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Sunshine hive update…
8/12/2023 Between the two weeks of very high temperatures followed by what seemed two weeks of monsoonal like rain, it has been hard to check up on the bees. Last week between storms, we went down to the apiary to observe bee activity from the three hives. The hives that contain the swarms we trapped…
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Plans for the honey harvest…
The author recently attended a Serving Heroes National Conference and visited a container store to purchase equipment for honey harvesting. They acquired a container to hold honey frames and plan to use additional tools like a honey gate and strainer. However, they decided against a centrifugal honey extractor due to budget constraints.
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Homing swarm two…
7/14/2023 After a blissful 6 hour nap, it’s time get the bees into their hive. Normally, we look forward to this event, but after last night we are not sure of the disposition of the bees. It’s much cooler this morning and that helps. So we grab the smoker, some cutup burlap, and the lighter…
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Swarm trap collection…
6/22/2023 Yesterday afternoon we rechecked the swarm trap in Callaway County and found it to be empty. Kind of disappointing, but that’s how it works. We were in contact with the family in Howard County off and on all week who confirmed bee activity at that trap. Last night, I had an American Legion meeting…
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Sunshine Hive inspection…
On Tuesday, Linda and I inspected the Sunshine Hive to assess population levels, honey and brood. The hive had a good population, more honey frames than expected, and slightly low brood levels. The bees’ temperament seemed normal, with no signs of being queenless. We also captured new comb growth in pictures.
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Swarm trap checking…
6/15/23 On Monday, June 12, our friends in Howard County sent us a text and a video stating that they have seen bee activity at the trap. Linda and I tried not to get too excited thinking that we had been here before without much luck. Well, today we were in Columbia due a PT…
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Bees being bees…
The author has been helping their son with a deck building project and working in their flower gardens. They are concerned about their bees due to abnormally dry weather, but are seeing signs of pollen foraging and orientation flights, indicating a healthy colony. They also attempted to capture the bee activity in pictures and a…
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Observing…
The bee colony appears to be settling in well after a week. The feeder needs frequent refilling, indicating their activity. There is increased bee presence on unused frames and a replacement feeder revealed no dead bees. A more thorough inspection is planned for next week to assess the colony’s progress.
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Transferring the bees from Langstroth frames to Layens…
The post describes setting up a new beehive, converting frames, and observing bee behavior near the apiary. After bringing the nuc to the apiary and setting it next to the hive, frames were prepared using a table saw. The process involved moving frames, cutting and attaching pieces, and adding a frame feeder to help the…
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There’s always Plan B, err make that Plan C…
The post emphasizes the importance of planning, drawing from experiences in the military and event management. It then discusses plans for beekeeping, weighing the pros and cons of different approaches. Ultimately, it details the process of obtaining bees from a local supplier, highlighting the journey and the Air Force veteran who provided the bees.