Wednesday, September 9, 2009
WOW...Has It Really Been This Long...UPDATE!!!
Anywho...the last blog entry, I was in the process of getting a new queen...well, let me tell you...
I was able to get a new queen from Busy Bee. I had been in such a hurry…afraid I would lose the entire hive if someone didn’t start laying eggs soon! All they had available was a virgin queen…which meant…she would need to be placed in the hive…leave the hive for her mating flight…and return to begin laying eggs…all without being eaten by a predator…WOW! I had to leave the hive alone for a couple of weeks (approx. 19 days) to allow everything to happen. When I went back into the hive, there was a little bitty bee emerging from a cell… HUH??? How is that possible? It takes 21 days for a worker to be “born”…the new queen wouldn’t have had time to get in there do everything and actually have babies emerging. Something fishy is going on! So, I went thru all of the scenarios and to this day…still can’t come up with a reasonable explanation. I just say, “Thanks, God” for keeping my hive going. It was an amazing sight to see a little bee coming out of that cell!
From that point, the Girls have been working overtime all Summer. They have made sooooo much honey …some from the sugar water but quite a bit from actual nectar…and they are still going…so I may just have a little honey this season for myself. Wouldn’t that be something!
I’m adding a medium super this week with a queen excluder (to keep the queen from laying eggs in my honey). Worst case…even if I don’t get any honey from it before it begins to get cool…they will at least start drawing out the frames with wax for the Spring.
Talk to you soon! BEE happy!
Monday, May 11, 2009
So Much Going on...Just an Update...
I called Busy Bees back today to check on the status of a new queen. Because of the weather they queens have been delayed...we've had a lot of rain and today is actually a little chilly.
It was recommended I get a virgin queen. The drones I already have will end up mating with her. WOW, finally...my drones will have something to do...lol!
Ok...I know this is a large bit of info below...but oh so very interesting!!!
Virgin queen bee
A virgin queen is a queen bee that has not mated with a drone. Virgins are intermediate in size between workers and mated, laying queens, and are much more active than the latter. They are hard to spot while inspecting a frame, because they run across the comb, climbing over worker bees if necessary, and may even take flight if sufficiently disturbed. Virgin queens can often be found clinging to the walls or corners of a hive during inspections.
Virgin queens appear to have little queen pheromone and often do not appear to be recognized as queens by the workers. A virgin queen in her first few hours after emergence can be placed into the entrance of any queenless hive or nuc and acceptance is usually very good, whereas a mated queen is usually recognized as a stranger and runs a high risk of being killed by the older workers.
When a young virgin queen emerges from a queen cell, she will generally seek out her virgin queen rivals and attempt to kill them. Virgin queens will quickly find and kill (by stinging) any other emerged virgin queen (or be dispatched themselves), as well as any unemerged queens. Queen cells that are opened on the side indicate that a virgin queen was likely killed by a rival virgin queen. When a colony remains in swarm mode after the prime swarm has left, the workers may prevent virgins from fighting and one or several virgins may go with after swarms. Other virgins may stay behind with the remnant of the hive. As many as 21 virgin queens have been counted in a single large swarm. When the after swarm settles into a new home, the virgins will then resume normal behavior and fight to the death until only one remains.
If the prime swarm has a virgin queen and the old queen, the old queen will usually be allowed to live. The old queen continues laying. Within a couple of weeks she will disappear and the former virgin, now mated, will take her place.
Unlike the worker bees, the queen's stinger is not barbed. The queen can sting repeatedly without dying.
Piping (we didn't discuss this in class at all...WOW, I wonder if I'll hear my virgin queen do this???)
Piping describes a noise made by virgin and mated queen bees during certain times of the virgin queens development. Fully developed virgin queens communicate through vibratory signals: "quacking" from virgin queens in their queen cells and "tooting" from queens free in the colony, collectively known as piping. A virgin queen may frequently pipe before she emerges from her cell and for a brief time afterwards. Mated queens may briefly pipe after being released in a hive. The piping sound is variously described as a children's trumpet tooting and quacking. It is quite loud and can be clearly heard outside the hive. The piping sound is created by the flight motor without movement of the wings. The vibration energy is resonated by the thorax.
Piping is most common when there is more than one queen in a hive. It is postulated that the piping is a form of battle cry announcing to competing queens and the workers their willingness to fight. It may also be a signal to the worker bees which queen is the most worthwhile to support.
