Blog of the Soap Pixie: Beekeeping

Showing posts with label Beekeeping. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Beekeeping. Show all posts

BEEKEEPING: NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

July 15, 2010

While I was out weeding the backyard tonight I saw one of my bees crawling around on the ground. Odd I thought, considering she was about 4 feet from the hive. I went to pick her up and she tumbled off my glove only to land on her back. She buzzed vigorously and managed to right herself. She started walking about so I let her climb on my glove again, this time with success, all the while begging her not to sting

HIVE INSPECTION WITH LOTS OF INTERESTING PICTURES

July 12, 2010

I'm wayyyyyyyyy too emotional to be a beekeeper. I crushed a bee and I really hate that but what makes me feel sick is the fact that things aren't going according to the book. I inspected the hive again today and things are happening that I either forgot what they mean (which is probably the case) or didn't learn (less likely the case). I found drone cells, about 5-10. More frames are FULL of honey, no queen in the third

PROPOLIS, BEESWAX, BEE POLLEN, HONEY & ROYAL JELLY

July 11, 2010

I had someone on facebook ask me about propolis and royal jelly so I thought I'd share a bit about them on my blog, as much as I know anyway. I keep hearing about all the health benefits and have looked into this a bit for myself so I'll share what I know in that area as well. I'm going to give the short version since the long version can be googled or found in several books. I'm just going to post the nitty gritty.

BEE YARD MANIA

July 6, 2010

It is hard to fully appreciate the scale of which my bees have multiplied in just a couple months in this picture. I video taped but the sound effects didn't transfer well. There was a nice humming sound coming from the mass of bees flying about outside the hive. I stood only 4 feet away when I took this picture but as usual because the sun was finally shined and the air was warm the bees were too busy to notice me standing there.

THREE STINGS AND NO CAMERA

July 5, 2010

Of course, the day I decide not to bring out the camera to the bee yard I get stung three times in my hand. Well, I did have gloves on and THANKFULLY the stingers didn't penetrate the goatskin or else I'd be in misery right now.

THE CHAIN GANG

July 2, 2010

I just thought this was the cutest thing. The bees connecting to each other to cross frames. And here my primitive brain just figured they walked all the way to the bottom and crawled back up the other side.

3rd HIVE BODY IN PLACE

June 26, 2010

June 24 I upgraded to 3 hive bodies. I know I did it prematurely. We had about 7 full frames of honey and brood and I was suppose to wait til there were 8 full frames but I was sensing that they were feeling stuffed in there. Call me crazy but it was a mothers instinct. LOL! I removed the cork from the 2nd hive

PLEASE TELL ME THIS ISN'T A QUEEN CELL

June 17, 2010

Although every beekeeper probably deals with this from time to time and knows exactly what it means and how to handle it, for me it means only one thing... MY BEES ARE GOING TO SWARM!

IS A BEEKEEPER EVER PREPARED?

June 16, 2010

Today was not one of my "shining moments" as a beekeeper. Part of it is, I'm on edge. Why? Not too sure but the nice weather and my moods are not coinciding. Maybe it's because it has been 11 days since I checked on the girls I feel like I've lost the touch. Whatever it may be, I sense my girls are losing faith. Lots of buzzing when normally they are grinning ear to ear (if they had them) and quiet as can be.

BAD DREAMS MAKE FOR BAD FEELINGS

June 14, 2010

I had a dream last night that I went to check on my bees and all but a few had swarmed. Although I don't think that a swarm would leave me with just 5 bees, it was a disturbing dream. I felt defeated and woke up feeling the same.

THE BEES ARE IN A TIZZY

June 9, 2010

Not sure what woke them up but they are very awake this afternoon. I almost forgot that I had bees until today. They've been so quiet, not really showing signs of "business as usual". Coming and goings as normal but no big cluster of bees rushing out to greet the sunshine as I've seen in the past. I didn't worry

BEFRIENDING BUMBLE BEES

May 29, 2010

My two daughters (mainly my oldest) are going to try and attempt keeping bumble bees this year.

Bumble bees are endangered the same way honeybees are. Their numbers are dwindling and the cause is unknown although the suspected cause is pesticide use. Without bumblebees there will be inadequate pollination of certain plants.

2nd HIVE BODY ADDED

May 25, 2010

My hive has grown

I'm not 100% sure I should have added the 2nd hive body but since the bees went from covering 5 full frames to now covering 8 full frames (some weren't fully drawn) in one week, I thought it best to add another one. I can't believe they made that much progress in less than 7 days.

BEES ARE IN FANNING MODE

May 24, 2010

It was really hot today (94 degrees F) so the bees having been in "fanning" mode (see earlier posts for "fanning" video). They are all perched near the entrance of the hive "fanning" their wings in order to cool things down.

My BEES ARE FRYING

My poor bees are overheating (94 f outside). They'd rather be outside than in. Not sure what this means??? I was told in beekeeping class that we can't move to the 2nd largest opening in the entrance reducer until we add the 2nd hive body, nor can I remove the cork until adding the 2nd hive body but my little bees are

The Queen Lives!!

May 20, 2010

Yesterday my beekeeping mentor came over to help me find the queen bee that I thought died. He was nice enough to check on the activity in the hide, explain rotation of frames again and help find the queen. I was relieved when we hit frame #6 that there was a live and laying queen. She was not happy about being exposed to the light so she was somewhat burried under a pile of nurse bees.

LAZY BEES or MISINFORMATION? YOU TELL ME.

May 17, 2010

For starters, my bees don't even come close to lazy. I personally think they are just night owls and need their beauty sleep but...

WHO'S GUARDING THE DOOR?

Since the beginning of beekeeping class I've heard and read a lot about guard bees. You know, the little troopers that sit at the entrance to the hive ready to defend their sisters and brood with their life. Apparently, guard bees will confront the beekeeper or anything/anyone else if they get too close.

HIVE INSPECTION #2: Good and not so good

May 14, 2010

Doing the hive inspection this time around was much easier than the first. I was so much less nervous so it made for a easy and enjoyable time. BUT... something isn't right with my hive. We just came through a cold snap of about 1 week with lots of rain and wind so I'm not sure if that would have anything to do with it but I believe my queen is dead. Did I kill her in the first inspection somehow? I have no idea.

FIRST HIVE INSPECTION DONE! AND I SUCKED!

May 4, 2010

First off, I seriously should stop watching that U of M video because everytime I watch it I play the scenario out in my head how things are going to go and it never ends up that way.

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