Diary of A Bee Keeper

Bees move

2006-06-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

Last night the hive was loaded up and moved to a friend's orchard. The land I will be moving to in two months is a wooded lot, and would not be the optimal location for the girls. As it turned out, my friend had just lost her hive to a bear when she forgot to turn on her electric fence. So, the hive is moved and I now have a bee keeping partner to share in the work.

2006-06-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

moving the hive

Tempers Flare

2006-04-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

The girls were an angry colony today as I stumbled around their home. A few weeks late on early Spring upkeep, I opened up the hive today to inspect what winter had left me. The hive seemed to have no problems over-wintering, the numbers were high, the hives were heavy with honey, and the girls were busy. I don't know how to gracefully snap open the boxes and frames, glued tightly together with propolis, sealed against the draft of winter winds. Every seal I broke with my hive tool made a loud snap which was followed by an even louder buzz of angry and invaded bees, and then a big cloud of bees around my head. There was just no way to be subtle. I felt big, clumsy and nervous, which made me fumble even more.
I was instructed by other bee keepers to check for brood in the bottom hive body, and if I found it empty, to switch the hive bodies and put the empty hive body on top. When I finally got the bodies separated, a feat in itself, the bees were nasty, mean and sick of my human company. The bottom body was full of bees, and they were irritable about the sudden exposure as I pulled the top body off. I was literally chased out of the bee yard.
The girls were too irritable today, and I couldn't do any hive cleaning or inspecting. Instead I had to return the top body on, and could do no better than placing it directly on the mad bees who covered the top of the bottom box, crushing many who crawled around the top rim. I felt nothing but frustrated and irritable myself as I quickly left the hive, bees smashing themselves against my bee suit.
Today was not a relaxing time at the hive, nor a time to feel one with nature. Today I was a big invader, clearly unwelcome, and obviously the enemy.
Dare I go back? On my way inside I even considered giving the girls a new home. When our mutual tempers relax, I will go back to try again.

Sweet spring air

2006-04-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

The electric fence around the hive has no zap. After the setup, and time for the solar unit to get recharged, there is that reluctant moment when you need to try it out. Reach out the long dry grass, or the hand in my case, eyes closed, waiting for the shock. Nothing. Touch again, nothing. No time to fix it and not wanting to invest the money, perhaps it is up now as a psychological bear barrier.
The girls are busy. I have been feeding them sugar water in a ratio of 1:1 to encourage brood production. In a week or so I will open up the hive and see what has become of things.
First pollen sources: skunk cabbage, pussy willow, crocuses and tulips. Then dandelions, pear, cherry, and fuchsia. We have gotten to tulips here, but are still awaiting the dandelions.

Skunk Cabbage

2006-03-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

March 13, seven days until the Spring equinox, and already warm days allow for the girls to venture out in search of early pollen. They did not touch the sugar I left for them, and seem to still have enough honey. Yesterday a co-worker told me stories of her less fortunate bees who had honey in the hive box, but starved looking in the wrong cells for it, and other bives that ran out all together.
Warm days last week allowed the bees to leave the hive in search of pollen. Perhaps finding skunk cabbage somewhere, New England's first Spring growth. Bear cubs come out of hibernation mid-April, so I need to keep my mind on putting up another electric fence.

Nearing Spring

2006-03-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

Spring nears, and the bees are still alive. Today felt warm, though it is all relative these days in Western Massachusetts with our latest cold air. I went to bring some more sugar to the girls, but upon lifting the lid I noticed they hadn't touched the sugar I left weeks ago. Still hanging on, a month or so to go before maybe some warmer air can allow them to fly free again. I can only imagine how ancy they feel, given my readiness for springtime that comes each March. It must be worse living with 1000s in a small box.