The piping sound is a G♯ or A♮. The adult queen pipes for a two-second pulse followed by a series of quarter-second toots.[2] The queens of Africanized bees produce more vigorous and frequent bouts of piping.
This information can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_bee
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Guess Who Is Gone...
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Mess The Girls Made...
Isn't she cute?
This little girl decided to hang out for a second...
Jada snapped this picture twice and she just sat there...
walking around a bit...
BTW, no stings to date...
So...here I am...searching for the Queen...
I wish she would just yell..."Hey Lady, here I am!"
Just too many bees to find her!!!! Grrrr...
This is the reason I'm so anxious...
it appears my girls are making a queen...
At field day...they said...
they sometimes do this just to worry you! lol
(the queen cells are shaped like peanuts)
Maybe I'll just get a Nuc box and start a new hive?
Hmmm...
Also...if you look at the pic above closely...
you should see bee larva...(top right)
So...this is the mess I was talking about...
Great pictures, JadaKaye!
Close up...
But thru it all...I still love them!
Just doing what they do...'LITTLE GIRLS!!!"
Thursday, April 23, 2009
N.C. Master Beekeeper Program
I've passed part 1...
Certified Level of the N.C. Master Beekeeper Program!
WOOHOOOO
I have to complete part 2 which is the practical test.
I just have to manipulate a hive of bees in front of an instructor.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Working Overtime!
Saturday night...it had been rather warm all day...
I walked up the deck to go in the house...
I could see a shadow at the hive entrance...hmmm...what is that???
I'm used to the Babies being all tucked in when it's dark outside.
Here is the picture I took...
they were so very still...motionless...but alive...kinda...sleeping...
Come to find out...it was just a little too warm inside of the hive...
so they decided to sleep under the stars...
this made me on edge to see what was going on...for fear...
they may be getting a little cramped...
could that be possible? Already?
So ...remember this pic...the empty hive...before installing the Babies...
AND...the brand new foundation...thin sheet of wax which guides them...
WELL...a Bee friend, Christine...
came over to help me put the hive up on pavers...
saw a few picnic ants and didn't want them snooping around the hive.
It has been approximately a week and a half
so I'm "allowed" to finally take a peek!
Took the inner lid off to find the girls have decided to be a little creative
and add some honeycomb on the lid...
"um...no...girls...not there!"
So...of course...it's gone now...I actually have taken it as a souvenir...
awww, the Babies have made something!!!
So...this is what that little piece of honeycomb was attached too...
See the clump of honeycomb in between these frames?
This picture shows a frame full of honeycomb
and with some of the combs full of NECTAR!!!
I have been reading to find out for sure
when to add the next brood chamber...
I think the answer is NOW!!!
Here are a few pictures of the girls...
playing on the front porch!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Just an Update...
The Herald Sun came out last Friday
as they are preparing to do a story on me and the honeybees.
We had a great time talking about the bees
and went out on the deck for a closer look.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Jada's Not Afraid of the Honeybees...
Monday, April 13, 2009
My First Scare!
The Babies Have Finally Arrived!!!
There are approximately 3 lbs or 13,000 Honeybees per package.
Installing a Package
I am installing my package of bees using what I'll call the Tapp Method (smile).
Jack Tapp of Busy Bees was telling me about a way
With his method, you simply remove the Queen...
Putting on the copper top...and we're done!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Buzz from Outside the Hive - FAQs for the Neighbors
The Buzz from Outside the Hive
FAQs for the Neighbors
How come I don't see as many honeybees now as I did when I was a kid?
In the late 1980's and early 1990's, a parasitic mite was accidentally introduced that preyed upon honeybees, both those kept by beekeepers, and those living in the wild. The "wild" honeybees were wiped out by this mite, and many beekeepers lost large numbers of their colonies to this pest. Today, most bees that you see are kept by a beekeeper, and any colonies in the wild, are some that got away from a beekeeper. Beekeepers have medications today to help control the pest, but colonies that swarm away from a beekeeper are usually doomed to die because of the mite.
Why are honeybees important?
