Honey bees do a remarkable thing in the winter. They hold it! Yep, that is what I said. They hold it! They don’t go to the bathroom in their hive. They wait until a warm day (i.e., temperatures must be at least above 55 degrees F) and they take what beekeepers call “a Cleansing Flight.”

If you know of a beekeeper, find out when you can go visit his or her hives on a nice warm day in winter and you’ll be amazed. And, if you have a vehicle that you’ve noticed little, tiny black dots on it during a warm day in winter, those dots are a result of a cleansing flight by honey bees near by.

A few days ago, we captured in the picture (Picture 1), the bees taking flight on a nice warm day . If this were a video, you’d see that as fast as the bees fly out of the hive, they fly back in. They don’t dilly-dally around. They get down to business, do their business, and get back to helping keep the brood and the rest of the hive warm.

Picture 1 - Hive 2 w/Honey Bees in Cleansing Flight

This hive is what we refer to as Hive 2. It looks healthy and there seems to be a lot of bees scrambling out of the small hive opening. We narrow the hive opening in order to reduce the loss of heat and to keep vermin, such as mice out of the hives.

The next picture of Hive 3 seems less active. This hive, in late summer/early fall, we placed a second super on with frames. Our bee mentor said he was afraid we may have done that too late and now we think he may have been right. The hive grew too big, too fast. We think we may have had a late fall swarm. Since we are young beekeepers, we didn’t recognize when a swarm happens  or realize it. Now, it appears this hive is smaller in numbers, which makes it hard for the bees to make it through the winter. We hope we are wrong. (See Picture 2)

Picture 2 - Hive 3 w/Honey Bees in Cleansing Flight

Honey bees need several things in order to make it through the winter. They need about 60 lbs. of honey stored; a large number of winter bees to protect the brood and keep the hive warm; and they need a well established brood and hive that is healthy so that the stress of winter does not reduce the hive in number any more than is necessary.

A “warm day opportunity” and a warm day in winter is looked upon as an opportunity for the beekeeper just as it is a cleansing time for the honey bee. This day is opportune because the beekeeper can help stack the odds in favor of his or her bees by giving them a supplemental feeding and it gives him or her a chance to check on the hives to make sure the hives are faring well.

Hive One (shown in Picture 3) shows a feeder in place on top of the hive body. The bees have been using propolis to varnish the wood, cracks, and crevices carefully filling them so that no noxious life forms may live in the hive and pose a hazard to the bees. Propolis also waterproofs the inside of the hive and protects the hive from attack by invaders, such as bacteria, molds, yeasts, fungi, insects, and other pests. In the picture, notice the tops of the frames have some honeycomb being built. You’ll also see a slight sheen in the edges of the super as it aligns with the hive body. The bees have been working to seal the two boxes together. When we left the feeder in the hive and came back a few days later, we found the bees had begun to seal the feeder to the frames using propolis.

Picture 3 - Hive One showing inside of hive

Another amazing fact that Honey Bees use propolis is to encompass a large animal in the hive, such as a snake or a mouse. The bees can’t move the large animal out of the hive, so they remove body hair from the animal, cover it with propolis, and it will reduce the odor of the decaying animal as well as reduce microbial growth. This protects them and if I were to come across something like that I do believe I’d stay away from that hive. Wow!

The fascinating part of beekeeping so far has been learning how efficient the honey bee is in all things. The picture of Hive 2 (See Picture 4) shows just how busy the little ladies are even in the cold of winter. When we placed the two supers on top of the hive body to provide a place to keep the feeder when we feed, the tops of the frames were free of any honeycomb or traces of activity by the bees. If you look carefully at Picture 4, you’ll see the bees have built a lot of honeycomb and used the propolis. They only do this on warm days as when the temperature is below 50, they must tend to the brood and work their wings to circulate heat to keep the hive at a constant temperature of 92 degrees F.

Picture 4 - Hive 2 inside of the hive

Warm periods in the winter are very important for two main reasons, first the bees must periodically break the cluster they form to protect the hive and gorge on their honey stores or they will starve. It is the honey and their fat bodies that provide the energy for warming the cluster interior to the needed temperature to protect the brood. Second, a warm period provides for the cleansing flight to allow the bees to void their feces. Any older bees will be found dead on the snow after such winter flights. Because we’ve not had too much snow this year and many warm days so far, we’ve not seen that many bees perish. It doesn’t mean they haven’t, it just means we haven’t seen much evidence close to the hives. Since the ones who perish tend to be older bees, it is not a serious situation as their time with us is limited and they have already provided a great service to their colony.

