Last Friday, I took a trip to a honeybee farm about 3 hours from home to pick up my 2 boxes of honeybees that I had ordered a couple of months ago. This was not without a heavy load of anxiety and trepidation. With Mr. Dodson gone, I knew I was completely on my own. I could not fathom the experience of traveling 3 hours with 30,000 honeybees in my car. My fear level was pretty high, I must admit. My daughter, The Teacher, said it was like a Fear Factor episode! (But I didn’t win a million dollars). Thank goodness it was a beautiful, sunny, “sapphire throne” kind of day and I focused on prayer and scripture all the way to the farm and back. It’s amazing (although it shouldn’t be) how prayer and scripture meditation bring peace (that surpasses all understanding). So a focus primarily on Philippians 4:13 and Philippians 4:6-7 brought me (through the Holy Spirit) the peace I needed to get through that journey. I got home that evening, donned my bee suit, and placed the bees into 2 hives; one a traditional Langstroth hive and the other, a new top bar hive. I think Mr. Dodson would have been proud of me.
I guess I should explain that you buy bees by the “package”, which is a 3 pound wooden box with screened sides that allow the bees to breath. There is even sugar water inside that they eat until they get installed into their new homes. Also inside the box, is a queen in a tiny wooden/screened cage that protects her from being killed by the other bees and gives them time to get used to her and accept her as their queen.
I am now the proud owner of 2 honeybee hives. I learned in my “bio-dynamic” beekeeping classes at Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary that it’s a good idea to name them. That way you view each hive as a single entity, one organism, or one body. Also, if a hive grows, divides, and swarms giving birth to a new hive, and you are fortunate enough and knowledgeable enough to capture it, you should name the new hive with the first letter of the old hive. For example, the honeybee sanctuary had multiple hives with names starting with “S”: Susannah, Solstice, Solis, etc. The original “Susannah” had given birth to multiple swarms which were captured and placed in new hive boxes. I noticed that all the hives there had female names, I guess because of the queen mothers and also because most honeybees are female. Spikenard is a gorgeous place and I would recommend their website to find out more about their philosophies and see beautiful photos of the farm and bees.
So....
Bee-atrice and Ruth Buzzy are one week old today. I am feeding them bee tea: a mixture of honey, water, and herb tea, a recipe given by the bee instructors at the Sanctuary to strengthen the bees and the hive. Evidently, sugar water is like feeding them junk food.... go figure! We were given this bee tea to drink at Spikenard and it is delicious. The scent is fresh, floral, earthy, and sweet. Perhaps I should start drinking it!
Ruth, the top bar hive, looks really strong and active at this point. Ruth’s hive has a glass observation window which allows me to cheat a little; I can look inside her without opening her up. However, I’m a little worried about Bee-atrice in the Langstroth. Her front porch doesn’t look as busy. I will do a 10 day check soon to see if her queen is active and laying eggs.
Day 10 check: Yesterday I did the 10 day check and found that both hives are looking great! There is some gorgeous comb being made, nectar forming which will turn into honey, and larva forming. I have had to feed them 3 times so far. I was able to open them up with only a veil on (well I had on jeans and a T shirt, too). It was a gorgeous day and they were happily foraging.
I guess I should explain that you buy bees by the “package”, which is a 3 pound wooden box with screened sides that allow the bees to breath. There is even sugar water inside that they eat until they get installed into their new homes. Also inside the box, is a queen in a tiny wooden/screened cage that protects her from being killed by the other bees and gives them time to get used to her and accept her as their queen.
I am now the proud owner of 2 honeybee hives. I learned in my “bio-dynamic” beekeeping classes at Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary that it’s a good idea to name them. That way you view each hive as a single entity, one organism, or one body. Also, if a hive grows, divides, and swarms giving birth to a new hive, and you are fortunate enough and knowledgeable enough to capture it, you should name the new hive with the first letter of the old hive. For example, the honeybee sanctuary had multiple hives with names starting with “S”: Susannah, Solstice, Solis, etc. The original “Susannah” had given birth to multiple swarms which were captured and placed in new hive boxes. I noticed that all the hives there had female names, I guess because of the queen mothers and also because most honeybees are female. Spikenard is a gorgeous place and I would recommend their website to find out more about their philosophies and see beautiful photos of the farm and bees.
So....
Bee-atrice and Ruth Buzzy are one week old today. I am feeding them bee tea: a mixture of honey, water, and herb tea, a recipe given by the bee instructors at the Sanctuary to strengthen the bees and the hive. Evidently, sugar water is like feeding them junk food.... go figure! We were given this bee tea to drink at Spikenard and it is delicious. The scent is fresh, floral, earthy, and sweet. Perhaps I should start drinking it!
Ruth, the top bar hive, looks really strong and active at this point. Ruth’s hive has a glass observation window which allows me to cheat a little; I can look inside her without opening her up. However, I’m a little worried about Bee-atrice in the Langstroth. Her front porch doesn’t look as busy. I will do a 10 day check soon to see if her queen is active and laying eggs.
Day 10 check: Yesterday I did the 10 day check and found that both hives are looking great! There is some gorgeous comb being made, nectar forming which will turn into honey, and larva forming. I have had to feed them 3 times so far. I was able to open them up with only a veil on (well I had on jeans and a T shirt, too). It was a gorgeous day and they were happily foraging.
Bee-atrice and Ruth Buzzy adjusting to their new condos.
Ruth’s front porch. The Doer built the metal barrel-shaped rain roof for the hive.
This top bar hive is from BackyardHive.com. Isn’t it great?
Maybe the next post will be about Ocracoke..........
I have to restrain myself from opening them up too much. They are better off left alone (aren’t we all in some way?). It is addictive looking into the hives to see progress and I know it’s not good for the bees to be intruded upon by humans.
I guess I’m fascinated by nature. And I’m glad that I’m fascinated by it.... Nature is God’s artwork. Poetry, art, and music also fascinate me and I think they are also God’s artwork (by Man).... but nature is right outside my door, and it’s free, and it’s, well, natural... and not clothed with any twisting of humanity that is the sin nature. It seems purer in some way. Does that make sense?????
I guess I’m fascinated by nature. And I’m glad that I’m fascinated by it.... Nature is God’s artwork. Poetry, art, and music also fascinate me and I think they are also God’s artwork (by Man).... but nature is right outside my door, and it’s free, and it’s, well, natural... and not clothed with any twisting of humanity that is the sin nature. It seems purer in some way. Does that make sense?????
Maybe the next post will be about Ocracoke..........
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