August observations

August 4, 2011

Mid 80’s today and another wonderful summer day here in western Oregon. Bees very actively foraging. At 5pm, I counted 32 bees returning within 1 minute, which did not seem nearly as busy as other times during the day time. Sometimes it's a steady stream in and out of the two entrances, very politely done although the drones sometimes seem to get in the way. Saw drones near the entrance so they are alive and well.

Fun yesterday to let Anita’s three grandsons (ages 9, 7, 5) peek at the hive interior. They were so quiet and calm once they knew the bees weren’t after them but just wanted to get on with their work of collecting nectar and pollen. This gives me the idea of a Christmas gift for the Bend, Oregon grandchildren—a medium size TBH. I’ll check with Ken about adding an observation window because I know they’ll be wanting to look inside more often than even I do. Plexiglass, acrylic, window glass, double pane glass…research to be done on that! And getting an okay from parents is the first requirement.

Watched the Boulder BackYardHive.com video again and was reminded of several things to be done. Based on their information, I added the remaining two bars with the new and improved angle, per Ken, so hive is again fully open. I waxed the empty top bars (using bees wax from the comb that fell during June). Did not remove any bars with comb for observation; just got in and out, looking at the last one with comb which could be seen from the end—same B12 with empty cells. Bees working hard to seal the very small opening by the sticky board at the back of the hive; sorry to say that may be wasted effort as we’ll be anchoring it closed soon with bungee cords. According to video, bees should be working during summer to seal hive for wintering—apparently that’s exactly what they are doing.  Lee recently added the spools and bungee cords supplied by Ken to hold the roof on tight during winter storms. We’ll get to the sticky board soon and then I’ll take pictures.

Another book I just read indicates that whenever one manipulates the hive, honey production is greatly reduced during that day and the next, so I’ll not bother those amazing bees until the end of August or early September. At that time, we’ll check to see how much honey has been stored and the state of the brood. Well, undoubtedly before then I’ll lift the last bar to see how many bars have comb…

August 6, 2011

Early morning visit with Ken today. He has another idea for a feeding tray which would be placed in front of the hive by the entrances. Seems like it would work well for this area. Because our springs include lots of rainy days, I see needing a cover of some kind—either on top of the tray itself or from the hive roof over and around the tray, which I’m favoring right now. We’ll see what cover, if any, works best when it’s needed next spring. I haven’t given up on the attic feeder (see July 21) which would seem ideal for the really cold winter days IF their own honey supply is not adequate and bees would not fly outside to reach supplemental food in the tray.

We removed the two large rhododendron bushes adjacent to the hives…mostly to make room for a seated observation area and more herbs, but also because the nectar is toxic. I noticed that few bees were on the rhododendron blossoms and later read that the nectar is toxic, not only to bees but also to humans. According to research, a couple of bushes in the yard is not a problem, and I believe the bees have an innate sense not to use it. However, we want to operate on the side of caution. And, never never never give a baby honey…excerpt from Mayo Clinic website: To prevent infant botulism — a rare but serious form of food poisoning — don't give honey or corn syrup (dark or light) to a baby. Both foods are potential sources of Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) spores. Bacteria from the spores can grow and multiply in a baby's intestines, making a toxin that can cause infant botulism. The concern is only for children younger than age 1.

Another book: Beekeeping The Gentle Craft by John F. Adams, 1972. Although forty years old and no pictures, it’s a very good read with very good information for the amateur, hobby beekeeper. It seems every book I find or person I talk with about bees has something new to offer. Having bees is addictive or that’s the way with me…I love to try new things, learning and experimenting, working with others on ideas.

And now I have to admit it: I want honey! Yes, I very much support bee guardianship and all that entails. But as we near the end of peak honey flow I want to be able to harvest honey for ourselves and to share with others. Hopefully we will be able to take one bar of honey away from this hive this summer, but I’m not counting on it. So I’ve been thinking again about a production hive and talked with Ken this morning. Still feel TBH is the way to go for me rather than Warre or Langstroth hives because with a TBH one works more closely with the nature of bees. Will probably opt for the largest hive Ken builds (see http://yardcraftjunky.com/store.htm) and split this “gentle” hive next spring. During the winter I will prepare for the big event, deciding on location and learning how hive splitting is done…stay tuned.

We need a picture…here’s a beautiful one taken by a friend last spring and mounted on a birthday card. Once I get permission from the creator, I plan to have it made into an insert for a necklace pendant…see http://www.magnabilities.com/store/.