Picture 5 - Hive 3 inside of the hive

Picture 5 shows the interior of Hive 3. This hive is the one mentioned earlier that we fear had a late, fall swarm. It is also our largest hive with an extra super including frames full of honey. Hobbit King and I have a bet going on. He thinks the hive is weak due to the fall swarm. I think the bees are just fine and that their number is far greater than it appears. You see, we haven’t checked down below this upper super, so we really don’t know if the lower hive body is small in number or booming with bees.  Hobbit King is currently sitting in his easy chair dreaming of how he’ll spend his winnings when we find out this spring.

Picture 6 - Hive 4 inside of hive with lots of bees - Should we be worried?

Notice how full Hive 4 looks. (See picture 6). This hive was a very weak hive, or so we thought. It is just buzzing with activity and the bees look like they are outgrowing their home. Or are they? Could they be out of food and the cluster has moved to the top? We don’t know. We will need to keep a close eye on this hive as March nears or if the weather stays warmer than normal as a swarm may happen when we are not looking or worse the little ladies could starve. It could result in us loosing our hive before we are prepared to prevent it.

It is a new year for our honey bees. They are working through the cold days to keep the hive protected and warm while preparing for the arrival of spring.

Long, cold winter days and nights are ideal for beekeepers to talk and read about bees. Hobbit King and I are making plans and goals for beekeeping chores to come this spring. January is a good time to reflect on how the hives did the previous year and assemble or repair beekeeping equipment. It is also a great time to attend a beekeeper meeting. We’ll “bee” going to our MEBA meeting in a few weeks. Until then, reflect on your past year, ponder what changes you need to make, prepare for spring arrival, and learn from the honey bee!

Always with Honey Cheers,
Hobbit Queen

P.S. Be sure to vote if you like this blog post. It sure helps with the ranking. And, sign-up to follow along…Happy Cleansing Flights To You!

Honey Bee foraging on cherry blossom - March 2011

Hopes for spring are in our hearts. This honey bee is forging on a cherry tree blossom. In the spring, the tree hums with the sound of hundreds of honey bees as well as other nectar loving flying insects. We are looking forward to seeing these blossoms again in 2012.

So far, we’ve not had the snow cover we had by this time last year. The picture below was taken on December 8, 2010:

Backyard view with temperature at 20 degrees F - Burrrrrr!

The bees are staying in their hives as the temperature is staying below 50 degrees F. We hope the winter stores of honey are holding up.

Miss Beehaven with Hobbit Queen will be on holiday break. We will return with more beekeeping tales to share sometime the week of January 09, 2012.

Until then, may the time of the season be a blessing to you and your family and may your wishes for the new year be all that you hope for and more!

Honey Cheers to you and yours!
Hobbit Queen

Well, we learned….

Everything, but still not enough!

Yep, that just about sums it up…we learned so much, yet we feel as though we know nothing…kinda like being a parent the first time.

These first six months of honey bee keeping have been one of mixed emotions, frustrations, and pure joy.

The initial days of starting out and tending to the bees were not so bad. We took the plunge and began to put into practice all the things we learned from reading and hearing advice of fellow beekeepers.

After we gave the bees an initial sugar syrup feed to help them begin to adjust and to reduce the shock of the move to their new hives, it seemed that within hours the bees had devoured the sweet juice and were happily on their way to living at Hobbit’s Bend.

Hobbit King and I wondered if we should feed them more as we weren’t certain just how much they should receive. Everyone we talked with shared we were fine and advised us to wait and feed them in a couple of days. That was so hard to do. As a parent you always want your children to eat and be healthy. For us to not feed the bees almost seemed as though we were being bad parents. We had to remind ourselves that the point of feeding them is to encourage the bees to begin foraging and learning about their new surroundings. One of the biggest problems for us was timing — due to it being the end of May, there was not enough good foraging plants in bloom when we received the bees to make it easy for them to bring back pollen and nectar.

I worried the bees would starve before they even had a chance. Hobbit King reminded me that the bee hives had four frames of food and brood. He assured me that the bees would be fine and we were doing all that we could do. Yeah, I’m that type of parent. Some would say a “worry wart.” I reluctantly relaxed and decided to wait and see.

The full frame of capped honey (See Picture 1) was shown to us this past February during a honey bee class. It shows what we needed to see in our hives by the end of the summer or as early in the summer as possible. The more capped honey, the more stores, and the more likely the bees will make it through the winter.

Picture 1: Fully capped honey frame ready for bees to eat or to be extruded

We also need to have a healthy set of brood to carry the hive on. Remember, a summer honey bee lives only for about 27 to 30 days. So, the queen must lay eggs often in order to have a steady supply of honey bees to come along throughout the summer season to keep the hive viable.