That is a great question! Honeybees are one of our most important pollinators of the fruits and vegetables that we eat. There are many different pollinators in our world, but the honeybee is one of the most effective and efficient of them all. Honeybees are not native to the U.S., and were imported by the early settlers to pollinate the crops that they brought with them. Many of the fruits and vegetables that we enjoy were not native to the U.S., and the pollinators that were present here naturally did a poor job of pollinating these new species of plants the settlers brought with them. If not for honeybees, the produce department of the largest grocery store would be about 75% smaller! Apples, almonds, watermelon, cucumber, oranges, peaches, cherries, and cranberries are just a few of the many fruits and vegetables that rely on honeybees for proper pollination.
I am allergic to bees, and one sting will kill me!
My response to such a statement is "Have you ever been stung by a honeybee?", and "Has an allergist tested you for hyper sensitivity to honeybee venom?". Many people have been stung by "Bees" before, but very seldom is it by a honeybee. Wasps, especially Yellow Jackets ( which look a lot like honeybees), are very territorial and will sting with little or no provocation. Honeybees on the other hand, when away from the hive, are quite docile and will not usually sting unless they are handled or stepped on.
Is it safe for me to work outside?
Yes, as Honeybees are truly only interested in flowers/plants for nectar. Be mindful not to swat at them...if it's a Honeybee...they'll go on about their business. If you are going out to cut your grass, it would be best to do so in the late afternoon/evening when the Honeybees are on their way in for the night.
Can I have some honey?
I noticed that honey prices have soared over the past year. What happened? Several factors have come into play concerning honey prices in the past year. The wholesale price of honey went from approximately $.70 a pound to a high of $1.90 a pound in a span of 7 months! One thing that happened was that the U.S. would not accept several shipments of honey from China until it could be tested for chemicals that are banned in the U.S. Another thing was that the countries we normally import honey from didn't produce enough honey for export last year. Finally, in many parts of the U.S. the honey crop was way down from previous years. All of these factors converged at one time to help push up honey prices.I live in a subdivision, and have no place to keep bees.
This is not usually a valid excuse for not keeping bees if you are truly interested in beekeeping. Many towns and communities do not ban beekeeping, and backyard beekeeping is a growing hobby. Neighbors can be a concern however. As a responsible beekeeper, you need to be aware of your neighbors and their concerns about beekeeping. First, out of sight, out of mind is the best philosophy. Put your hives in a location so that the neighbors cant see them. Consider fencing them off behind a 6' tall privacy fence. This will force the bees to fly up and over the heads of anyone in the area. Explain to your neighbors the importance of honeybees and their role in the environment. Let them know that away from the hive, honeybees are not aggressive, and will not sting unless they are handled or pinched. Don't advertise that you have bees. If you wear a bee suit, veil, gloves, etc, that is fine, but don't let your neighbors see you parade across the yard dressed like that. They will them begin to wonder about these "gentle" bees you are always talking about. Have a place where you can get dressed and not have the neighbors notice you. Be sure to take all honeybee complaints serious, and check into them. If a neighbor is complaining about bees in a birdbath, or hummingbird feeder, or swimming pool, deal with it. Find a solution to the problem. It could be as simple as having the neighbor drain the birdbath a couple of days while you supply them with water closer to the hive. Also, explain to your neighbors that sweet things will draw not only bees but other stinging insects as well. Don't leave cans of soda out, or spilled sweets, or lids off garbage cans. Finally, give them a few jars of the honey that you produced from your hives. Maybe a gift basket with a jar of honey, a honey dipper and a pair of rolled beeswax candles. If you just don't want to risk dealing with the neighbors, then find a local farmer, or someone who owns a piece of land, and talk to them about keeping bees on their property. Many landowners welcome beekeepers and would love to have hives on their property!
What do honeybees do?
At face value, this seems like a very simple question, but when we begin to think about it and answer the question, it becomes somewhat lengthy and complicated. First and foremost, honeybees are pollinators. They were brought to this country by the early settlers to pollinate the various crops and plants that they brought with them. Without the honeybee, the pollinators native to the U.S. didn't effectively pollinate these new crops, so the plants produced less than their full potential. The honeybee did a much better, and effective job of pollinating the crops. Next, honeybees produce honey. Honey is produced by mixing the nectar of plants with enzymes, and drying it in the hive. Honey is a combination of sugars, minerals and enzymes. Finally, honeybees produce other products in the hive as well. Beeswax, propolis, and royal jelly are all produced and collected from the hive.
How do I prevent my neighbor's bees from following me when I'm outside?