Bees still alive

2006-02-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

A forty degree day today sent me down to the hive to knock on the side for a listen. But when I leaned down to hear if there was life in the box, I was eye to eye with a girl flying around outside who came near me to inquire why I was about to knock. It was a lovely sight, a sign of spring upcoming and hopefully a strong colony. Two weeks ago, another warm day, I opened the top and put a half cup of sugar on the top of the inner cover. A mid-winter snack in case they were running low. If the weather is warm enough to do that again this weekend, I will give more sugar to the girls. I have been told that it is not the cold that kills the bees, but the lack of enough food storage. It has been a warm winter, and while their hive was heavy in December, there is no tellng how long their stores will last them.

winter's approach

2005-11-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

Our first twenty degree night, and the possibility of snow. Only a dusting, but it is a reminder that I have neglected the impending season due to unusually high temperatures and golden sunlight. Today, while waiting to get my snow tires put on, a woman drove past me with a car covered with the crust of a first snow. An odd sight next to the dry and sunlit parking lot. She lived up north, she told me, but only an hour. Winter is making its slow approach, and while I have put in the entrance reducer to cut down on the draft, I have not yet insulated the hive or packed up the electric fence. Sunday morning, weather providing, I will tuck my bees in for the winter then. A friend suggests filling the honey super with balled up newspaper, which can provide a bit more insulation and absorb any moisture. I will try this method and see if the girls can survive a New England winter.

No Surplus Honey

2005-10-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

It was the moment I had been waiting for throughout the hot days of summer and the still-hot days of late September, (with the help of what is clearly global warming). The goldenrod remained yellow throughout September, as well as the purple asters. When I saw the last of the drooping, brown goldenrod, I suited up, filled the smoker with ripped up egg carton, wood chips, and dried grass, and carried my tools down the meadow. The smoker stayed lit this time, though I dropped it twice, luckily averting a meadow fire. I pumped some smoke into the hive entrance, and took off the outer cover. I cracked open the inner cover and pumped a bit more smoke into the hive. I had never used smoke, and it made a clear difference in the bee's reaction to me. The bees ignored me completely as they began to gorge on honey. The smoke made me calmer around the hive, but I recognize why many prefer not to smoke if they have a choice. It really seemed to throw the bees and subsequently interfered with their regular activity. Though it helped me ground myself, breathe deeply and relax thoroughly, which in turn made me a better handler of bees and equipment. Perhaps there is a balance then.

The moment of truth came as I pulled off the inner cover...
Nothing- no comb drawn out, no bees (well, three were inside walking around) and absolutely no surplus honey. I was not surprised, though I was a bit let down as I was eager to taste the meadow's blend. To the bees' credit, it is a new hive, I put the super on in late August, and they have had enough to do trying to gather ample honey for their own survival and sealing up the cracks with propolis. I did not clean up the equipment, vowing to do it another day. Instead I returned home and made a batch of sugar water to give them a boost before winter's arrival. Thinking I'd return for fall cleanup, it has rained for a week and I have not gotten down to the hive to prepare it for winter nor have I mouse-proofed it. With this rain scheduled through the weekend, I hope I am not too late next week to do some last minute chores. Keeping bees makes one keenly aware of the weather. It makes one notice such small details. So for all those who waited for gifts of honey, bees willing, Dogstar Farm will try again next year and will aim to have two hives to witness.

Neglect or Nature

2005-09-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I have been guilty of neglect or perhaps I am putting my faith in the natural history of the honey bee, but I have not been to my hive in weeks. After I built my honey super, fixed the electric fence replacing it with a solar charger, learned how to light the smoker, stumbled through my last inspection, and put the honey super on, I did not return to the hive. The goldenrod is in full bloom here, and Dan tells me that I should not pull the honey super off until the goldenrod is 80% gone. This buys me time and gives my bees more of a chance to draw out the comb and begin to gather nectar and fill the frames. I learned a great deal during my last bee class and through a honey plant walk that Dan led at his annual honey festival held at Warm Colors Apiary.

Tasks to do as I prepare the hive for winter:
1. Confirm that I have a queen.
2. Make sure that there are 10-15 frames of bees on both sides (it will take a minimum of 10 for the bees to survive).
3. Pay attention to the brood- it is normal for the queen to be slowing down her egg laying for the season.
4. If there is any larva, make sure it looks good and healthy.
5. After the honey crop is removed, take preventative measures to control tracheal mites and nosema disease.
6. Make sure the hive has at least 8-10 frames of honey and 3 frames of pollen to ensure that the bees wil have enough food for the winter. If not, start feeding the bees a thick sugar syrup.
7. Ventilate the hive for the winter by poping the inner cover off then putting it back on, as this is a time where the bees create a lot of propolis to seal cracks in the hive. Bees will need a little air.
8. Put a thin piece of wood on top of the inner cover and then cover it with the outer cover- this will give needed ventilation as well as a way out of the hive.
9. If I wish I can insulate the hive (I am choosing not to though) on 3 sides with rigid insulation, though this can cause mold to grow inside the hive. If I did choose to wrap it, it should be wrapped around Thanksgiving and unwrapped in mid-March.
10. Mouse proof the entrance by hammering nails into the entrance reducer.
11. Position the hive so it is protected from winter winds and gets winter sun.