Picture 2: Two frames showing honey being placed around the brood section of the frame

When bees begin to work a frame, they initially build out the honey comb (See Picture 3 of “new” frame in early stages being worked). After the honey comb is developed, the bees begin to work part of the hive for storing honey to feed the brood as the babes begin to emerge and the queen will lay the brood in an arching pattern on the lower two-thirds of the frame. (See Picture 2 for examples).

Picture 3: New frame beginning to be worked by bees.

 The foundation will be “extruded” by the honey bees into a hexagonal comb.

After adapting to opening the hives and learning to check them, you can see the difference between the honey and the brood. Picture 4 shows the bees capping the honey for storage. The white caps are what will be eaten away when the bees begin to delve into their stores during winter. While in Picture 5, the capped cells are brood cells. If you look closely, you can even see where some larva are starting to emerge as “new” bees.

Picture 4: Honey being capped

Picture 5: Brood and new bees emerging

The bees work so hard to prepare each cell and to manage the honey stores as well as tend to the emerging bees. There are two distinct groups of bees that conduct these chores. The worker bees are those who tend to the honey, while the nursery bees tend the brood. In Picture 6, you can see them working and almost can see their different efforts.

Picture 6: One frame showing two different groups of bees working. Notice the honey cells full of honey prior to being capped.

The queen is typically marked with a dot of color on her back to make it easy to spot here when checking hives. This is generally done with a marking pen in the beginning of the season or when a new queen is placed into the hive. The queen shown in Picture 7 is working at laying a brood while the bees around her are tending to the brood cells as well as tending to her. Generally, a cluster of bees are assigned to tend the queen by feeding, grooming, and general protection of her as she goes about her work.

Picture 7: Queen with yellow marker on her back

Picture 8: The Queen is slowly filling in the brood chamber area of a hive. Notice the honey capped above and the comb worked out of the foundation down near the bottom edge

Picture 8 shows a frame where the honey has been placed and position to allow for the brood to be laid by the queen and worked by the nursery bees. If you look to the far right of the picture, you can see the brood section slowly being worked across the frame. Notice how the comb has been built on the foundation. You can see the hexagonal pattern the bees formed when they first built out the comb from the foundation.

So far, the hardest part of learning about being a honey bee keeper is keeping my hands out of the hives and leaving the lovely ladies alone to do their thing. They are so fascinating to watch and I find each time we check the hives that I just want to sit and watch them.

Now that it is winter, we don’t go into the hives unless it is a warm day, and then we are very quick to get in and out. We hope the day will warm enough this weekend that we can provide the ladies with some sweet syrup support.

Honey Cheers To You and Yours!
Hobbit Queen

I wasn’t there when it happened, I wasn’t on this planet when America’s soul was rocked by the tragedy. But, I was here on September 11, 2001. That is solidly engrained in my memory along with the assassination of President Kennedy, landing on the moon, the explosion of the Challenger, and a few other personal episodes.

The life and death of too many souls is part of the life and death cycle of the great plan. Though I’ve learned about the life of Christ, the meaning of Christmas, and hold the belief that there is a greater power, I find myself questioning all my beliefs when someone close to me passes on.

Remembering Pearl Harbor is one of those moments when I stop and reflect what kind of difference am I making in the world and I think of those who’ve touched my life and are no longer with me this day. One such lady, was a colleague, friend, mentor, and the ultimate school teacher. She left us here on Earth many years ago, but while she was here she definitely made her mark. She left me with the strong need to always remember Pearl Harbor and the sacrifice of others. She did it very quietly. She wore a Pearl Harbor pin. A quiet statement that spoke volumes. I don’t have a pin to wear, but I do have a “pen” to make a quiet statement.

Those who died during Pearl Harbor, those who died in the battles to bring justice after the Pearl Harbor strikes, and those who have since died in the varied wars, I salute them and praise them for the dedication and service to our country. In the same way, I salute and praise for the safe return of those now serving our country in harm’s way. They do what no one else is willing or are able to do. THANK YOU!

Now, you’re asking, what does this have to do with honey bees? Well, directly, not much. You can, however, find a parallel connection if you look.

This time of year is hard for the honey bee. The changing weather, drops in temperature, and the uncertainty of each hour, let alone the next day are all part of a honey bee’s life and death cycle during the winter months.

The other day, the weather was not quite up to 55 degrees F. Bees die when the temperature drops below 55 when they wonder out of the warmth of the hive. To my surprise, while looking over the hives, I noticed a little bee come out of one the hives and she suddenly stopped and died. I felt my heart cringe. Here was a bee that was either leaving the hive because she was old or she was a young bee heading out and fell prey to the cold. I wondered why would the bee come out of the hive to die if it could have stayed in the warm to survive.

