🐝💗Our Backyard Beekeeping Journey!💗🐝

[drstratton]

On a cucumber blossom!

We're going to pull individual frames. Even an 8 frame deep can be heavy if it has honey in it. We know there are at least 2 fully capped frames, and I'm betting on 4, and hoping for 6. And 8...?

Hubby doesn't want to try to lift the box. He has been having some back issues, and there's no way I can lift it. Even if we both lifted, he's afraid of tweaking something, so we're going to be safe rather than sorry.

The hive is 3 deeps tall, on top of two layers of cinder blocks.

Weight and a messed up shoulder are the reasons why the president of our bee club runs all medium boxes.

We pulled out individual frames last time too. It's much easier on your body.
I'm curious to see how it goes next year when we do Demaree splits.

 

[drstratton]

Our Mimosa tree is still in full bloom.

View from the chicken pen, toward the garden and yard.

 

[drstratton]

24 hours after OAV, Varroa count:

Nuc Hive #1: 6
Nuc Hive #2: 5
Package Hive: 1
Swarm Hive: 0

I'll share pictures tomorrow. It was getting late and we have a power outage.

 

[drstratton]

The Rabbit Brush and Sagebrush are getting ready to bloom. The bees might go to them, but the buckwheat will be their preferred nectar source. It has more nutritional value.

Rabbit Brush: Not the best flavor profile for honey.

Giant Sagebrush: Better than Rabbit Brush.

We have an abundance of Sagebrush around here.

 

[Sally PB]

I hope your power came back on!

 

[R2elk]

Giant Sagebrush: Better than Rabbit Brush.

We have an abundance of Sagebrush around here.

I've never seen any honeybees on either rabbit brush or sagebrush here.

 

[drstratton]

I hope your power came back on!

Thanks, it finally did, it was out for 5.5 hours.

 

[drstratton]

I've never seen any honeybees on either rabbit brush or sagebrush here.

That's good to know. I'm going to be watching as the blooms open up to see if they go to them.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

DW has been approached by a local vender to sell our honey. Now have to go all fancy schmancy Queen Line jars and custom labels as the available ones don't do it for me. I'll do the font and art DW the computer work. DW said it's time for "your girlfriends to pay their freight". Sitting on 60 lbs and looking at another 120 lbs extraction, maybe more before the fall ends, I know DW is right. Even giving it away have way more than we will ever use. Secretly I have been thinking of this but being smart, it's DW's idea, 47 yrs has taught me something. May as well take the opportunity.

 

[drstratton]

DW has been approached by a local vender to sell our honey. Now have to go all fancy schmancy Queen Line jars and custom labels as the available ones don't do it for me. I'll do the font and art DW the computer work. DW said it's time for "your girlfriends to pay their freight". Sitting on 60 lbs and looking at another 120 lbs extraction, maybe more before the fall ends, I know DW is right. Even giving it away have way more than we will ever use. Secretly I have been thinking of this but being smart, it's DW's idea, 47 yrs has taught me something. May as well take the opportunity.

It's amazing the little tricks we learn...lol

That's an amazing harvest. I can't wait to see how we do next year. Just have to get these girls through winter. If I have to buy bees, we'll miss the apple and stone fruit bloom again.

I might sell honey next year, if we get an abundance. A lot of people have asked me.