Farewell Becca Bee

Becca, pictured here setting up her hive at the Hard Bargain Farm spring 2009, decided to head back home to Texas and return to school. She left her hive in Anna's care and left us all with memories of her fun and giving spirit.

Bee-utiful Indian Summer Day

The weather had turned quite chilly and rainy last week but this week we are enjoying the wonderfully warm days of Indian Summer at Hard Bargain Farm. It is all we can do to keep our minds on work and our bodies at our desks until lunch.

Yesterday we moved the picnic table out from under the shade of the grape arbor and placed it in the sunny side yard among the blooms of buttercups, the bees from my coworker's hives at work all around us.

I look forward to starting my own hive next spring. I have selected a location in my own garden where the morning sun will signal the bees to begin their day. I've designed the area to include flowers and water and it will be near enough to the porch where I may sit and observe them without interference.

I really enjoyed lunch yesterday watching the gentle bees. Tomorrow is expected to bring drizzling rain and chilly temps. Maybe I can squeeze in one last lunch with the bees today...

The ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture

The Premier Beekeeping Information Source - Forty First Edition
A Cyclopedia of Everything Pertaining to the Care of the Honey Bee Gleaned from the Experience of Thousands of Beekeepers, Honey Bee Experts and in our Own Apiary - A.I. Root 1897

Recommended by Becca and Anna as a wonderful reference to have on hand. First published in 1877 and expanded over the years as the industry developed, this book is a must-have reference containing a wealth of information and sage advice, formatted in easy-to-find encyclopedia form.

In my humble review, The ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture earns 5 stars! I was amazed as the breath of coverage in this book. Everything I need to know, including many things I didn't know I needed to know!

The Hive Arrived

At the moment it is just a pile of wood stacked in the garage.

I've told the husband it is NOT to be mistaken as kindling.

Assembly will begin this winter!

Hive is on the Way!

I ordered my hive yesterday which is a very exciting thing for me! I carefully shopped around the online suppliers taking into consideration the grades of wood used, the types of foundations offered and which configuration to use.

I decided to go with using three medium supers in place of the two deeps used at the lowest portion of the hive. The reason being that the frames and foundations will be interchangeable throughout the hive instead of needing to keep different sizes on hand for the deeps and supers. In all, I purchased five medium supers so saved a bit on the frames and foundations by purchasing those in a case of 50 each.

I decided to use nine frames per super instead of the usual 10. This allows a bit more space for the bees to draw out the combs just that much deeper resulting in more honey in those nine frames. To aid in the spacing of the nine frames I ordered special spacers that will be installed along the frame rails to keep the distance between the frames exact.

Bees respond well to beeswax foundations but the frugal side of me liked the durability of plastic foundations. I decided to order Duragilt Foundation developed by Dadant. Duragilt is beeswax bonded to a plastic foundation with metal reinforced edges so no additional cross wires are needed. It also has communication holes for bees but I have no idea yet why that will be beneficial. Still, I see Duragilt as a good investment.

The frames and supers will require assembly and painting, a good winter project but am getting them now so that I can work on it little by little as other projects allow. I stayed within my budget with the exception of the shipping charges. I wish it didn't cost so much to ship these days but it is what it is. I'm still very excited for my first hive to arrive!

Dress for Success

The first item ordered for my beekeeping kit was a veil so that I can participate as Becca and Anna maintain their hives. As for clothing, Becca recommended purchasing an inexpensive and very large pair of scrub pants as the goal is large and loose. She modified one of her husband's large white dress shirts with a strip of Velcro down the front to prevent the bees from being able to sneak in between the buttons.

The first time I visited Becca and Anna's hives I was the photographer and my veil had not yet arrived. I was wearing short pants and a sleeveless shirt. I was about as bare as I could be! While not handling the frames myself, I did get right in there to observe and the bees were not concerned with us at all.

Anna and Becca were 'sugaring' their hives, which is one of the least invasive methods of controlling Varroa Mites (I'll write more on mites in another post). Sugaring encourages the tidy bees to clean one another and thus, aids in the removal of the mites. It was rather fun watching the white, sugar coated bees that look like little ghost-bees flying around us.

In a recent trip to town I picked up a pair of scrub pants. White was sold out so I selected light green. Light colors are best when working with bees so maybe they will think the bottom half of me is a shrub.

Beekeeping for Dummies

The first book added to my bee library is Beekeeping for Dummies by Howland Blackiston. Besides an easy read, the book explains everything... and I mean everything! Fascinating things such as how the queen's pheromones control the entire well-being of the colony and a day by day description of the life of the worker bee.

I was far enough into the book that I felt as though I recognized what I was viewing when the beekeeping co-workers, Becca and Anna, invited me along as they checked in on their hives. I was delighted to see the line up of faces of the worker bees as they observed us from between the tops of the frames! (Then it was time for a little smoke to disburse them.)

In my humble review, Beekeeping for Dummies earns 5 stars. For an absolute newbie this book covers just about everything one needs to know about beekeeping, complete with helpful tips, a beekeeper's checklist and helpful resources.

With Sincere Thanks

I cannot begin this adventure without expressing my gratitude to Karen Cooksey, President of the Association of Southern Maryland Beekeepers.

Looking to borrow a box in which to re-hive the swarm, Karen generously provided everything I would need to save the bees even though she was on her way to be with her daughter who was giving birth.

While the swarm had moved on by the time I returned, I'm sure this is the humble beginnings of a long relationship with Karen and the beekeepers of Southern Maryland.

The Birth of AccoBee

My interest in beekeeping started many years ago when I was in high school. A boyfriend's father kept bees and it was there I learned how gentle these creatures truly are and first tasted honey so light and wonderful. But we all well know that over time and circumstance we set aside certain desires to get on with the business of life. I satisfied my interest in bees to enjoying the time spent at an observation hive at local fairs.

This past spring two co-workers started their own hives and I was an eager student of their progression. Thanks to a summer swarm, I readily jumped at the opportunity to re-hive the bees guided with sage advice by another co-worker and her husband (who used to keep bees). Unfortunately, the swarm moved on before they could be captured but my mind was set!

I am to become a beekeeper!