I watched a nearby hive and saw several more bees emerge and two fly off. I wondered if they would be coming back or also die in the cold. And then it occurred to me. They were scouts. It is their job to sacrifice and to determine if they can forge for food. Honey bees use a tremendous amount of energy (food stores) to keep the hive at a constant 92 degrees F to protect their brood (the young). They must replenish those stores or starve. Starvation is the number one killer of honey bees in the winter.

As I stood there I recognized the parallels between our dedicated servicemen and women and their need to protect us and our way of life with that of the honey bee. I saw the valor in those honey bee scouts. I saw the connections and the cycle of life. I abhor war. I have a great distaste for those who want to covet what we have and are not willing to work hard for their own rewards and support what we have built over the two hundred thirty-five or so years of this countries existence.

Its been said by many that if we don’t know our history, we are doomed to repeat it. Honey bees protect themselves from failures learned by passing on knowledge through their gene pool, use of hormones, and educating their young through dance. The more I learn about the honey bee, the more I realize how much we should work at protecting them, studying them, and passing on what we learn from them.

Our challenge this winter is to make it through with all four hives intact. Statistics tells us that we should be happy if we make it through with 50% of our hives. I’m hoping we beat the odds.

We have spent the past five months working hard to help prepare our ladies for the harsh time of winter.  We treated them against the horrible varroa mite and other ravaging diseases. We helped them build their stores of food to the recommended 60  lbs. of honey in their frames. One way we did this was by choosing not to rob them this first year in order that they would have enough to make it through the winter. We will provide them with supplemental food when the weather allows. We placed a wind break around the hives to reduce the strong winds that blow through the bottom land. And, we will watch them through the winter months and pray they are able to survive in spite of all the various dangers that lurk in their environment, such as  bears.

Beehives ready for winter

During this glorious Christmas season, I am thankful for Hobbit King, his wisdom to encourage us to take up the hobby of beekeeping, and the courage to include me in that endeavor. I’m also indebted to you, my reader. I hope this little blog has been helpful at sharing with you the value of the honey bee and how you, too, can make a difference by doing the little things that will help keep our environment and the world a little safer and healthier.

May you and yours have a blessed Christmas and a glorious Happy New Year!

Always with Honey Cheers,
Hobbit Queen

Just where does time go?

How do I begin to catch you up on all of the happenings of honey bee life here on Hobbit’s Bend?

When we received our bees, it was wonderful to see them become acclimated to their new homes. Four hives! Four hives with 20,000 to 30,000 bees each, and each with a lovely queen.

Beehives with Bee Nucs - Waiting

Notice the bee nucs sitting on top of each hive. This is to let the little ladies get used to the idea of their new environment.

Aligning beehive frames using spacers

In this hive, the four “nuc” frames have been removed from the nuc box and placed into the hive. Next, the frames are spaced using special spacers to align the frames, which allows the honey bees to have the correct amount of space to continue to build and fill out each frame in the hive.

The nuc box is placed at the entrance to the hive in order to allow the lingering bees to move into the hive. The bees follow the scents and smells of their fellow bees and cluster at the entrance.

Nuc Box placed at entrance of bee hive

Below, you see Hobbit King brushing the bees into their new hive. After you place the four frames from the nuc into the hive, the brushing helps those lingering bees leave  the box.

Brushing lingering bees from nuc box into hive

Here you see the little ladies moving into their new home. Notice how they are clustering around the opening. They are also checking each other out, touching antennae, and brushing up against one another.

Honey Bees checking out their new crib

In this picture, you will notice bees are clustered around a small box with a screen on it. This is how the bees get to know their queen. When a  queen is placed in the hive, she is generally in a small box with a screen. On one end of the box is a hole covered with a piece of sugar candy. The bees eat away at the candy and in doing so, it helps the bees get acquainted with the queen and her hormones. This way the bees bond and become one unit. When the candy is eaten through, the queen moves out of the little box and into the hive and begins her daily work of laying the brood

New Queen Introduction to a bee hive

After repeating the above process three more times, we then placed the yellow syrup feeders on each hive in order to provide the bees with a little shot of food until they have time to learn where the flowers, pollen, and nectar are located within their foraging areas.

Hives at the ready - Honey Bees new homes at Hobbit's Bend

Each hive has a yellow sugar syrup container,  four frames of honey bees (~about 20,000 to 30,000), and a queen.

We now sit back to see how it goes…

I hope you find this information helpful and you are able to learn more about the lovely honey bee and all of her habits.

