations I've been a bit overwhelmed. Finally though, I'm able to blog a bit about what's going on around here.

First the bees....



Taking a peek inside was such a treat! The bees were busy, busy, busy building their combs and filling them.



These pictures were taken a little over a week ago. I checked on them again Sunday and the combs are even larger now and more are capped. All of these photos were taken from the back of the hive.



I am just amazed at their ability to construct their hives. The natural shape of the doesn't change the perfect hexagon cells.

Bee Progress

Well after several days of letting the bees get settled, it was time for a hive check. Plus I really was a bit anxious to see what they'd been up to since their arrival on Monday.

What fun it was to be fully geared up and able to get a closer look at the bees in action. Using my smoker I blasted away trying to make sure the bees were nice, calm and distracted. It was easy as pie trying to get into the hive and do an inspection. First on my agenda was to remove the queen's cage that she had been shipped in. It was completely empty of both her and her candy. It looks as if they'd just started to build a comb around the edges so I was thankful to have it removed from there.



You know I worry about squishing bees so I tried to carefully slide the top bars apart to get the queen's cage out and then inspect the hive. It was challenging but pretty non-eventful. With a little maneuvering I was able to push them back down under the bars as I closed them back together. I was really happy to see that the bees has already constructed several combs about 3-4 inches square. There probably were more but I stopped looking as to not disturb them any further.

Removing the feeding can that came with was another task I had to take care of too. It was bone dry. I was thankful it was pretty full when I got the bees on Monday because of all of the rain we've had lately. It was just near impossible for them to gather much food for themselves.

Speaking of food, I was able to take some close-up shots of the bees going in and out of the hive entrance. I was fascinated by the amount of golden yellow pollen they could carry on their tiny feet! Click on the image to get a closer look.



Several people have told me beekeeping is addictive. Well, I am already a believer. I wonder what the rest of the year has in store.

My Bees Have Arrived!

After months of eager anticipation (and nervousness) the bees are here! A lively phone call came at 6:30am on Monday. I didn't answer my phone the first time because I really thought it was a wrong number or something. As soon as it quit ringing another call came in. It was then I passed the phone to my dear hubby hoping he could deal with whoever was on the other end. Well, lo and behold it was the Post Office. Evidently, they were scared. Two of the bees were clinging onto the outside of the crate. The Post Master was afraid they were escaping and requested an immediate pick-up at their back door...no waiting until it opens. That's service I tell you!

I've been waiting on their shipment since January. Whew, what I relief to have them set up and seemingly content. I would have pictures of the whole process, but it seems my family was too scared to be out there with me. They watched me with binoculars through the kitchen window. Too bad we don't have one of those fancy-shmancy cameras with the ultra zoom lenses. Of course the pictures may have been more of something you'd see on the show AFV than me actually looking like I know what I was doing.

After fumbling with all of the packaging, getting the queen's cage prepped and hung inside the hive I was making it. There's just something about shaking 3 lbs of honeybees into a hive that doesn't seem safe or sane to most people...but I must admit it was pretty cool. My gloves were pretty big on my hands and my veil needed strapped on better making it difficult to see. In the process I sadly squished a bee... That just did it for me. I was sad to see I'd ended it's little life with my clumsiness.

It rained most of that day. With either an umbrella or a raincoat I bet I made 10 trips out there to check on the progress. Some of the bees had to be left in the shipping crate because they refused to be released (normal by the way). I just sat the crate near the entrance and prayed. Flashes would go through my head of them drowning right in the crate. Torture I tell you!

When the sun finally peaked from behind the clouds, the busy bees began to come out of the hive massing at the entrance. What worry does that bring up then? That somehow I had failed to make a better homecoming for them. Maybe I should have done this or that to make them want to stay. But time marched on. As evening approached, life around the hive seemed a bit more normal. The crate was now emptied and the masses of bees clinging around the hive entrance had reduced to just a few plus the hive guard. I finally could rest peacefully through the night.

Here's my hive:

I've posted previously about Top Bar Hives if you want to look at them. It is quite a bit different than the traditional Langstroth hive used by most beekeepers. This one doesn't have pre-made frames but only a top bar, thus the name. It encourages a naturally shaped comb like you would find if bees built them in nature.

Living in fire ant territory, I have been more than concerned about them invading and destroying the hive. They LOVE to get into my potted plants and such, so I knew this would be a problem. Elevating the hive to waist level not only will help with the fire ant problems, but it is suppose to be an all around calmer way to deal with the bees.

You see the cinder block on the top? Well, add our common 50-60 mph winds in the mix of everything. It will also help if we have some nightly visitors wanting a taste of honey (no bears thankfully)

My kids have already questioned my worrying about the bees. "Wow Mom you worry more about the bees than us!" ...If they only knew the stress of when I brought them home fresh from the hospital. There were more sleepless nights than I care to count, but it was because of that they are alive today.

I've joined the local beekeepers association so I can have plenty of help and friendly advice. I'm also already getting requests for honey. We'll see! Until I'm comfortable with the whole process, I'm not promising honey to anyone. Of course I said the same thing about raising chickens for eggs. With almost a dozen a day coming in, I think I am able to sell a few and share with friends.

I'm really looking forward to taking care of the bees. I just need to let them do what they do best and enjoy it.

Update on Honeybee CCD

I thought I would pass along this critical update that was recently posted on Garden Rant. It scares me to know how fast our bee numbers are declining. It's just another reason I wish more people would support this fragile system and start their own hives. Our food supply relies on it.

I Finally Got My Order In!

Yesterday was a busy day here on the 'stead. Getting our ducks in order to be ready for Spring planting has kept us on the move. Now I can't wait to get the garden started.

