A new Bee Year

A new year is coming. Plan to make it a more bee friendly one. If you cant keep bees (or don't want to ) , you can do other things to help. Plant bee friendly plants in your gardens - even a few may help. A small water garden with some pebbles along the edge can provide clean water. Use less pesticides on your lawns. Let a few flowering weeds grow !

Happy Holidays !

I hope everyone is having a happy and safe holiday. Thank you to my many customers who made Carolina Honeybees Farm products a part of their holiday celebration.

Winter begins for us...spring around the bend for bees

So the winter solstice has passed and we are officially in the winter season.  The bee colony runs on a different schedule .  In a normal winter pattern (what's that these days) the queen bee would have been taking a break from egg laying for several weeks.  Shortly after or around the winter solstice she will begin to lay a few eggs (maybe only 4 or 5 a day.)  As the weeks go by and some pollen/nectar sources increase the number of eggs laid each day will increase.  After 3 weeks of maturing these will be new bees born to replace the older dying colony bees.  Very shortly, Spring will be on inside the hives...even though it may be wintery and cold outside !

Drones for Christmas

The larger honeybee with big eyes is a drone (male bee). Colonies do not normally let drones overwinter - maybe there is a problem inside ? Nothing I can do this time of year but I will document and watch what happens. With beekeeping we watch for things that are "outside the norm".

Beekeeping Classes

Would you like to know more about beekeeping ? Maybe have a hive of your own or maybe you just like to learn new things ?  Please consider taking a beekeeping class.  The Pickens County Beekeepers Association offers the best class around. ( Yes I am probably influenced by the fact that this is my home club and I am one of the instructors... LOL )  Local associations offer classes taught by unpaid volunteers.  Please join us.  For more information email Kevin Nicholson  ridercoach62@yahoo.com

Crystallizing Honey

Is your jar of honey doing something strange ?  Do you have lumps, clumps or grains flowing around as the liquid becomes cloudy ? If so, you are probably experiencing crystallization.  This can be a good thing when making creamed honey where we control the rate of crystallization and end up with a smooth yummy product.  Allowed to crystallize on its own honey will be gritty and grainy and just try to get that out of a plastic bear !  Several things can encourage this process with the main factor being what type of nectar the bees collected to make your jar of honey.  Some types of honey crystallize fast, some slow, some never.  Raw honey (which we want and is minimally processed) can be a common victim of crystallization.  Don't throw out this honey, it is not ruined or even lesser quality.  It does not mean that it has been improperly handled or compromised in any way.  The best way to return the product to its former glory, is to put it in a glass jar, heat some water on the stove to "almost" boiling then turn off stove-gently set the glass jar of honey in the water bath, gently stir, (do NOT get any water in the honey).  You may have to repeat this several times but the product will re-liquefy.  You can even do this if you have a bear . (If you have a gift - gently remove the safety seal - wipe clean- transfer honey to a glass jar temporarily- re-liquefy and then pour back into bear and re-affix the seal and top.) Some people put honey in the microwave but I dont recommend that as it may destroy some of the nutritive value.  Remember, this is a natural process that we face when dealing with a raw product versus one that has been super-processed and looks great on the shelf for years.

Prep for Spring Swarms

 

Honeybee colonies swarm. It's just what they do. Some swarm very little and some swarm a lot.  Beekeepers normally try to minimize the behavior because it is risky for the colony that may fail to requeen itself and it means a smaller honey crop.  I have a large cedar tree near my hives that keeps attracting swarms that sit down too high up for me to reach.  I had it topped and now it looks awful.  I hope to shape it a bit.

The only problem is I had way too much help. LOL

Gift time !

http://shop.carolinahoneybees.com/Pure-Beeswax-Candles-Other-Products_c4.htm

Goat Guards

Goats are guarding the bee yard !  Not really, they are hoping for a handout !

A Buggy Visit

It was very warm yesterday for mid November.  I found this little guy on the porch.  We spent a few moments just looking at each other...LOL

Wheel Bug - Honeybee Predator

The Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) is a true bug that preys on soft bodied insects - most of which as considered to be pests.  Unfortunately, they also eat honeybees and this one was caught on top of one of my hives.  Bad Wheel Bug, Bad !  Their bite can be rather painful to you also so be careful !

Evening in the Bee Yard

Goodnight Bees,  Goodnight Moon.

Cleaning Your Smoker - a serious beekeeping tool.

I use natural local dry pine needles in my bee smokers.  Over the course of the season they can get quite grungy and the lids don't close well !

 

The top may get so clogged with soot that air flow is restricted or stopped completely.

First, I removed the grates from the bottom of the smoker and will set them aside.



















Using a propane torch I actually set the sooty residue on fire.  Being VERY careful of burns or fire !!

 

I repeatedly apply the torch to the congested area to get a good burn going.  This is hot people, be careful. Do not let the fire or torch come into contact with the wooden parts or plastic/leather bellows - or yourself.
 In a few minutes the flames will get lower as the resin is burned out of the soot.