So much still to do, though the sun and warmth and goldenrod and purple asters still bloom. So for now I have faith and allow the bees to do what they have done for millions of years, and will continue to do, regardless if there are humans around to get in their way (unless we as a species we continue at the current rate of destruction). So my conclusion, which finds me practicing faith, patience and humility: neglect no, nature yes.

A mystery

2005-08-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

Around two weeks ago I noticed that I could clearly see the hive from the top of the meadow. The apple tree that once blocked my view of the hive was drastically thinner, and the weeds that grew tall around the tree had seemingly disappeared. It had been so hot that, not wanting to put on my bee suit and head net, I did not venture down to the hive. I have read that in that kind of heat it is best to leave the bees alone, and I did just that. Periodically I would look down the meadow and make sure the hive was still standing upright, that a bear had not knocked it over. All seemed fine from the house. Meanwhile I built and painted a honey super and put the frames together. Then, a few days ago, I was told by a neighbor that the electric fence had clearly been pulled away from the hive. A bear or something very large had gotten in to the area. But the hive still stood upright.
Today was the day I set aside to "super" the hive and to fix the electric fence. But first I had to light the smoker, a difficult new experience. Until today, I had never smoked the bees. Instead I used a mixture of water and sugar to calm them down. Now the numbers are too high, and I had been told that now is the time to use some smoke for my safety. The smoker was a bit hard for me to light, and my fear was that I would get to the hive, open it, and my fire would be out. It didn't happen like that at first, but my smoke certainly didn't last for the duration of my visit. Another thing to practice. At the hive, my adrenaline was certainly pumping today, nervous energy and a sense of fear as there are now two hive bodies full of bees and many of them clung to the front porch. The adrenaline is a good feeling for me though, a combination of awe and fear that feels quite healthy- time to be aware of nature, fearful and engaged, without ego.
And here is the mystery: the fence tape was off of the frame- stretched out about 10 feet on both sides but the hive was still standing. If a bear had gotten in surely it would have knocked the hive over and stolen its sweet reward. And when i went to turn the fence off I noticed that it was in pieces- the battery broken in two, the frame in pieces, the circuit five feet away. Had a bear destroyed the charger too? Why was the hive still standing?
And one possible answer came today that would account for the thinning tree, the broken fence and the deadened weeds, (and maybe readers of this have a different thought): that lightening hit the apple tree in the last storm, frying the roots, burning the leaves, and that the charge ran through the ground and blew the electric fence to pieces, including sending the fence tape off of the mounts. A better story than a bear, though an expensive one to fix.
Tonight my hive sits unprotected- it has for weeks I gather. Our local bears have gotten to the bee keepers around me. Tomorrow I attempt to find a small charger. Tonight I ask the fates to protect my bees and the honey stored.

Bearding

2005-08-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

The average daily temperature in Western Massachusetts has been above 95 for weeks now, air from which one can drink the moisture; there are no breezes and no relief. Thickness and heat-drunkedness abounds- people move slowly and slur their words, laugh uncontrollably and become argumentative quickly. Or they hide in cold shops drinking iced beverages, watching summer remakes in frigid movie theaters or wile away the hours at the public library. I have been so hot that I have not made the walk down the meadow to check on the bees. Two nights ago though, I realized it had been too long and I ventured down, too hot to wear my bee suit or much coverage, and therefore could only observe my bees from a safe distance away. What I saw was brilliant- it is called "bearding"- thousands of bees intermeshed to make beard-shaped solid mound outside of the hive entrance. This is how bees stay cool on a humid summer night- they hang out with each other on their front porch. And while the sight of thousands of bees crawling over each other might make some squirm, to me it was nothing short of miraculous. Despite the movement of the bees as they crawled around, they remained one mass, one colony dedicated to the whole, one bee working for all bees. There was indeed a gentle beauty there that took me for a moment from the summer heat.

