Bee Box Post Script

They said yes!  They were enthusiastic about it.  The bee box, a Top-Bar Hive, has a home under the apple tree.  And the owners of the tree are pleased to be able support the overall welfare of the honeybee population.

Hive is now home under an ancient apple tree.

The morning sun will kiss the front door of the hive, inviting the sweeties out to soar in the morning air.   Shade is provided by the ancient apple tree from midmorning through the rest of the day.  Winter sun, when we have it, can filter through the twigs of the leafless tree.

Oden, guard of the property,
will keep the bees safe

It's been a busy day, and last of the Things I get to do today was deliver the hive to its now location.  It is beautiful in its idlic simplicity.  The swarm-lady has been notified that we are ready for the next swarm.  To be(e) continued. Blessings Be(e)!

Bee Box

Before: with 1x12 pine.  The red is propolis* left from the
first colony of honeybees.

The wood on the sides needs to be thicker.  I learned that after the first colony of bees didn't make it through the winter nearly a year and a half ago.  We think it was the cold.  1 x 12" pine lumber may not insulate enough to keep the bees alive when the temperatures really drop.

Cozy and clean and ready for a swarm

Building the top bar hive from plans took about a week in spare time.  I loved shaping the bars that hold the honey comb and the brood.  Fortunately, retrofitting the hive with another layer of 1x12 was a straightforward task of three hours because a whole week wasn't available.  The box now is nearly twice as heavy, but new occupants will be pleased, I think.

Top bars in place.

Honey Bee Things I get to do today include "torching" the inside of the hive to kill any possible micro-critters that may have bothered the bees.  All the last minute preparations for a new colony are complete except finding a place for the hive to "live."  The folks that gave me all the apples last year are my target.  I hope they say yes.



*Propolis is made by honey bees from tree buds, saps or other plant sources.  The bees use it to seal all the cracks in the hive.  They also strengthen the edges of the wax honeycomb with propolis making it strong enough to be "walked on" by all the hundreds of bees as they bring in the nectar.  Propolis is also an antimicrobial, dental antiplaque agent, and an antitumor growth agent.  In addition propolis can reduce by half the damage caused to chromosomes by ionizing radiation. Wikipedia 

Home, Sweet Home

The honeybees died.  All of them.  We don't know what the problem was, perhaps the cold we had in November.  It was about that time that activity in the hive stopped.  Postmortem for the bees and cleaning my/sister's hive is on the list of Things I get to do today.  To be quite truthful, I've been putting it off.

But the sun was eager to get up this morning--no sense of dread on her part--to shine over the whole planet with its calm and wild, its love and fear, its life and death.  So I'm on with this task.

We opened the hive, carefully removing the rain roof, the lid, and prying the top bars loose, one or two or three at a time.  Each bar held an exquisite comb, completely empty save an inch or so wide strip of wax-capped honey at the top next to the bar.  We saved all the comb on the bars to show and discuss with our honeybee mentor, looking for clues, wanting to make it better next time.

Clean hive, airing in the sun, top bar with honey added

A small handful of dead bees in a corner were scooped out and buried.  All signs of mold were washed out, and then the hive was left open to air and dry under the blessing of a radiantly blue sky and an embracing sun.

Within half an hour two or three honeybees found the open hive and came to lick off honey that we could not see.  They went home and told their colony friends.  News travels through antennae and waggle dances in the bee world, and this was the sweetest of messages.

You can see shiny honey in the dark cells.  At the top, the white area is
wax-capped, finished honey.

We brought out a bar with generous honey along the top as well as open cells of partially completed honey three or four inches down the comb. Now there was real action.

The girls are now opening the wax-capped honey.  You can see shards of wax on the floor of the hive as well
as bits of white wax in the dark cells.  All the "wet" honey in the lower cells has already been licked out.
 Very Busy Bees.

And that's the good news, the best of news:  though a colony of bees did not survive to carry on the hive, their labor is now providing magnificent food for bees from other colonies in the neighborhood at a time when there is very little to be found.  When these gals get ready to swarm, they will certainly know where a good home, sweet home is waiting.  We'll keep you posted.