• learning,  neat tricks

    teeny tiny hive

    Here you see the hands of Ken, adjusting the frames of his little model beehive. The wee box is resting on the much larger, normal-sized beehive. Ken is going to leave the small box on the larger box – there’s an opening in the bottom so the bees can come up into it – so the bees will draw out the honeycomb a bit. He doesn’t want them to store honey in the little demo hive, but he does want them to show what they can do in building up the wax in preparation for honey storage. He brings this hive to places where he talks about bees, so people…

  • honey,  Uncategorized

    here we go again

    . I’m harvesting honey today. The hard way. Like last time. That’s what happens when you  let the bees build their own foundation comb. Since the comb is built mostly perpendicular to the frames, I basically need to cut it out and mash it to get the honey out. Beeswax candles, anyone? I’m generating way more beeswax from this honey harvesting event than normal beekeepers would. Normal beekeepers, I’m told, use plastic or wax foundation in their honey supers so that the bees will build where they’re supposed to. Hm. Well. I wanted to try a different technique that I heard about. I got mixed results. One of my honey…

  • Uncategorized

    2 more stings

    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.

  • Uncategorized

    wacky house day

    Here are the results of yet another experiment: I thought I'd try putting honey frames into the hive without foundation. Other beekeepers suggest rubbing beeswax along the top underside of the frame, to encourage the bees to start the foundation along that line. Sounded like a great idea. So I tried it. I put wires in the frames:

  • Uncategorized

    new ideas

    Here's the thing about beekeepers: put any two together, and you've got five different ways of doing things. My mom was talking to a beekeeper at the Port Colborne Market and happened to mention that her daughter was a beekeeper. Well, there's another thing about beekeepers: once you get them going, it's hard for them to stop talking about bees.