queen bee makes honor roll

2005-07-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I received a hive visit from Dan Conlon, my bee keeping teacher and owner of Warm Colors Apiary in South Deerfield. I was a bit nervous for his inspection since I hadn't been down to inspect the hive since I literally threw on the second hive body and ran. That day I was happily overwhelmed by the amount of bees and the wild activity around the hive; clearly the bees had it all under control. On the way down the meadow to the hive, I overloaded Dan with questions. Our class, I told him, didn't feel quite like a beginner 101 course. People were masquerading as beginners but I could tell they have all done this before. He eased my mind and answered all of my rambling questions as we put on our bee protection outside the electric fence. Dan wore a t-shirt and a head net. I wore a full bee suit, wool socks, steel toed doctor marten boots, and gloves to my elbows. Yes, I am still a beginner. Dan brought along his smoker and gave my bees their first taste of smoke yet as we uncovered the hive. Smoke simulates a fire and causes the bees to gorge on their honey, thus creating a high as a kite bee, with a massive sugar buzz. Much like a human the end of a large meal, the bees don't feel much like stinging, but are happy just to sit on the couch. Dan and I pulled out the frames one by one, and he showed me the brood, the pollen, and the honey. The queen has high marks for laying habits- each cell capped. We even saw the birth of a few new bees as they chewed their way out of the capped cell. After scraping off much messy wax and propolis we put the queen bee, named Ruby, into a small container so that Dan could mark her for me. She now has a blue back. This makes the queen easier to spot when one inspects the hives. With the queen out, we took a frame from the first hive body and moved it into the second hive body, and put an empty frame in its place. This restructuring will encourage the bees to move on up. We put the queen back into the first hive body, added the second body and closed it up. On the way up the hill Dan invited me to the bee keepers get togethers which are on the 3rd Thursday of every month. With my hive earning high marks and the invitation to hang with the locals I felt a new surge of bee confidence. In two weeks I hope to add the first honey super, though I need to build it first. Dan thought that, with the way the bees are looking, I might be able to pull 35 pounds of honey off this year.

second hive body

2005-07-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

This sunday marks the eighth week of the bees arrival to Western Massachusetts. I would throw some kind of nectar party, but I have been told that in July it is best to not open the hive. It is a very hot month and a low month for the nectar flow, so many bees are home, overheated and cranky. Understandable as the thick air of this New England summer can cause great irritation. I broke the July rule however on Sunday the fourth, when I went down to see if a second hive body should be added. I pried open the inner lid, which was glued on with layers of propolis, and saw to my amazement almost 9 drawn out frames. My once clean hive was a mess with proplis, honey and wax on the inside of the cover and on top of the frames. And there were too many bees to pull out a frame to place into the center of the second body. Feeling vulnerable and sensing that they really have things under control without my tampering, I gently placed on the second hive body, replaced the covers, weeded very slowly, filled the entrance feeder with sugar water and left them in peace. Who am I to interfere with their miraculous nature?

first sting

2005-06-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

My first sting came yesterday, and like most bee keepers would say, it came from my own carelessness, rather than the bees' agression. The sting didn't come in the morning while I explored the hive. During that time, though the bees were a bit restless from the heat, they didn't take much notice. Instead, the sting came while I whacked the weeds with a scyth, as I swung that thing like a drunken golfer. I was so hot in my bee suit and so delirious due to the amount of weeds that were leaning against the electric fence, that I actually forgot all about the bees. Bees hate quick and loud movements, they prefer grace and stillness. And in my swinging I was messy and clumsy. I felt the sting through my glove, a bit below my thumb. Not much swelling, and no big allergic reaction. And not much damage except my pride, and the electric fence which is being triggered by grasses and weeds still uncut.

week four

2005-06-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Today marks the thirtieth daily celebration of "Worried Mothers Who Give Bee Suits" Day, and I for one am still celebrating. Though my suit is now filthy, no more shining white but hues of earth, chlorophyll, seeds and pollen, I am forever grateful.
This afternoon the suit will see the wash, but this morning what it discovered was five frames of brood, pollen, nectar and most of all, ever watchful bees. Yes, the queen has done some work this month, while I have been leaving her alone. Bee numbers have multiplied drastically, with now five frames full of brood, pollen and nectar, up from two. Within 6 weeks all the bees should be the offspring of this Queen mother, and the Georgia trasplants should have moved on(and I thank them for their work establishing the hive).

