This picture comes to you courtesy of Todd, a fellow newbie to the world of beekeeping. He and I, along with a few others, met at Little City Farm when we attended a small workshop on beekeeping. Those few of us that went on to take a more in-depth course at the Townsend House, University … Read more
Not much happening with the bees – other than me trying to figure out what I’m going to do with them. I’ve been talking to Ken about how I should deal with the hives – well, the one hive in particular. My two hives have very different personalities, which I think can be attributed to … Read more
One of my favourite things so far about the bees – showing them off! Bees are so important to our food supply, it’s essential that as many people as possible learn why. I really enjoy taking people to see them, and explaining how they live together and stay alive, while keeping us alive as well. … Read more
The above photo doesn’t much relate to the exact topic of this post, other than to show how wonderfully peaceful the bees were before they turned into suicide bombers. The results of the penny experiment: well, I reacted more than I usually do, and I think it’s because I got so many stings at once. … Read more
So… had an eventful time in the beeyard today. Apparently bees don’t like it when you take apart their home. 8 stings today brings my running total to 10. When do I stop counting? Take my poll!!! ….in the sidebar to the right. Should I explain myself? I was on a mission to get rid … Read more
Here is a pic of my screen bottom board. Normally it’s under the brood chamber and I only see the front entrance part of it, but it’s on display here because we were cleaning the bottom board. (And by ‘we’ I mean Ken.) The screen bottom board is there to enhance the health of the … Read more
Here’s my little beekeeper smoking the bees, in her new hat and veil! I finally went and got the kids hats and veils of their own, and they enjoyed having them the last time we visited the beeyard. Especially this one. She wanted to do everything and see everything. So, she used the smoker until … Read more
The penny comes in handy again. Kid #2 ended up with a bee sting this time. This eases my mind, having both of them stung now. I’ve heard that beekeepers’ children and spouses tend to develop allergies to bee stings, due to being in contact with low levels of venom that would come off clothing … Read more
The bees were ready for a second brood chamber when we checked on Thursday, so here they are! Should make my next inspection more interesting, since I haven’t done an inspection on a double yet. I originally thought I would use only one brood chamber, because it sounded like it would be easier for me. … Read more