In my next post, I’ll share various encounters we had during the summer, along with the trials, tribulations, and a few challenges. Learning to be a honey beekeeper has taught me one very valuable lesson – Patience! I’m learning to let go of my “Type A” way of life. I’m learning to be more relaxed, thoughtful, and strive to live a  purposeful  life. These last six months, I have come to cherish my time with the honey bees and have enjoyed each encounter with awe and wonder.  It is hoped that the reading of this blog brings some of that experience to life for you.

Honey Cheers to You and Yours,

Hobbit Queen

PS: Please remember to vote and let me know what you think…Here’s to blogging again!

Timing is indeed everything. We received our four nucs late yesterday evening between rain storms.

This morning we transferred them to their new homes and provided them with some sugar syrup to help them get started as the weather has been so bad with the rains and cold days that not much is available in the nearby area for them to forage. We hope the sun stays out like it is today so the lovely ladies will have a chance to get acquainted with all they have to eat near by.

To top it off, I must leave for Maryland in about 20 minutes. I still have to pack and change from my beekeeper’s clothes.

So, short note to tell you the stories I’ll have to share will only get better. It was a good thing Hobbit King and I went to the Mountain Empire Beekeeper’s Workshop yesterday as we got our hands into opening a hive. That gave us great practice before we got into our hives on our own this morning. I’ll share all as soon as I return from my business trip.

Later dear ones! Here’s to New Bees Everywhere!!

Honey Cheers,
Hobbit Queen

Spring at Hobbit's Bend

Hobbit King and I have been busy preparing for their arrival. We finished decorating the last hive and now have all hives in place with their frames prepped.

Queen in waiting...

We decided to go with nine frames in each hive for each colony to live. Our Bee Mentor shared that some people use eight frames, while others use ten frames. He recommends nine frames due to the ease of being able to move the frames without it being too tight or too loose inside the box when working with active bees.

Listening to our fellow beekeepers, members of the Mountain Empire Beekeepers Association, and our Mentor, we decided to purchase nucs of bees instead of packages. We’ll receive four nucs (i.e., short for colony nucleus). Each nuc will contain about 20 to 30,000 bees and a queen with four frames. The nucs will come in cardboard hives ready for us to transfer into each hive. We have five frames already prepared and ready in each hive. Because the queen comes acclimated with the nuc colony, there is no need to allow for the bees to accept the queen, as she is already part of the family. We felt using nucs would be one less worry as “newbee” beekeepers.

Hive stand ready to receive hive

Placing bottom board with hive screen

Hive body (also called Brood Chamber) with four frames

Notice that the four frames have been prepared with foundation and are now ready to receive the nuc.

Honey Super in place on top of the Hive Body with frames

The frames in the Honey Super are in place and the worker bees will use the nine frames to collect honey for the colony. Later, when the colonies have matured and begun to grow, the worker bees will fill the super. At some point, we will add a second honey super. This second honey super will be where the honey we get to have will be stored. The placing of the second honey super all depends on the nectar flow and how well our bees do this year. In most cases, we’ve been told not to expect to get honey the first year for our personal use.

Inner cover on the hive

Notice the slit in the inner cover. It is designed to help provide ventilation to the bees by helping the worker bees cool the hive when temperatures increase.

Outer cover on hive

Inserting hive entrance reducer

The entrance reducer is generally used during the winter to help keep the hive warm and to reduce the chance of small animals and other invaders attacking the hive. We placed the reducer in the hive to protect it until our honey bees arrive to keep invasive bees from taking up residence.

The finished hive ready to be secured in place

Hobbit King decided to strap the hive in order to prevent wind damage. We have such horrible winds through our valley. We will be placing a wind break in the next week to help with the wind.

Strapping the hive in place

All four hives ready to receive their colonies

Now we wait to begin the art of beekeeping!!!

We are so excited and are counting the days. In future blogs you’ll hear about our trials and tribulations as we learn how to care for these lovely ladies.

Yesterday, while walking around the farm, I saw a variety of bees out foraging. There was an abundance of bumble bees on the wisteria and I saw several small flying insects that were black in color working the dandelions and other small wild flowers. I’m not sure the black insects were a type of bee or even a honey bee. I haven’t seen any honey bees (e.g., Italian) since our last cold spell when they were working the Weeping Cherry tree. I hope they made it through the sudden temperature drop.

It won’t be long we’ll be seeing our bees setting up homes and out foraging here on the farm at Hobbit’s Bend…

Have a glorious Easter and a joyful spring time!

Honey Cheers,
Hobbit Queen

For instances, “…on average  a worker will die after flying about 800 kilometers (480 miles).”  Four hundred-eighty miles! Wow…I’m happy I find time to walk 1-mile a day (365 miles/year). The worker honey bee does 480 miles in its short life of 30 or so days. What is even more amazing is that the reason the worker bee only lasts 480 miles is that “at this point the cells are worn out and have accumulated a sufficient quantity of waste material that they cannot function properly.” It raises the question just what do honey bees do?