here comes sunshine

2005-05-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

What a difference the sun makes. Yesterday not a sound, not a bee, no sign of life. Today, in a word, action. Bee lines, and bee flight. Waggle dances and foraging. Pollen and nectar, and bees working hard to create a home within the box. While my fear around the bees seems to have subsided, I still feel a bit clumsy. I imagine if I were a bee I would feel my movement to be a bit jarring and jostling. I need to move more smoothly and with more speed. It is difficult for me to locate the queen and try to spot eggs with so many bees crawling on the frames. It is harder still to pull the frame out of the hive and put the frame back into the hive without crushing a bee or two. And it is hard on my spirit to crush a bee- perhaps I am too sensitive to be a bee keeper, or perhaps I'll grow to recognize the essential importance of the whole hive rather than the individual bee. I did notice today that the queen has grown a bit larger, and while I could not find her eggs, I did see capped brood. This means she is laying and that the hive will be replenished by her offspring once the bees from the package have died off. Since the lifespan of a honeybee is about six weeks, and when I put them into the hive they were all around two weeks old, in four weeks time, most of the bees should be the first generation offspring of the Queen. Then there will be a genetic link between the bees beyond the bond of the hive.

2005-05-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

bees arrive, blue hive, day 17

rain and more rain

2005-05-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

It has been raining for 6 days now, and there is no sign of my bees. I knocked on the hive wall and heard nothing, and the bees I have seen are a few dead bodies by the entrance. I am concerned that the queen does not have enough food to lay eggs, though I have kept the entrance feeder full of sugar water, and have put a pollen patty on the frames. The queen will only lay as many eggs as she has food to feed them. No warmth here has stopped the nectar flow, and the rain has kept the bees inside for warmth. I am concerned that my new queen has not begun to lay eggs, though I can't check since I was told not to open the hive before or during rain. Hopefully this weather will turn soon.

the queen is out

2005-05-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Day four and the queen has left her cage. After three days of imprisonment it seemed she needed some help getting out, and I needed to know she was safely out after seeing her trapped in a three inch cage with two live and one dead attendant sharing such a small space. On day two I had removed the cork at the bottom of the cage, hoping the workers would quickly eat the candy that kept them from their new queen. But removing the cork was not enough to help her out, so yesterday I dug a nail into the candy seal that the workers typically eat to free her, giving her a small hole and allowing the workers help on operation queen freedom. This afternoon I found the cage empty. The queen, I was told, always hangs out on the center two frames, so I removed the cage and pulled up the center frame covered with the most bee activity. And there my new queen was, on the first frame I pulled, surrounded and covered by a crawling, active, frenzied mass. She was almost too hard for my novice eyes to see- not too different in size than the others, but a yellow-brown color with a longer abdomen.
Now that she is free she will leave the hive one time only to mate with many drones. Then she will return to the hive and never leave again. The sperm from her mating can be stored inside of her for five years. And for the duration of her life she will spend her days laying eggs, thousands and thousands of eggs, determining the gender of the eggs, creating workers or drones depending on what the colony needs. The crucial player but an imprisoned life. The queen but the captive. What would one have to do in this lifetime to come back to play such a role?

bee suits

2005-05-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

My mother told me she would lose sleep knowing I would reach my sleeveless arm into the active hive, so for my birthday my parents presented me with a full bee suit (as seen in the photographs below). "But I'm only keeping one hive," I said, graciously accepting the gift but knowing I might feel slightly embarassed walking past my neighbors looking like a toxic waste inspector. "And most bee keepers don't even wear gloves when they work," I added. But not wanting my parents to lose sleep and also secretly ecstatic at the extra coverage, (and knowing that bee keeping is not about being too tough to want to avoid the stings), I have proudly worn my bee suit for two days running, and will continue to do so throughout my bee keeping journey.