This year we're trying to focus more on sustainability, so many of the things I ordered were for just that. The order I placed at Bountiful Gardens included as many perennial crops as I could find. Perennial alfalfa is what I'm probably most excited about. The rabbits need food and I'm hoping the plants live the 25+ years that was stated. That will save a ton over the years on feed PLUS the huge soil benefits that alfalfa provides.

It was so exciting to have my order placed at Seed Savers Exchange also. It was really hard to decide what to plant! There are so many interesting varieties and funny names that I wanted way more of them than I could afford. Names like "Lazy Housewife" and "Jacob's Cattle Gasless" beans, and "Bloody Butcher" corn. Who could pass up names like that?

My other goal this year was to plant as many open pollinated heirloom seeds as I could. I decided which varieties by their high yield and dependability. The thought of what this year's food prices could look like is kind of scary. I want to make sure that the food I plant will produce enough food for our family and others in need. PLUS, being able to share the seeds will help too.

And last but definitely not least(drum roll, please) I ordered my bees!! Yeah!! Now there's no turning back, hee-hee. I used Rossman Apiaries to order Italian bees...all 3 pounds of them plus the queen. How exciting! I'm now getting the hive set up and ready to go for the new tenants.

With the up and down, hot and cold weather we've had, I'll have to really watch the weather so I can get outside to work on the garden. It's been crazy here... 80 degrees one day, the wind picking up to 50+ mph then the temps dropping below freezing for a day or two with freezing rain. It has literally been on this cycle like clockwork. The poor animals! Here in the house, we're heating it one day and trying to cool it down the next. It heats up quickly here with most of our large windows facing directly south. That's good for passive solar heating in the winter, BUT not so good when it gets hot. I've melted a few Christmas wreaths on the front door in the winter here from the direct sun. Now I just need to work on a way to harness this solar energy to make it work for us. More planning!

Bee Ready!

You should always be careful what you ask for because you just may get it! Well, that is what has happened to me over this past week. My wonderful parents came to Texas for a visit and with them came this most amazing bee hive! They built it themselves and did an amazing job. I'm so blessed to be the proud owner of a Kenya Top Bar Hive



I had planned to build one of these myself very soon, so I can't tell you what a welcome surprise this was. My Dad suggests that I cover the lid with either copper or flashing to waterproof it. I also am planning on adding legs to the bottom, similar to sawhorse legs.

A feature I hadn't thought of in the planning of this hive is the shape of the top bars where bees attach their combs. Many of the top bar hives have a single strip down the middle of the bar that causes the bees to work with the 90 degree angle, filling it in as it builds the comb downward. The triangle shape of this one allows the bee to go along a more natural line.



Another feature is that it has a top entrance. The purpose of that is to let moisture out and it cuts down on condensation. In the winter, evidently this can be a problem. I also have my own thoughts about our conditions in Texas dealing with heat and fire ants. The top entrance just seems to make better sense.



This particular hive is 48" long. With several trials of hives both shorter and longer, this seems to be the most effective. Too large and it doesn't get used as well, too small and you have swarming issues from overcrowding.



Now I can confidently place my order for bees in January. I just need to add a bit of equipment that includes a hat/veil, hive tool, smoker and gloves. I'm really looking forward to my bee adventures in the spring!

To Bee Or Not To Bee.....

Do you ever find that some things just keep reappearing in your life making you ask yourself, "Should I should really check into this or that?" That is the story of my life! I can tell you that it has made for some very interesting projects that I thought I would never have been involved in on my own. It has led to homeschooling, gardening, keeping chickens, woodworking etc. Each in many ways connecting to the other.

Keeping bees is something that has sparked my curiousity over the years. Dancing through the yard bare-footed as a child hoping not to squish the bees feeding on clover to my master gardener training program. Not to mention the fact that my name, Melissa, means "honey-bee"

Here's the definiton I found on my name:

The girl's name Melissa \m(e)-lissa, mel(is)-sa\ is pronounced ma-LISS-ah. It is of Greek origin, and its meaning is "bee; honey". Mythology: the name of a princess of Crete who was changed into a bee after she learned how to collect honey. The name was used since ancient Greece.


I must say that I'm hoping the part about turning into a bee after learning to collect honey isn't true, lol.

In my endeavors of sustainability, beekeeping has its rightful place. I need them and at the looks of the devastation on bee colonies, I think they need me too. Feeding people, animals and insects are what I seem to do best right now. It will just be another excuse for me to plant more bee food!

After some research and looking at my pocketbook, I think I'm going to look into Top Bar Hives for keeping bees. Here's why:




Top Bar is known to be economical for the backyard beekeeper plus healthier for the bees and the beekeeper. One of things I hadn't considered was how hard it can be on one's back with the traditional hives as below:



That's a huge factor in considering my own sustainability! :)

Research is underway on what is causing the deaths of so many bees. There is a list that's pretty long about speculations. Top Bar benefits seem to help bees in the fact it allows them to build more natural sized combs and each cell is regulated by the bees, not hive dimensions -one of the many thoughts on what may be part of the colony collapse problem.

I personally am looking for a healthy hive, ease of use and overall lower maintenance and cost. If you start to calculate all of the expenses on setting up an apiary with all of its equipment, it will take years to see a profit. Top Bar is more geared to the rest of us non-commercial producers, no matter what size of backyard you have.

Here are a few websites that have helped me:

BackYardHive
BeeKeeperLinda
TopBarBees

There are directions for building your own Top bar beehive on two of the websites.

I'm hoping to take a course in keeping bees this next spring. I'll keep you posted on my progress in that direction. :) Hopefully I'll still be able to type if I turn into a bee!