The Wally-Gee Bee Journey 🐝

[5Australorpasaures]

I did a quick check this past Saturday. The new deeps I added on both hives have 4 good, fat drawn frames and they are working on the other 5 fast and furious. If they can continue this pace the deep supers will be full or close to it by end of June. I know it sounds like I’m counting my chickens before they hatch, but it’s really more of an “if this, then that” kind of thing. We should easily surpass 10 gallons of honey this year.

Bees are now working the Cranberry Blossoms hard coming in with full baskets of pollen and others must be finding nectar as they have no pollen. I too will be pulling 2 mediums each off the established hives the way things are looking. Roughly 160 to 180 lbs +/- either direction the deeps are for them through the dearth. The split I did is booming and I'm going to drop a medium of foundation on them this wkend. Still have them on supplemental syrup and honey which they've slowed down on but still taking the honey. Going to chk the couple up the road we are helping and see how they're doing. Two wks ago numbers were improving nicely for them in the iffy NUC. Gotta love the Spring.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

We're hoping we (finally!) get some honey this year. I keep hearing at the bee club meetings about the horrors of processing honey in the kitchen. Honey. Everywhere.

But we don't really have any other place that would have all the useful things that a kitchen has. Flat spaces to put things on. Hot water. Electricity.

I think we're going to do it in the kitchen, and just cover as much as possible with plastic.

Any tips and tricks?

When we had just the one hive we did the kitchen. I had our decapping tub made and the extractor. Used a serrated long blade bread knife and scratcher to decap. Our only mess was the drip from the gate on the 5 gal bucket when bottling. We just put some cardboard on the floor to catch the drip. You're not going to avoid sticky fingers and hands no matter what you do. I would ask club members if any one had a small extractor you could use. Also if they do when you move your decapped frame to the extractor put a pot or bowl under it so honey doesn't drip on the floor from the frame on to the floor 'cause it will. Nytril gloves are an option but still get sticky.

 

[Sally PB]

I appreciate the info!

I was figuring we would put plastic sheeting over the floor, but I like the idea of cardboard better. Maybe the drips would be more visible, so we could avoid stepping in them?

We have an extractor; it came with all the stuff we got when we bought the used equipment. 2 frame, tangential, hand crank.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

I appreciate the info!

I was figuring we would put plastic sheeting over the floor, but I like the idea of cardboard better. Maybe the drips would be more visible, so we could avoid stepping in them?

We have an extractor; it came with all the stuff we got when we bought the used equipment. 2 frame, tangential, hand crank.

Go on you tube if you don't have an extracting tub. Bee supply houses are outrageous on price as all equip you can make yourself. We bought 2 tubs at WMart and had scrap wood and various size hardware cloth from 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2" mesh took me about an hour to whip one up. Only because of mandatory coffee break.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Go on you tube if you don't have an extracting tub. Bee supply houses are outrageous on price as all equip you can make yourself. We bought 2 tubs at WMart and had scrap wood and various size hardware cloth from 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2" mesh took me about an hour to whip one up. Only because of mandatory coffee break.

Just a caution, don't decap over the kitchen sink as you probably know already, wax will clog it tighter than a rusty nut and bolt.