Your neighbor's bees suddenly take a liking to you and start buzzing you when you mow, don't swat and get frantic. Identify the culprit by first, making sure it is the honey bees that are following you, and not other wasps or insects (i.e. because you have a soda or food). I
If it is the honeybees, talk to your neighbor. This is not normal bee behavior as they will generally not pay any attention to people unless their hives are being tampered with. Let your neighbor know about this abnormal behavior so that the hive can be requeened or moved in order to calm the bees.
Why are the bees covering the front of my neighbor's hive?
This is normal, it is not a sign of an impending swarm.
More likely than not, it is hot outside and the bees are taking a break on the front porch of the hive to cool off and hang out. The technical term for this is 'bearding'.
While honeybees do like a warm hive - around 97 degrees or so - they like to cool off as well.
I see a cloud of bees around my neighbor's hive. Is this a swarm?
No. These are recently hatched bees who are taking a daily flight to get a break from their nursing duties, and to relieve themselves. Usually, the bees will be very active in front of the hive for 15 to 30 minutes per day. This will not be as noticeable during nectar flow because they have places to go and nectar to fetch.
How do I identify a honeybee?
A honeybee is a small, hairy insect that can usually be found on flowers or at a water supply. Vespids, on the other hand,have hard, slick bodies, and are generally easier to provoke than a honeybee.
What time of day to bees go out?
Honeybees are normally up and out very early...as soon as the sun is up...unless it is cold. 57 degrees or warmer (approximately) is when they will appear. As the sun begins to go down...so do the Honeybees...
Friday, March 27, 2009
2009 Field Day - Alamance County Bee Class
(well, the instructors were ready but didn't wear any gear...WOW!)
Here they are lighting the smokers ...the smoke distracts the bees.
Remember the whole... am I allergic thing?
Guess what? I still don't know! I had my Epi-Pen in my pocket...
and Benadryl in my lunch bag...but didn't have to use any of it...
The girls didn't sting anyone ALL day...we were out there 4 hours...playing with them! Moving them out of the way with our fingers...in their area...their part of the world...and nothing!
I held one of these frames ...yes, just like the one in the photo above...
honeybees all over the frame...and nothing...NO STINGS!!!
They are sooo very gentle.
Here is a photo of one of my bee friends ...
Stephanie
...holding a frame full of bees...
Can you see the little white dot on the end of this toothpick?
This is an egg!
This is my hand...
I'm holding a drone (male bee) which was in the last stage
before becoming an adult bee.
You could actually see the three sets of legs...
the eyes (as you can definitely see here) and little grooves of the body.
covered in powdered sugar.
This is a test for Varroa Mites...
where when you shake the container over water...
the mites will fall out and float on top...
the powdered sugar dissolves.
Then, you are able to count
how many were on this sample of bees.
but after this field day...it really sealed the deal!
Waiting on their arrival...April 9th!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
It's Almost Time...
my new babies...awwww...
Well, I am preparing their home which I picked up today from Busy Bees Apiary in Chapel Hill.
So extremely helpful...love them!
Here is a picture of
one of the frames...
so many little cells on
this sheet of foundation.
Foundation is attached to the frame
to encourage the bees
to drawn out the cells evenly.
They use the hexagonal shape
vs. say a circle so they won't
waste wax and space is maximized
since cell walls are shared.
In this photo, you'll also notice the frames are kinda close together
with a little space between...which is called Bee Space...
it is 3/8 of an inch...if the bee space is violated...
Well, it's me again (as if you needed another picture of me in my hat and veil) LOL
Excited about my venture...ready to experience the bees!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Wanna Plant a Bee Garden...
Here in North Carolina, we have many different nectar sources that bees just adore...
Red and Sugar Maple, Dadelion, Blackberry, Raspberry and Sourwood just to name a few.
There is something called Kudzu which gives honey a taste of grapes. Mmmm, that sounds good!
http://www.roanoke.com/extra/wb/wb/xp-110573
(info about the Kudzu vine)
Bees also need a source of water, such as a dripping faucet, birdbath, or pail with some floaters (to make sure they don't drown). I'm thinking a nice solar birdbath fountain. A fountain which will circulate the water which will lessen the chance of mosquitos trying to breed.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Just Like Us...They Battle Diseases Too!
OMG, so much can happen to them...can I do it? Will they survive?
