Summer Beeyard Update

It has been some time since I have updated this blog with News from the Bee Yard, so I will do one big update.

Six hives successfully overwintered and are coming along with various results. Two are going very well, or were until both hives swarmed. I have I think two or three full supers from each. The other four are doing okay - one, a swarm from last summer, is only now building up. I have supers on all six hives.

Regarding swarms, this has been a good year. I have had good success with swarm traps - five out in various spots with lemongrass oil. Captured three swarms - gave one away hived one about a month ago, and the third I am in the process of removing from the trap (looks like a large flower pot and a bit complicated to cut out the comb and put into empty frames). Just moved this swarm into a hive a few days ago and into the bee yard early this morning before they started their daily foraging. Will go back to check and feed them later today.

The bee yard is now mowed - uncovered an early-1800s stone wall at the lower end - likely build by the Skillins family before they outgrew the island and moved to Peaks Island.

Mayday Inspection

The hives are going gangbusters. Four of them are doing very well and will probably need to the split soon to keep them from swarming. Will try this in a few weeks. One of the other hives was quite ornery when I opened it - many guard bees were after me from 30 yards out and during my inspections of other hives. Tested my faith in my bee suit.

Spring is early this year so I have put supers on the four established hives. If this keeps up I should have an extraction party Fourth of July weekend. Also planning to process beeswax using my new turkey fryer.

I have put out swarm traps early this year - they were effective last summer keeping swarms out of houses. I also kept a log of where I put them so I do not forget one or two like last year.

Did some brush clearing in the bee yard to make it a bit larger and expose the old stone wall at the lower end. I do not think this helps the bees at all, but it looks tidy.

Good Friday Inspection

Did a quick trip out to feed the hives including some spring medication. All six hives are still going - four of them doing very well and the two swarms from last summer doing okay. Trees and flowers not quite in bloom so glad I was able to feed them. The bee yard looks great this time of year - the ferns at the far end are not up so the old 19th century stone wall is visible.

Turkey Fryers

I attended the Maine State Beekeepers Association annual meeting on Saturday, in Augusta. Great meeting, but I did not win any door prizes. One of the speakers, Cindy Bee, spoke about and had a demonstration of a set-up to process old wax comb scrap - put it in an old pillowcase, tie it up, and boil it in a turkey fryer with boiling water. Her observation was that the crud left behind in the pillowcase is truly disgusting and should be discarded at a distance, promptly.

So I set out to get a turkey fryer. Never heard of one, and tough to find in the northeast. I asked around. Frying turkeys is, I think, popular elsewhere, and fried turkey very tasty, and they (people elsewhere) fry lots of things, including I hear, butter. I heard that Martha Stewart described it on her show but I do not think I was among a Martha Stewart crowd at the annual bee meeting. I now recall a Mythbusters show about dropping a frozen turkey into the fryer (not recommended) and it exploding - do not know if the myth was busted or not.

I finally had success when I was told it was a lobster boiler. So I now have one and plan on harvesting beeswax this summer. My daughter Emma wants us to start Fred's Bees and do balms.

Hive Inspection - First Day of Spring!

Took advantage of unseasonably warm weather today - 60s and sunny - no snow! - to check the winter survivers. Six of the seven hives have made it so far! All the clusters were at the top of the upper deeps so they are pretty much out of honey - fed MegaBee patties which is all I had available. Seventh hive was a September swarm that did not stand a chance and looks like it died out early on.
Will try to get out to the island in two weeks to start spring feeding.

Winter Inspection

Checked in at the bee yard to see how the hives were holding up. Cold (20 F) but very little snow on the ground, although a large storm is on the way. The outer cover of one hive had blown off - fixed that. Hopefully all the hives are clustered and warm, but did not want to agitate the clusters by knocking on the hives.