don’t wash your hive tool

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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 today without my trusty hive tool.

How did I end up out there without my hive tool, you ask? Well, the last time I used it was in my kitchen, to pry apart the frames of honey as I was harvesting it. It got so sticky that I decided to wash it when I did the dishes. Great idea in theory. Real life, however, dictates disaster with any deviation from the norm. Usually the hive tool is in my bee bag. Usually I don’t have to think about where I left it last – in this case on the kitchen counter – because it never leaves the bag unless I’m working with the hives. Usually does not mean always, as I found out today.

It’s a good thing that piece of metal was in my bag. As it was, the white piece of an old curtain rod was not strong enough to pry apart boxes, but I could take off the inner covers and check how the honey is progressing. It’s also a good thing that checking the honey was the only job I had planned for this trip.

Live and learn, as always.

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