Well, I decided...YES, I still want to keep bees because I'm not only helping the environment...
- I've already made new friends. (Can't get enough of the good ones.)
- The honey will enhance Chez Moi cakes. (Especially when I'm able to say..."and you know...I harvested this honey myself...from my Chez Moi Bees."
- Eventually, I plan to learn the art of Apitherapy...
- I'll have something that God gave to take care of directly since there is such a decline.(kinda like we should be doing anyway...but that's another topic) RECYCLE...oops, that one slipped. lol
I won't bore you with the various diseases and pests...as it's not a fun topic.
Just know...when you are purchasing honey at your local farmers' market...
it took a lot for that little container to get there.
BEE TRIVIA
How many bees does it take to make a pound of honey?
5300 bees
How many flowers must honey bees tap to make one pound of honey?
TWO MILLION
Appreciate the craft and the life of a bee!
BUY LOCAL!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
What Will I Do with the Products of the Hive?
They are...
- Honey - is a good alternative when dressing wounds because it halts the growth of bacteria. Of course, it's always good to eat!!! Honey can be used as a health food because of its high content of energy giving sugars.
- Beeswax - candles, cosmetics
- Pollen - is another bee product that can be used as a health food. Bees collect pollen, reproductive spores of seed-bearing plants, from flowers. Pollen extracts have been used to detect and immunize against allergies.
- Propolis - is the sap, or the resinous material, that oozes from the bud and bark of trees, especially pines Bees take the propolis to their hive and add their saliva and wax flakes to it. The material is then used to cover the inside of their hive. Bee propolis reinforces the hive walls and it also help protects the hive from infection. Humans can use propolis to boost the immune system. It has been shown to act in a similar way to aspirin without the negative side effects (Stangaciu, 1999) and to reduce the swelling in a sore throat (Broffman, 1999).
- Royal Jelly - provides a variety of benefits to the human body in addition to its antibacterial and antiviral action
- Bee Venom - Bee venom therapy is able to relieve painful symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism. By injecting the venom from a bee into the skin the pain caused by arthritis and rheumatism is often reduced.
since I do have OsteoArthritis and Hashimoto's (thyroid disease).
Monday, February 16, 2009
Let Me Catch You Up ... Part II
I ordered my "Babies" (this is how I refer to my bees, lol) on February 9th from Busy Bee Apiaries in Chapel Hill and expect to receive them approx. April 9th...All 26,000 of them (approx.) In a 3 pound package, there are approximately 13,000 per package. They recommend you start with 2 hives in case one is weak...you can even them out.
Being that I've never been stung, I made an appointment to visit an allergist to be on the safe side. Yes, I was an indoor child...the most outdoor time I had was on the apartment patio in Delaware. LOL We were pretty much in the "country"...we had tons of trees...our apartment overlooked the complex baseball field...but I just didn't do outside...LOL! Anywho... the allergist is sending me for a blood test but said it really won't tell too much since I've never been stung. She asked about my medical history and of any other allergies. She gave me a prescription for an Epi-Pen...just in case...since I will be working with sooooo many bees. I'm sure I'll be stung at some point...I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Dr. Dunn also gave me a great resource to check out regarding planting a "bee garden." I have some space in my backyard which really needs some attention...a "bee garden" would be perfect!
There is a program through the Alamance County Farm Bureau where they are giving away 15 sets of hives. I do hope to get a set of these hives so I haven't made a purchase yet. At the same time, the probability isn't in my favor. So, I've been researching the various equipment to see what will be best...and CUTE! ...Come on now, you know me! lol
This hive is called the English Garden hive...isn't it cute! Wouldn't it look great with my house? I think so too. It does cost a little more but for the first two...it may be necessary. (smile)
Things I still need to do...
- Inform the neighbors (a nice courtesy)
- Join the State Association
- Durham doesn't have a county association. I believe this is because before January 12, 2009 there wasn't an official ordinance allowing beekeeping with Durham city limits. Even though, some of the info presented with the ordinance states there are approximately 35 active beekeepers already. WOW! I need to find info on how to start one. (maybe something else to do...hmmmm?)
you can always use the book to kill'em."
(bee friends...he's kidding! LOL)
(photo courtesy of http://www.indianchild.com/bees.htm)
As you see, I'm extremely excited!
I look forward to taking care of my bees and helping the environment!