Checking in with my Beehives
My beekeeper, Guy Hodges, stopped by the farm last week to perform an early spring inspection of the hives. You may recall that on his last visit, with snow still on the ground, Guy removed the outer and inner cover and supplemented the hives with fondant bee candy to provide nourishment until early spring flowers began to bloom. He also discovered that one of my three hives did not survive the winter and would have to be reestablished. On this last visit, Guy wanted to check the remaining hives for activity to see how healthy the singular queen of each hive was after a very harsh winter. He was happy with what he discovered. Please enjoy another tour of the amazing life of the honeybee.
1 Before opening the beehive, Guy bellows his smoker into it to subdue the colony. He fuels the smoke with dry pine needles.
2 The outer cover is lifted off.
3 The outer cover provides weather protection.
4 Next, the inner cover is carefully lifted off the upper super. This inner cover confines the bees to the super, preventing them from attaching comb to the outer cover. It also provides insulation.
5 You may recall last March when Guy added fondant bee candy, providing extra nourishment for the bees. Not all was consumed because the bees are finding nectar outside the hive, so he is removing the excess fondant.
6 All the while, active bees exit and enter the hive.
7 Now that the frames are exposed, Guy uses his hive tool to pry and loosen a frame for lifting out.
8 He is happy to see how full of honey the frame is. With so much honey, the entire upper super weighs approximately 80 pounds!
9 This dark amber substance is called propolis, which the bees produce, sealing the hive to keep out predator insects. It is also an incredible antibiotic.
10 Carlos, clad in his bee garb - he doesn't trust the bees as much as Guy does. Carlos is removing the bales of hay, which were stacked around the hives to block the cold winter winds.
11 With this frame clean, Guy temporarily hangs it outside the hive.
12 A better look
13 Guy is hoping to find the queen to see if she is healthy and actively producing new brood, so he removes another frame.
14 Notice that Guy does all of this without gloves or a protective veil!
15 Ah-ha! There's the queen with the blue dot and she has been very productive. All of the capped cells that you see contain new larvae.
16 The white substance is bee larvae, which unfortunately was formed in comb built outside of the frame. It will not survive this inspection.
17 Guy continues scraping and cleaning.
18 With the inspection and cleaning complete for now, Guy removes the upper and lower supers, revealing the bottom screen and hive stand.
19 The bees that died over the winter are swept away. Winter death is normal in a hive.
20 The hive stand is scraped clean.
21 Wooden shims are positioned to create a slight angle for any moisture to drain out.
22 Putting the hive back together, Guy slips in the bottom mite tray, which catches dropping mites and any other debris. Looking at this tray from time to time is a good way to keep track of what is going on inside the hive.
23 Scraping off more propolis sealer.
24 And finally cleaning up the outer cover before replacing
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Looks like spring is here.. and in like a lion!
I was wondering if you ever worry about african honey bee issues that may take over the hive. I know that they are working there way up from southern states. They are very dangerous and aggressive. Also is this where you get your wax for your candle crafts?
Dan Viger
http://www.meandmartha.net
Hollis Center, Maine.
Posted by: Dan Viger | March 30th, 2010 at 2:05 am
This is an amazing lessons from nature. Thank you for sharing it!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | March 30th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Thank you for sharing, Martha. I'm so interested in following the progress of your bee hives. Guy is so skilled!
Posted by: Julie | March 30th, 2010 at 9:06 am
I am so fascinated by the posts on Martha's bee hives. Thank you for sharing and for including detailed photos and captions.
Posted by: staceys | March 30th, 2010 at 9:48 am
So interesting! Love that you teach us something new every day!
Posted by: Susan | March 30th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Looks like your BEEKEEPER is taking an ACCOUNTING of your bees, hives, etc.. Get it instead of bookkeeper... .
Also, these must be European bees or African bees and NOT the Africanized bees which tend to be the problem bees. Look forward to your latest buzz about your bees... .
This GUY(meaning me Stephen T. Jones) will be adding some Post Honey Combs cereal to his grocery list-breakfast side. Martha, but I think you're the queen here.
CLLCM
Washington, DC
Posted by: Stephen T. Jones | March 30th, 2010 at 10:19 am
I'm in awe that guy does this all without protective gear. He must be very knowledgeable!
Posted by: Ris | March 30th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Hi Martha,
Guy is something else the way he bravely handles the bees. Maybe the trick is to not be scared. I should learn that trick!
