A return to the bees

This season I've grown weary with all the work that's been required of me.  Everything that seemed so exciting and new in the first year of farming has shifted to feeling like heavy responsibility.  For that reason I'm sorry to admit that I've totally neglected the bees, they were on the bottom of my care list.  

My way of checking on them was noting their activity in the garden or heading out to the hive and simply putting my ear to the box and making sure they sounded active. I told this to an experienced bee keeper a few weeks ago and her response made me feel ashamed.  

The truth is I am so inexperienced in all that I'm doing, learning as I go with a book in one hand and at least 3 children trailing alongside me asking me hard questions and another 3 crying for my attention in other ways.  For that reason I'm not sure I'm an adequate care taker of anything here on the farm, nothing is allotted my full attention.

But with the bees you cannot attend to them with anything less than full presence and attention.  I knew this was a task I could not do on my own with a few children, I needed outside help.

Luckily just last week I came into contact with a woman who's been tending to bees for over 20 years and works at the MSU bee lab.  She lives only a few miles from us so we were able to set up a private consultation.  And what a difference it made!

I learned so much in the hour we spent inspecting our hive together.  So did Maryanna and William.  I learned the gentle speed at which to move and speak when opening the hive, how to properly operate a smoker, to use a turkey feather for brushing instead of a bee brush, and what signs to look for.

I have a Warre' hive , the bees build their own comb down the bar.  It differs from a Langstroth hive where there are frames set in for the building of comb and honey.  Right now I have just one hive but I have intention of adding a Langstroth hive in the future so I can experience both and decided what direction to continue with.  Some claim that the Warre' hive is more ecologically friendly and better for the overall health of the hive and Langstroth may cost more to set up but definitely produces more honey.  I personally lean in both directions.  

The bees were gentle and upon opening the hive I fell in love all over again.  It is hard to describe the energetic experience of interacting with the bees, for me it is as soothing and sweat inducing as yoga.     

We discussed propolis, the sealant produced by the bees, it has amazing healing properties and can also be misused.  In the natural world of healing many believe anything "natural" is harmless but the truth is all things must be used with wisdom and discretion.  I am happy this woman discussed this important message with me because another bee keeper misled me into believing we should collect and consume as much propolis as we could.

On the top we see the white pupa of a drone (male bee).  It looked good, no sign of mites.

Below you ca see the pattern in which the comb is built.  The holes vary in size for different laying needs.

We were not able to locate the queen but did see new larvae which is a sign that she is active in the hive.

Below you can see the even laying pattern.  That also is a sign of a strong hive.

I have three boxes on right now.  The top box is ready to harvest, we know that because the honey is capped.  The honey is capped when it reaches a moisture level of %17 and if it is harvested before that it will ferment.  

The middle box is actively used for brooding right now and the comb is just getting started in the bottom box.  I just ordered some new top bars and will replace them in the top box when I harvest the honey.

We broke off a piece of the capped honey and it was sweet with such richness you could not take but one bite.  We were all licking our fingers and chewing on the wax - what a treat!  Looking forward to many more peaceful afternoons attending to the hive.