The seasons of a honey bee do not exactly align with a humans. The typical four seasons for a honey bee cycle similar to the following:

• Mid to late January begins a honey bee’s spring — early warm days, the bees begin building brood and foraging as warm days permit
• Spring continues until about late April – early May
• Summer for the honey bee begins mid to late May through early to late July– this is when the largest majority of the flowers of nectar and pollen are producing
• Fall soon comes with mid to late August through Mid-October
• Winter begins to keep the bees in the hive mid-October through mid January

(NOTE: This cycle is common for the Appalachian region and is one example of the season cycle for a honey bee. The region or portion of the world where a honey bee lives will obviously adjust this cycle as it is dependent on the temperature and weather.)

The life (~four to six weeks) of a spring honey bee (those produced in the spring) depends on what she does. Worker bees spend about half their life (~15 days) tending the hive and the remaining half foraging. “Foraging takes much  more energy than does in-hive work.”

You might wonder why honey bees don’t just tend the hive as much as they can. In-hive work totally depends on the quality of the hive and the nectar and pollen flow. If there are plenty of worker bees to care for the brood, the honey bee worker knows she is not needed. If there is no storage space for the foraging collection, then the worker bees will not forage. It is a balancing act  to care for the hive and those lovely ladies just know to do only what is needed when it is needed.

What about the male bees you ask? Well, the drone (male bee) doesn’t really work at all. He flies around for a few hours hoping to mate with the Queen, but then if he doesn’t, he continues flying a round until worker bees refuse to feed him in the fall and boot him out of the hive.  His life cycle is extremely small. The Queen on the other hand, has it pretty good. She can live several years, mates once, and lays eggs the rest of the time. Evidently, the production of eggs doesn’t harm the bee’s body cells as foraging and cleaning seem to do to the worker bee.

Diseases and infestations of mites also determine how long worker bees live “…because it may be sufficiently debilitating to reduce the length of life.” The good news is that a good “…honey flow will do much to cure or improve a disease situation in a honey bee colony…” by giving the hive a chance to rid the hive of those bees that are ill. The worker honey bees fly out to forage and the stress of the forage adds to the exhaustion causing them to die away from the hive, thus doing a natural cleansing of the hive.

Winter bees are those bees born in the fall and will survive through much of the winter (~four to five months) as their work requirements are all within the hive. There is no foraging as when a bee flies out into weather colder than 50° F, she will die.  And, a winter bee’s body is designed differently for the work of winter, which is limited feeding of the brood (the brood is also at its smallest size) and mainly their function is to keep the hive warm and the brood protected.

The work level of the honey bee is unlike us humans, as a honey bee ages, she does not reduce her performance level even up until the day she dies. She produces as much for the hive as she can and makes her life be the most productive.

Lessons, we as humans, can surely learn. In the past, those of us aging and moving into the later years of life that have worked hard during the younger years have often looked upon the days of retirement with glee. We saw it as an opportunity to kick back and enjoy our labors. But, now that those days are dawning closer, what I find is that as many of us (me and my friends included) become more in number of “the age of retirement” and less in “the age of youthfulness,” we are not retiring. News reports state it is because of the need for income, which is part of the issue. The other issue, at least, I believe at this point, is the desire to still be productive and needed. Much like the honey worker bee. We want to be useful to our “colony.”

There are examples of where making a difference in the human world is becoming more a part of society, an expectation, and less of an “option” thing that you might decide to do. Leaders of the U. S. have begun to model this approach. I think of Presidents who have left office to go on and do humanitarian deeds, such as Carter, Bush the First, and Clinton. These and many other individuals of the baby boomer age are doing what they can to make a difference. Yet, it is not all of us. The more we can do (being such a large population) the more difference we can make. It’s work thinking about.

UPDATE of HIVE Building at Hobbit’s Bend

It is hoped we will acquire our bees the end of April or first week of May. Hobbit King and I have been working very hard at getting the hives ready. Princess Daughter helped so much sketching out the basic design, while I worked to finalize the decorations. We have two hives completed and staged on the stands. Two more hives are being readied for placement. The following pictures show the design of two of the hives as we move closer to receiving the nucs:

Hive One ready to receive nuc...painted by Hobbit Queen

Hive Two ready to receive nuc...painted by Hobbit Queen

The next two pictures show honey bees actively foraging on a Japanese Weeping Cherry Tree  today (4-03-2011) during a wonderful spring day with no too much breeze. I wish you could hear the sound of the hum of the tree as it was covered with bees working away. You kind of “hear” how hard they work.  

