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Busy Weekend…
After a setback due to illness, a weekend of catching up on spring activities involved preparing frames and comb for swarm traps and hive boxes, using a wire embedder for frame foundation, fixing and painting swarm traps, and extracting beeswax. Despite challenges, the weekend was productive, concluding with the placement of a refurbished trap.
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Spring activities?
As warm weather arrives, the beekeeper observes the survival of their colonies and prepares for the hazardous time when flowers may be scarce. A late-season swarm has thrived, and the bees are active despite the lack of flowers. Plans for colony expansion and creating artificial splits are underway, along with building swarm boxes.
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Community Part 2…
2/3/2024 On December 18th, Brian came over and we built his third hive. It actually went pretty well. It was his third and my sixth, so we had the instructions pretty memorized. And there was no blood until the very end when I got clipped by a drill bit – sorry no picture. Brian is…
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Community…
1/13/2024 Happy New Year thirteen days later. I hope everyone had a great and enjoyable holiday season. When your blog is primarily about bees, it’s hard to find something to write about this time of year. The bees are hopefully safely holed up in their hive, especially today when the overnight low is forecast to…
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Surprise, Surprise, Surprise…
December 7, 2023 The surprise today isn’t nearly as colossal as the one on December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii but, it was nevertheless a surprise to us today. With the temperatures in the 60’s, we decided to walk the property and see what was going on. The flowerbeds looked their normal shagginess and…
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The (soon to be) Lavender Bed
November, 25, 2023 On and off all summer and fall we have been clearing out a mess of cedar trees with a large dead one in the midst of it. When we started the idea was to plant more native type wildflowers and hopefully the bees would find them. If not, other pollinators and butterflies…
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Final inspection of the season…
This beekeeping season has been educational, highlighting the importance of putting theory into practice. The final hive inspection involved removing unused items, counting frames, and placing a wool pillow over remaining frames. The pillow helps regulate humidity and temperature, vital for the bees’ survival during winter. The hive will remain closed until spring to assess…
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Update on the Floral Hive…
On 9/12/2023, while checking on the Floral Hive at the apiary, it was found empty, indicating absconding. Despite regular care, including providing sugar water, the bees left. To prevent a weak colony in winter, frames were frozen. The absconding may be due to various factors, possibly linked to the dry season’s poor nectar flow.
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Frame Day…
On 9/7/2023, frame assembly for the next year began. The process involves placing and gluing pieces in a jig, and then stapling them. Despite the loud air compressor, two videos demonstrate the process. 36 frames were completed, with bottom pieces being the limiting factor, but easy to make.
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Revisiting the Cedar Grove garden…
Linda and I established the Cedar Grove Garden this year. Despite facing extreme weather, the garden managed to thrive. After neglecting it, we reclaimed the space and revitalized it with compost and mulch. Over three days, we worked hard to finish the garden, resulting in a satisfying end product.