My new motto: "Why get stung...listen to your mother." And thankfully I have, as my bees seemed very angry yesterday as I poured them into their new blue home. They had a long drive up from hot Georgia, 9000 stuck in a small screened in box, the queen suspended in a small cage with a dead worker next to her. I would be angry too, traveling in such conditons. I did not help the tension either, with my clumsiness due to thick gloves; I was not a picture of grace down there in the yard. My directions on the ground, I followed them precisely and slowly, a beginner and a kinesthetic learner. The gloves unfortunately affected my grip as I dropped the can of syrup once, bumped a couple of frames together, and shook the queen cage. I felt awkward throughout the entire process, but the job did get done and I am proud to say I did it. My favorite part was pouring the damp bees (sprayed with sugar water) into the box- much like emptying a can of beans into a pot, it made the same sloppish sound as the bees spilled out. But I grew overheated in the suit and slightly frustrated at my lack of grip, and even mad at the bees who continued to take many cheap shots at my head(which, thanks to my parents was well caged). Like an amateur, I did puch one persistent bee as it flew towards me repeatedly, and then regretted losing my temper like I did. After all things were complete, I headed up the meadow towards home, sweating in the suit and adrenaline dancing, but still interested in this path and feeling somewhat accomplished at having done something completely new. It is not everyday we get to try something we have never done before. after my somewhat success, I spent the night worried about bears, as my electric fence did not go up until this afternoon, and worried for the queen having to be in that tiny cage with a dead attendant by her side. (She seemed alright today, smaller than I expected, though I hear stress makes the queen a bit smaller).

The best moment so far though was this morning: 6:30 and the sun only an hour born and the birds early talking, and the bees flying softly around the entrance feeder, and the apple blossoms sweetening the air and popping their fresh pink skins, and the warm layer of the sun's early rays mixing with the cooler underlying breeze, as I watched the scene from a short distance and took a breath in and out and in and out, and thought to myself that this must be why people like to keep bees, to steal this sweet still moment in time.

2005-05-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

mothers know best

bees still in Georgia

2005-05-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

My nerve up, I arrived at Warm Colors Apiary to pick up my three pound package of bees, only to find a note on the door that said the bees were delayed until tomorrow. It is a long hot drive from Georgia, and I can only imagine having a truckload of steaming bees with me at the wheel. Not a good picture. I am happy there is a local beekeeper willing to make the journey. Along with the note from the Conlons were three notes scrawled by frustrated customers who had driven hours to pick up their bees, only to find the place empty. I felt sorry for them and fortunate that I have only a five minute drive. I looked at the beautiful sun and opted for a bike ride instead. No frustration here- just the gift of one more day to get ready and glorious spring weather to enjoy.

womens gloves

2005-05-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

A cold day in western Massachusetts, just three days before "beeday", otherwise known as the day that my bees are lifted from the back of the truck into my waiting, glove-covered hands. The bees are probably on the highway now, riding up from warmer Georgia. I hope this weather shifts- it is cold enough to need a fire today, and raining. I spent part of the day painting the last coat of shaker blue onto the hives. My artist neighbor says it looks like recycling bin blue. Why does paint always look different on the card stock sample? The later part of the day was spent trying to locate four cinder blocks and a pair of work gloves. It seems every other day that I move around not looking for cinder blocks I find them; in the woods, on roadsides, in the basement. Today, there was no cinder block in a 30 mile radius. I hope for more luck tomorrow. And another unsuccess- my workgloves- why does every garden and hardware store, (even in liberal, strong woman centered western Massachusetts) carry leather work gloves for men starting in a size medium, while for women they carry floral gardening gloves, made of delicate fabric, that are simply useless? I should have known to make the trip to Ashfield Hardware- and here is an unsolicited plug: a female-owned hardware store in Ashfield, Massachusetts that carries Womanswork gloves, nails by the pound, a ball of twine that will last 5 years (my brother had one for 9 years to tie up his newspaper recycling), any hardware needs you could possibly have, plus sodapop and ice cream cones. And you can get a great slice of pizza next door at Country Pie. I am heading there tomorrow- I should always remember to check there first. It is worth the extra driving.

fun with flickr

2005-05-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

bee magic

2005-05-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

Watch a bee dance from flower to flower- it is bee magic and bee miracles. A honey bee gathers its energy from nectar and its protein from pollen- both of which are plant products. Bees are vegetarians,(wasps are carnivores), gathering all of their sustenance from plants. It is a mutually dependent relationship, that between the bee and the flowering plant. As bees visit flowers to collect pollen they inevitably cross-pollinate the flowers, which in turn allows the plant to grow seeds and reproduce. Plants produce more pollen for bees in turn, and lure them in with colored petal patterns and nectar- a small drop of sweet liquid. While many insects and some birds enjoy nectar, only bees can turn nectar into honey. Again, bee magic and bee miracles. No bees, no flowers, no flowers, no human food. I'll get into that later. But next time you find nourishment from a fruit or vegetable, remember the honey bee that made it happen.
How does it work, this bee-flower connection? When a bee moves about a flower its hair, which works much like velcro, gets covered in pollen. Bees also use their mouths and legs to gather pollen, and when coated, they comb the pollen off of their bodies into pollen baskets which rest on their hind legs on some, and on the abdomen of others. The nectar is carried in their honey stomach, which is the first chamber of three stomach parts. Back at the hive, bees regurgitate the nectar into the cells to feed the young and themselves. In New England a typical beehive uses 440 pounds of honey for itself, leaving only 12 days or so a year when bees are building up surplus food. Remember that then, the next teaspoon of honey you stir into your tea or smear over toast- that this gift of surplus honey was regurgitated from the first of a three chambered stomach, the honey stomach, of the honey bee.