You will notice the change of appearance.  We have some black residue still but also some white ash. Let this cool - let this cool - let this cool - get the picture !

 

You did let it cool right ?  Now take a hive tool or screw driver and scape the residue off.  It will flake away rather easily,

 

Be sure to clean well around the inside rim of the hood where it fits the body.

 

 

 Be sure to clean well around the outside of the smoker where the lid fits.

My Dadant smoker has a small hole in the bottom of the bellows.  It is notorious for getting clogged up and I have to take it off the smoker and clear the hole.

Ahh,, all I need now is a handful of dry pine needles, a match and a warm day to work bees !  :)



Drones in Fall ?

Bee Colonies have a reason for the things they do.  My role as beekeeper is to try to figure out when something is wrong that may threaten the viability of the colony. Drones (male bees) are kicked out of the hive in fall.  When I see one hive that is keeping drones when the others have evicted their males, I worry that this might be a sign of trouble even though things look ok.  It's a puzzle !  The bee in front is a worker..the bigger eyed drone is just behind.

Bringing in the last of fall pollen

We have had some frost and a light freeze. On this warm November day the bees are making those last flights and I see some dandelion pollen coming in...(see the bees with the little orange balls on their legs !)

Becoming a beekeeper ? Is it for you ?

Have you always wanted to try beekeeping ?  Maybe this is your time !  Winter is a good time to read up and get prepared for new bees in the Spring.  Most bee orders are actually placed in January for spring delivery.  In our area, local beekeeping associations hold classes in January/Febr
uary.  These classes are taught by experienced volunteers who donate their time free of charge so the cost for the student is low and the money raised goes to promote the local club.  Get started in beekeeping this year..who knows where it may lead ?









http://www.towncarolina.com/town-buzz/regular-buzz/263-sweet-talk.html

Festival time

My dad ( a great helper) and I worked a local festival today.  We don't do this as much as we used to as the travel gets harder each year.  However, we love seeing repeat customers that means we are doing something right !  You can order a few items online if you missed us.

shop.carolinahoneybees.com

Fall in the Bee Yard

As we go into late October, winter is bearing down on us from the bees perspective.  We had heavy frost this week and will experience a hard freeze this weekend.  That should put an end to the nectar plants.  At the point, I have done all I can to prepare my colonies.  Time will tell how they fair as the winter goes forward.  Starvation is a big risk for local beekeepers.  Our mild winters often result in the colony staying somewhat active and consuming large quantities of food.  I will check them periodically on warm winter days.  Good Luck Bees.

Honey Angel

Gift giving is just around the corner.  Give your angel a honey angel this year !http://www.shop.carolinahoneybees.com/Wildflower-Honey-Angel-003.htm

Mind your own beeswax...

Really beeswax is wonderful stuff.  Beeswax is stable over time, it does rot or degrade easily.  It has been used as dental fillings thousands of years ago and as a water proofing agent also.  Beeswax is made from glands on the underside of the honeybee.  After the bee engorges on nectar, these glands extrude the clear soft wax scales which harden as the bees manipulative them into comb.  Beeswax is a potentially sustainable product if we can manage to keep our honeybees alive.

Fun teaching about bees.

We had a great time at our beekeeping booth at the Hagood Mill Folklife Center this weekend.  I created a photo board featuring the contributions of honeybees to our lifestyle.  All ages enjoyed having their picture made !

Yellow Jacket Scavenger

I spied this Yellow Jacket Wasp enjoying a piece of honeybee.  The yellow jacket likes sweet treats but they are meat eaters.  These wasps can be a plague to beekeepers and often harass hives.  They are usually not a real threat to the colony unless it is weak and doesn't contain enough worker guards to keep them out of the hive.

Fall Flowers signal summer's end

These beautiful flowers signal the end of the bloom season.  My hives are full of honey, pollen and propolis harvested by the bees throughout the season.  Propolis is also called, bee glue.  It is a sticky plant resin that is collected by bees and mixed with salvia to use to cleanse and polish surfaces and this time of year to seal cracks in the hive to prevent rain and cold wind from entering !

Defending the hive from other bees.

Honeybees work to protect their home and colony welfare is top priority.  In this video, you will see a worker honeybee near the middle of the front, she is repelling another worker who most likely does not belong to her family.  Protecting the colony from robbers is very important this time of year.

Fall rush

Busy flight afternoons like this one will soon end as frost will kill most of the nectar producing plants. The bees seem to know this and rush to harvest.

Fall pests

Yellow jackets and other wasps, as well as, spiders can become bothersome pests for our hives during the fall.  Strong hives will fight them off.

Early Fall Check

The aster and golden rod is still blooming.  Bees are busy bringing in pollen and nectar .  Now is the time for beekeepers to check their hives for proper winter stores.  You do not want to wait until the weather gets too cold, the bees will be reluctant to take the sugar water quickly.

Honeybee Education

One of the most interesting things about being a beekeeper is sharing the love of bees with others.  In spite of recent media attention given to bees, many people still know very little about the importance of honeybees.  You can make a sign like this for yourself and help promote the bee !

