July 2010 – The Healthy Honeybee

Don’t Wash Your Hive Tool

by Honey

This here is a scrap piece of metal I found in my ‘bee bag’ that holds my various beekeeping tools. It’s a good thing it was there, because I somehow ended up out at the hives without my trusty hive tool.

First Honey Harvest

by Honey

Since I had a super full of crazy curvy comb – that can happen when you don’t use foundation – I couldn’t just pop my honey frames in an extractor and give them a spin. First, I had to cut the comb from the frames. I used the wires in the frames as a guide, so it all came out in strips.

A Cork for My Smoke Hole

by Honey

Here’s what my smoker looks like when I’m done with it.

Bee Lifeguard

by Honey

I was filling my backyard pool today (thanks Bianca!) and decided to do a bit of skimming. I guess this gal was thirsty – or maybe got too hot? – she showed up on the skimmer. Then I started noticing that there was more than one bee in the pool…. hmmm….

Bee Escape

by Honey

Setting up the bee escape and waiting for a few days allows the beekeeper to come back and take the box of honey without having to shake out the bees and piss them off. Or use a bee brush on the frames, which I can’t do anyway since the comb is not actually in the individual frames. It’s kind of meandering through the honey super. So I need a bee escape. And I need to go check it soon, since it’s been on there for a bit.

Here’s a pic of the escape:

A Taste of Honey

by Honey

I’ve filtered my first half-cup of honey through this old food mill that belonged to my Grandma – see the honeycomb in the cone – and now I just want to look at it! I’ve tasted it, but that’s all. It’s a very light yellow – here’s the comparison to Ken’s:

Uncaged

by Honey

She’s out!! I set up the ob hive today so friends could have a look at the bees, and I noticed that the queen is out of her cage. Didn’t take long – everybody loves candy. She’s the one with the white dot in the picture. Hooray! Now we’ll have eggs and larvae to watch … Read more

New Momma for the Girls

by Honey

Many thanks to Ken for helping me yesterday with my queen and observation hive! The hive is a bit of a beast – it’s so much easier with two people and more experience (Ken’s, not mine).

Anyway, here’s the queen cage with queen and attendants – same one we saw yesterday, only in this pic Ken is uncorking the end. You’ll notice the white bit – that’s the ‘candy’ that the bees will need to chew through in order to free the queen. The cork is a precaution – there’s so much candy there that Ken also made a wee hole through it to get them started.

She’s Here!

by Honey

I received a phone call this morning from a lady at Canada Post – they had a buzzing package for me. The queen bee and her attendants have arrived already! I was very thankful she decided to call me to pick it up, rather than sent it out with a letter carrier. It’s been so hot, and she was worried that the bees might overheat, as was I. Not worried anymore, I’ve got my queen!

Let’s take a look:

2 More Stings

by Honey

In spite of the sweat-inducing oven of a coverall you see me wearing, I did manage to get 2 more stings yesterday at the beeyard. Right through the coverall. So I ask myself again, ‘why do I wear this?’ Hmmm.