Honey Bees foraging on Cherry Tree 4-03-2011

Honey Bees Foraging -- Another View

Hobbit King and I have purchased our beekeeper’s suits. Here is one picture of the suit being modeled for you. We’re not sure how long we’ll wear the pants, but for now, we thought we’d try using them as honey and propolis stains clothes and is very hard to remove. This particular suit fits over our working clothes, so it makes it nice to slip in and out when working ont he hives. We’ll see how well we do using them.

Suited up for Beehiving...

 I have a horrible case of claustrophobia and so being able to put on the complete suit is a major step forward for me. Please send me good luck on being able to overcome my fears. I know, I shouldn’t have the issue, but alas I do. Send good vibes anyway. Please!

Spring is coming to the mountains and it is exciting. Here’s hoping you have an awesome week and all your spring wishes come true!

Honey Cheers,
Hobbit Queen

The honey bee is plagued with its own fair share of troubles. The Mid-Atlantic Honey Beekeepers Pest Management Guide of 2008 states,  “Currently, the most serious arthropod pests of honey bees in the mid-Atlantic states are varroa mites and small hive beetles, although the latter have not been as prevalent in recent years. Minor pests include tracheal and external mites, bee lice, wax moths, and other nuisance pests, such as ants, other bees, dragonflies, earwigs, hornets, roaches, termites, and wasps.” 

And, we haven’t even mentioned the long list of diseases or huge animals, such as the bear and humans, who rob the honey from the honey bee after its long labor.

During our last beginner’s class, our instructor shared some general management activities that occur at different times of the year depending on the location of a colony and its requirements. The management duties typically include disease and parasite control, swarm prevention, adding additional honey supers for surplus honey storage, honey collection and processing, colony splits, re-queening, and colony winterization. In late winter and early spring, the apiarist’s chief concern is ensuring colony survival. It is vital that the colony grows rapidly in the spring, but does not swarm.

In early to mid-summer, supers should be added to encourage surplus honey production. Finally, in the late summer and early autumn, beekeepers should replace the queen (if necessary), treat for mites and diseases, and help the colony prepare for winter. A lot to do to help the honey bee make it.

The most daunting of all the duties is that of pest management and disease prevention. Every experienced beekeeper I’ve discussed this with has said to take it slow, not to worry about what you can or can’t do, stick it through, and basically keep the chin up. Sounds like a good coaching talk just before you go in for battle. And battle it is…

The following is another exert from the Pest Management Guide:

“Pesticides are usually administered to treat honey bee diseases or parasites in early spring, late summer, or early fall. Most pest control measures are centered around mitigating Varroa destructor, the exotic ectoparasitic mite of bee brood and adults. Varroa mites are typically controlled in the late summer or early fall using pesticide strips (e.g., Apistan or Checkmite+), which are hung in the brood chamber and pose little risk of pesticide exposure. However, strips must be removed after approximately 50 days and at least four weeks before honey production. Chemical-resistant gloves should be worn when handling the plastic strips.

Two other pesticides, ApiLife VAR and Sucrocide, are used to control varroa mites with variable success. Although Sucrocide is harmless to humans, goggles and waterproof gloves should be worn when applying ApiLife VAR. Small hive beetle adults may be controlled at any time during the year by placing Checkmite+ strips under a piece of plastic cardboard on the bottom board of the hive. In addition, the soil surrounding the hives may be treated using Gardstar 40EC to control pupating hive beetles. Apiarists should follow label directions and wear chemical-resistant gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and waterproof shoes to avoid pesticide exposure.

 In the early spring or late fall, colonies may be treated with the antibiotics oxytetracycline and fumagillin to control foulbrood diseases (both American and European foulbrood) and nosema disease, respectively. Potential hazards to antibiotic-sensitive workers should be recognized and may be reduced by wearing personal protective equipment. Tracheal mites are controlled in the late summer or early fall using menthol crystals contained in screen packets on frames at the top of the hive. There is little risk from exposure to menthol, but gloves should be worn as a precaution. Currently, tracheal mite treatments are recommended only if analyses indicate a mite problem.”

Amazing. I wonder if I should acquire a degree in chemistry. The above is important for a beginning beekeeper, as my self, to know. But, I find myself extremely saddened by the realization that the honey bee is one step away from total wipe out by all that want and need its food supply or want to feed on its body. I’m saddened that it takes powerful chemicals to keep some pests or diseases at bay. I’m saddened that many times the honey bee looses out. I’m saddened that some beekeepers do not practice good pest management and it has resulted in the rest of us having to deal with the consequences. Kind of sounds familiar doesn’t it? We humans reap the rewards of ill-fated or ill-gotten goods all the time.

