Poplar Blossom

The beautiful tulip poplar blossom - responsible for the red tint to our local honey.

Tulip Poplars

Tulip poplar trees are our major local nectar source but they can get quite big so remember this when planting one.

 

Blackberries and bees !

Are you seeing the wild blackberry bushes in bloom along our roads ?  Good bee food !

Too much pollen in air !

Living down in a little valley, I love seeing the bees flying during the late afternoon (backlit by the sun). Today there is so much pollen floating in the air it is competing with my bees for attention !

Bees gathering blackberry nectar

What a beautiful Spring day, tulip poplars are blooming and blackberries too.  Our bees are very busy..

Honeybees & blueberries

Freezing temps here this morning but the bees are working my blueberry bushes this afternoon.

Getting My Swarm Trap Ready !

One of my important early spring activities is checking my swarm traps.  I have one that is placed about 100 yards north of my bee yard.  I have caught a swarm in this trap every summer.  Sometimes it is a swarm that has left my own hives and at least once - it was a swarm from another apiary or a wild colony.  My swarm trap is made of an old weathered deep hive box with a nailed on top and bottom.  Ten Frames are inside the box and there are a few frames of old comb that will smell good to a bee and will not represent a real loss to me if they are destroyed. After the cold, windy weather -
I could see that the box had shifted and needed some attention.

 It is rare to get out to this box without being accompanied by the goats.  Who would have guessed that they knew so much about honeybee swarm traps ?! They certainly do not like the boxes that are full of bees !

Daisy is especially concerned that some of the frames must have too much propolis or (bee glue) on the ends to fit properly in the box. As for me, I feel that old frames are especially attractive to scout bees.  Scout bees leave the mother colony in advance of a swarm and select possible new home sites. Blake has become bored with the whole process and laid down to rest.  Daisy and I finish putting the box back up in the tree.  It is only about 6 ft off the ground but I have to place it low enough that I can get it down later when bees/honey are inside. 

All finished and ready for Spring.  I will need to walk by this box every week during the swarm season.  If a colony moves in,   I will remove it quickly or it will be so heavy I will not be able to get it down without help !

We have just finished and a scout bee is already checking it out !

New bees...it's spring..well almost

It's a great day when new bees come and the sun even came out long enough to put them in their new home !

Pollen isn't always Yellow !

Female worker bees collect pollen from various flowers.  They wet the small pollen grains with nectar/saliva and pack it on their hind legs on structures called "pollen baskets". (though they are not really "baskets" but stiff hairs.)  Back at the hive, this pollen will be stored and used to feed young bees and nurse bees that have to produce brood food for young larva.  How neat is that ?

 

Winter 2013-14 go away !

Argh, more winter weather.  Maybe it is just my imagination but it has been uncharacteristically cold and damp this winter.  I have lost one colony and maybe 2 more but it has been too
cold to check.  Now we are having another winter storm.  I hope the marginal size colonies are okay.  I have heard from several local beeks who have lost all their hives this winter. So sad.

http://shop.carolinahoneybees.com/Wildflower-Honey-12-oz-Bear-002.htm

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 !  :)



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

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)

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.