Sourwood Blooms

Each year many beekeepers travel to the mountains with their bees to hope for a harvest of Sourwood Honey.  I am lucky to have a small sourwood flow here at my home.  The trees tops are all white !

Early morning swarm

It is a hot humid June morning.  Very early before 8:30 am.  I have somewhere I need to be soon and I see a swarm in the tree.  It is just a bit too high to reach but too low to make my pole bucket useful.  If I am going to catch this swarm I will have to be speedy.  I do the best I can with no one to help except my camera crew (who do not appear on screen) my 3 goats... LOL

Why use beeswax candles ?

Beeswax candles burn longer, brighter and cleaner than candles made of other types of materials. When the wick is properly trimmed and they are not in a draft, they are virtually dripless and soot free.

After consuming copious amounts of nectar/honey, the honeybee secretes the beeswax from its abdomen, and then uses the wax to construct a honeycomb. After removing the honey, I gently melt the wax and filter it for use in beeswax projects.

Some studies suggest that burning beeswax candles may actually be a healthy way to clean the air.  

"Air contains billions of electrically charged particles called ions. Ions act upon our capacity to absorb and utilize oxygen, and therefore cause powerful effects on our lives and well being. The ions in the air can affect our mood, energy and health. Negative ions actually feel good. Too many positive ions make us feel bad and they are loaded down with pollution and allergens that are drawn to them and suspended in the air. Negative ions, on the other hand, remove the pollution and allergens from positive ions, allowing them to drop harmlessly to the ground. 
Beeswax candle fuel is the only fuel that actually produces negative ions, which not only helps remove pollution from the air but increases the ratio of negative ions to positive ions, the ideal and necessary scenario for clean air."
When purchasing  beeswax candles make sure to choose those that are 100% beeswax.  (Many candles labeled as beeswax only contain 51% beeswax).  Choose one of the beautiful shades of yellow (which is the natural color), white beeswax may have been bleached or chemically treated.

I love making beeswax candles.  I use my natural local beeswax and cotton wicks for the cleanest most natural candle possible.

Happy Candlelighting    Carolina Honeybees Farm.

Bees Outside Hive

A common site on these hot humid summer evenings.  The bees hang outside the hive.  This is from a swarm I captured several weeks ago.  They are not overcrowded but just hot !

Hurry Home !

Honeybees can tell when a thunderstorm is on its way !  They hurry home with their cargo.  This is one of my hives, you can see pollen on some of the bees legs.  The others will be carrying nectar or water.

Carolina Honeybees Farm at Hagood Mill

I am a volunteer at the Hagood Mill Folklike Center  (just off Hwy 178 North of Pickens SC) on the 3rd Saturday events.  Each 3rd Saturday year round - a group of volunteers meet at the mill and demonstrate various skills such as blacksmithing, quilting, flint napping, bowl carving, pottery and of course I talk about bees, beekeeping and honey !  This educational event is free to the public and enjoyed by local folks and visitors alike !

Bottling honey

Spent the morning bottling up some wonderful comb honey.  This honey is called..."chunk comb honey".  A piece of new honeycomb is placed in the jar and then covered with delicious fresh honey. This is always in limited supply. 

 Remember if the label doesn't say Carolina Honeybees - Pickens.  Then it is not :) Look for the happy bee logo.

Bees in Clover

 Our strange wet weather year continues.  Temps have been colder overall and all the nectar sources are blooming off normal schedule.  We have lots of clover in the yards.  Not my favorite honey but the bees seem to like it.

During really humid weather it is normal to see bees "sitting out on the porch" . They move outside to help regulate the amount of moisture inside. Nectar being brought in increases the humidity inside too and this has to be reduced to process the nectar into honey !

Gathering pollen, just as vital as nectar

Honeybees must have pollen to raise brood (babies) and since workers only live about 6 weeks during the summer, this is very important.  Here a worker is carrying a large load of white clover pollen !

Enjoy my video of the beginning of the honey harvest for this year.  I am not a professional videographer so be kind.

Bees Wax !

Honeybees create beeswax from glands on the underside of their abdomen.   They use the wax scales to form the hexagon shape of honeycomb cells.  The comb will be used as a nursery for young bees as well as food storage.  Beeswax is very fascinating and mankind has not been able to identify all the chemical substances present in this special product.



Memorial Day Swarm 2013

 

Memorial Day 2013 .  It was my plan to spend a relaxing afternoon on the couch.  The bees however had other plans and I spent the hot afternoon getting a swarm down from the top part of a cedar tree.  Oh the joys of beekeeping... LOL