Pollen Gathering is important

In addition to gathering nectar for winter food stores, I want the bees to be able to collect a variety of pollen.  This can be used to keep the last round of babies before winter well fed and stored to use in late winter when the queen resumes laying...usually right about the end of December or early January. (A time when natural pollen is not usually available)

Bees on Buckwheat

I love planting a small patch of buckwheat in my vegetable garden after the corn has finished.  It will bloom in 30 days and gives the bees something to do when not much else is available here. (Buckwheat should not be planted where grazing animals can get to it !!)

Honey bee working buckwheat blossom

Small patch of buckwheat beginning to bloom

Fuel for your bee smoker

Beekeepers often use smokers when working colonies.  We believe the smoke masks alarm pheromones that are released by guard bees thus reducing "the call to defend the colony". Also, maybe the bees think a forest fire is approaching as they will go to open cells and fill their stomach with honey making them less inclined to sting.  Whatever, the scientific answers may be, using smoke properly can result in a more pleasant hive inspection for the beekeeper and the bees with no or very little detrimental effects for the colony.  A variety of materials are used by beekeepers for fuel: commercial smoker fuel, burlap, wood shavings, pithy wood, paper, dried sumac seed heads etc.  For local beekeepers in my area (upstate South Carolina) dried pine needles are the fuel of choice.  They are free, easy to collect and produce a cool dry smoke.  I keep an old bucket with a hinged lid and periodically (after a few days with no rain) I will ride my ATV over in the woods and scratch up dry pine needles.  Don't dig down deep and get into the damp duff layer - just skim the dry ones from the top.  You will have great natural fuel for many hours among the bees.

Feed those bees.... if they need it

Some people say you should never feed your honeybees as they should be strong enough to take care of themselves.  I can appreciate that line of thinking..yet I realize the bees are not native to this area nor is it normal to have several families of honeybees living in such close proximity.

This year has not been good for beekeeping overall.  Too much cool weather during the spring and then rain, rain and more rain.  Despite the fact that I have watched my colonies, not taken off too much honey and actually fed a little - I still have a couple of colonies on the brink of starvation.  Large number of workers, healthy looking queen, very little brood  (some of which may have been eaten) and no honey stores.  So I feed feed feed now !

Giant Robber Fly

My bees seem to have so much to contend with, including predators !  I caught this Giant Robber Fly in action .  :(

Giant Robber Flies

So I am walking around with my Nikon.  Looking and investigating to see what plants the honeybees might be foraging on.  I see this remarkable site and take a picture.  Later to see that these are Giant Robber Flies.  And yes, they do eat honeybees and other insects.   I can appreciate their natural beauty and place in nature but it is probably good for them that I didn't realize at the time what they were... LOL

Planting to help bees and other pollinators..

You can brighten up your yard and help out the honeybees and other pollinators by planting flowers that provide pollen and/or nectar.  Even annuals can provide important food during dry periods.  It doesn't have to be acres of land - small plots can add to the diversity of food sources.

Sunny Flowers and Sunny Days

What a beautiful cool day today.  My "bee girls" were gathering pollen from the sunflowers I planted for them !  Pollen is used to feed baby bees, it is the bee's only source of protein.

Bringing in the harvest......NOT

So in early June, I work in the hot sweaty weather and put honey supers (boxes) on the bee hive in preparation for the coveted Sourwood Honey flow.  Today , here is it early August, I am back in the hot sweaty bee yard taking those boxes back off and yes they are still empty !  It has rained almost every day of the bloom period and for the first year ever, I will have 0 jars of sourwood honey.  Beekeeping ain't for sissies.

Bees have a great sense of smell.

After spending the morning working in the honey house extracting honey and filling buckets, I rinsed off my hands and arms and came into the house.  Going out on the front screen porch, I hear buzzing that gets louder and louder and realize that I have bees

buzzing around right outside the screen .  Sure enough, they could smell the honey left on my hands.  I think we fail to appreciate how powerful the sense of smell is in bees.

Planting Buckwheat in Monsoon weather...LOL

Some books tell us that it is useless to plant for bees unless you have acres of land.  I don't buy that.  Maybe it would be difficult to get a monofloral honey such as Sunflower, Clover etc without a very large nectar source but I think we can help our bees and other pollinators by providing diverse nectar sources -even if you only have a small patch of ground.

I like to plant a small patch of buckwheat in my garden in mid summer.  Buckwheat will usually produce blooms 30 days after planting and I use it to provide nectar in mid to late August. (A time that is usually a dearth time in our area).

This year with all the rain we have had. I cant get the soil to be dry enough to plow !  So I just skimmed off the grass on top. Spread out the seed, threw out a plastic snake to hopefully discourage the birds and stuck my plastic owl on a pole for good measure..LOL .  My regular garden has been a disaster this year... lets hope the buckwheat comes along and enough dry weather for the bees to be able to fly and harvest it.  (Buckwheat is poisonous to grazing animals be careful where you plant it.)