Unfortunately, since living on this planet, I’ve learned there are groups of humans who are out for what they can get at any cost in many areas of our world today. It also seems that there are other humanitarians trying to save the planet, sometimes at any cost as well. I read a great line in regards to the advances made with technology and science. It went something like this, “Should we, just because we can.”

Should we, just because we can. What a profound statement to consider. It reminds me of the Golden Rule. You know the one I mean, “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.” With these two mantras at our beck and call, I wonder how the world would change if all of us truly practiced the meaning behind the words.

Current research is showing that the honey bee is able to adjust its life duties based on the needs of the colony. Remember how Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, gave his life. He said as he lay dying, “Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” and Kirk responded, “Or the one.” The honey bee always takes care of the colony. How many humans take care of the whole population? How many humans take care of their single family? How many humans take care of only themselves?

Honey bees must work against a lot of different events that work against them, yet they persist. And, now humans are taking a step into the realm of replacing the loyal honey bee with “Robo Bees.” Yep, you read it correctly.  The following is from the Micro Air Vehicle Project at the following website http://robobees.seas.harvard.edu/:

“INSPIRED by the biology of a bee and the insect’s hive behavior … We [Micro Air Vehicle Project] aim to push advances in miniature robotics and the design of compact high-energy power sources; spur innovations in ultra-low-power computing and electronic “smart” sensors; and refine coordination algorithms to manage multiple, independent machines.

Coordinated agile robotic insects can be used for a variety of purposes including:

•  
  • autonomously pollinating a field of crops;
  • search and rescue (e.g., in the aftermath of a natural disaster);
  • hazardous environment exploration;
  • military surveillance;
  • high resolution weather and climate mapping; and
  • traffic monitoring.

These are the ubiquitous applications typically invoked in the development of autonomous robots. However, in mimicking the physical and behavioral robustness of insect groups by coordinating large numbers of small, agile robots, we will be able to accomplish such tasks faster, more reliably, and more efficiently.”

 My response: “Should we just because we can?“

It really is a hard knock life!

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Update on Preparation for the arrival of our Honey Bees

Hobbit King and I took a break from working on the beehives and spent the last two weeks building a new greenhouse. We are very proud of it. Hobbit King has worked hard to get it ready so we can start our seeds for planting a vegetable and flower garden.

View of greenhouse and garden - March 19, 2011

Several of you have been very kind at passing along links to articles. I’ll spend this next week doing what I can to read over them. Thank you so much for your interest and support!

Here’s hoping your spring brings you great joy, more laughter, and fewer worries about where our world is headed. Here’s hoping the honey bees have a truly wonderful year! 

Honey Cheers,
Hobbit Queen

This is IT!! The Memetastic Award

THANKS Sandra! (Red Cheeks with Honey Cheers!)

Like so many before me who have walked down the hallowed halls of the golden statue, I, too, accept this awesome award. And, now I must follow the rules, which are:

1. You must proudly display the absolutely disgusting graphic in a post – Check
2. You must list 5 things about yourself, and 4 of them must be bold-faced lies. Your readers are to guess which one is the truth by posting a comment on your blog. – Check
3. You must pass this awesomely, prestigious award on to 5 deserving bloggers. – Check

 Five things about myself, one of which is actually true:

1.  I let over 60,000 honey bees fly and land on my body and almost made it into Guinness Book of World Records for “Most Bizarre Events.” The publishers decided since it was not 100,000 bees, I was disqualified.
2. I once saw a man sleeping on the streets of San Francisco. It was painful to look at him, as I believe he was dead.
3. I once got to sit on the lap of a famous rock-n-roll star, who shall remain nameless. He was extremely cute and let me sit there a very long time.
4. I once hitch-hiked across the French/German border, in the company of another American, and we were picked up by a carload of Algerians. The border guards had no idea what to make of us.
5. I took a mind-control class in college one semester, in which I learned how to control my mind as well as everybody else’s mind! Yep, you voted correctly, just like I thought.

Now, I will pass this award on to the following lucky recipients. Can I have a drum roll please? Are you ready? I’m excited. I feel like I’m giving away a Gold Statue! **

1. Rosa Lee Jude, from Twist of a Tale

2. Angel in Training from The Accidental Psychic

3. Fog City Bees from Fog City Bees

4. Krista and Jess from Us Two and Our Motley Crew

5. Book Club Cheerleader from The Book Club Cheerleader

Be sure to vote and choose which is true!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day…Here’s some Irish Cheers with Honey for YOU!

Hobbit Queen