preparing the hives

2005-05-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

A tip for the novice: befriend an owner of a nail gun. Two hive bodies, one bottom board, and twenty frames later I would still be hammering nails if it weren't for my carpenter neighbor who yelled out his window to ask me if I had built my equipment yet. I took him up on his offer to help and we worked together, assembly line style. As I glued the pieces together, he fired in the nails. Hives, frames and bottom boards need to be well put together. Imagine pulling a frame from the hive, covered with brood, drones, nurse bees and perhaps a queen, only to have it come apart and fall to the ground. Better to build strong hive bodies and frames. Second tip: ask for help- you can always pay the favor back with honey and bee lore.

The hive bodies, bottom board and telescoping cover were put together and are currently being painted. If they are to last through the New England weather they will require a coat of primer and two coats of paint. The primer went on Sunday- the painting will begin tomorrow. I will use an exterior paint- and I have settled on blue for the hive bodies and yellow for the honey supers. After the paint comes the solar electric fence. What took me two hours to build, a bear can destroy in five seconds flat. I have seen a bear pull my compost bin apart with one swipe of one paw and continue to completely eat the contents of the pile in fifteen minutes. I can only imagine,(but don't want to experience), how quickly a bear could eat my bees. The old maxim of an ounce of prevention then, and the fence will go up before the bees arrive on May 10.

2005-05-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

shadow through wax foundation

2005-05-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

priming a hive body

basic bee equipment

2005-03-13T21:08:00.000-08:00

I have ordered six pounds of Italian honeybees from Dan Conlon of Warm Color Apiaries in Deerfield, MA. He will be my source for equipment as well, as his prices are fair and he lives only 5 miles away, allowing me to pick things up. I went to his beeyard last year with my students on a field trip while we read The Secret Life of Bees, and he inspired me to get started after years of consideration. I am eager to take his class, which begins March 23 at CISA. I have decided to start two colonies in my first year. This way I can study the differences between the two, and should anything go wrong with one, maybe one will survive for the second year. The following is a list of things I need to purchase from Dan soon, so that I can put the hive bodies together before the bees arrive on May 11.
For each hive I need to order:
1 bottom board
2 hive bodies
1 inner cover
1 telescoping cover with metal over-cover
20 deep frames for hive bodies
20 sheets of wax foundation to match the frames
1 feeder
nails
paint for the hive bodies
In her book, A Book of Bees, Sue Hubbell writes:
In this country, for reasons I have never understood, it is traditional to paint beehives an unimaginative and antiseptic white. White is reflective, and if the hives are placed in the direct sun, that may be a kindness to bees. But hives, even white ones, can become too hot in the sun and should always be set out in a place where they will receive some afternoon shade. So placed, there is no reason to paint them white if a beekeeper prefers another color. Karl Von Frisch, Nobelist, zoologist and student of bee behavior, discovered that it helped bees to find their own hives if those placed in a row were painted different colors; in addition, he found that they rather fancied blue.
If bees fancy blue, then perhaps I will choose two differing shades of blue for their pleasure.

joining the ranks

2005-02-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

"Everyone should have two or three hives of bees", wrote Sue Hubbell in A Book of Bees. "Bees are easier to keep than a dog or a cat. They are more interesting than gerbils." And with a place now for the bee yard, comes my opportunity to keep bees. Bee books underlined and scattered, read and read and read again, it is now time for me to join the historic ranks of the bee keeper. Since the days of the ancient Egyptians, the earliest apiarists, who believed that honey had rained down from the gods into the hungry mouths of flowers, and that bees were the messengers of the gods, there have been bee keepers. I now humbly join the sweet golden rays of bee keeping history.