~
Anyway, this is all very interesting. Before I learned it from you, I didn't know there were so many parts to a beehive or thousands of bees. I'm still a little confused with the 'super' and the 'cover' but I can see why comb on the outer cover is not a good thing! I'll go have some coffee; maybe that will help clear things up. Enjoy your day. Trish
Posted by: Trish | March 30th, 2010 at 11:49 am
These photos are fascinating. Thank you, Martha, for showing us the latest news from the little buzzers. Seeing the queen was especially fascinating.
Posted by: Penny | March 30th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Hi Martha, Thanks for another great blog about your beekeeper, Guy Hodges. He certainly does a great job of taking excellent care of your fantastic beehives. So sorry that one of your hives didn't survive, but how great that the other two are doing so well. Trish- I looked up super in my dictionary and found that 'super' meant superhive which is a removable compartment of a beehive! Great photos of Guy working on your beehives. Thanks for sharing. Love, Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | March 30th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Did your beekeeper comment on research regarding why we are losing so many hives over the country and the rest of the world ? I always enjoy seeing what is happening on your farm. Hope you continue to give a glimpse into life in the country.
Posted by: Ray | March 30th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Thanks for a wonderful blog. I would love to have bees one day. Also, how fantastic it is to see the old Martha Stewart Living shows on the Hallmark Channel.. I do like the new show but, the old show has so much information and wonderful ideas. I like the slower pace. Thanks for returning it to television! Lisa
Posted by: Lisa | March 30th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Bees are fascinating to me. Thanks for this informative post. I'd love to try my hand at beekeeping.
Posted by: Ronnie Gunn Tucker | March 30th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Dear Martha,
Bees are wonderful! I live in an area with many orchards so we actually get to see a lot of bee boxes - especially this time of year. It always makes me smile to think of all those sweet bees buzzing about. Trina
Posted by: Trina | March 31st, 2010 at 12:59 am
Dear Martha,
Have you tried out that stops the sting bee stuff yet? I called them this week and the said they have been challenged by news reporters 34 times and won every challenge. I even watched some of thier challenges on thier website. Some lady from Good Morning America was on there and she got stung by honey bees on purpose then put the cream on the sting and she says it works. I would like to know what you think about this stuff. My daughter is alergic to bee stings and if it works I would like to buy her some.
Thanks
Morris
Posted by: Morris Mc Master | March 31st, 2010 at 7:31 am
I have Stops the Sting. It is great stuff! I have been stung because of my job several times. (Installing windows and doors) This stuff is the best I have seen so far! It really works. Stops the pain right away for me. Fire ants are a big problem too. The itching stops withing a couple of minutes. It is made out of oatmeal and I would think it would work for your daughter but be sure and treat her as the doctor has told you as well... Bee stings can be very bad... But this stuff is a buy.
Posted by: Mike | March 31st, 2010 at 9:32 am
My wife uses Bee Sting Stuff for our grand daughter for mosquito bites. It helps to stop the sting. It really works!
Posted by: Randy | March 31st, 2010 at 9:43 am
INTERESTED IN THE COMMENTS ABOUT STOPS THE STING.I'M A DEER HUNTER IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND AM BITTEN BY FIRE ANTS ALMOST EVERY TIME I'M IN THE WOODS. I WAS INTRODUCED TO STOPS THE STING LAST YEAR BY A FRIEND AND SINCE THEN I WOULDN'T BE WITHOUT IT.I'VE USED IT ON FIRE ANT BITES,YELLOW JACKET,WASP AND HORNET STINGS AND IT TAKES THE PAIN AWAY WITHIN SECONDS.ALMOST EVERYONE IN MY 10 MEMBER HUNTING CLUB IS USING STOPS THE STING. THIS PRODUCT WORKS LIKE MAGIC.
Posted by: BOB WOOD | March 31st, 2010 at 12:00 pm
How do I delay peonys from blooming. I need them for a mid June wedding. Can I cut them when in the bud form and refridgerate?
Posted by: Joleen | March 31st, 2010 at 4:50 pm
I am so fascinated by bee keeping! And Guy reminds me so much of my grandfather, who always kept bees and never or rarely used the protective gear. One day, I, too, will be a beekeeper!
Posted by: ClassiclyAmber | March 31st, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Thanks for the photo's of taking apart and cleaning the bee hives. My father always kept bees but I was like Carlos and kept my distance. Now I see what he was doing out there with those bees. Thanks for the lesson Martha, you are always teaching us something new.
Posted by: Sylvia | March 31st, 2010 at 10:19 pm
The people that was talking about STOP THE STING stuff. Does anyone know where you can buy it. If anyone knows please post it on the blog. I would like to buy some.
Posted by: jeanie | April 1st, 2010 at 10:51 am
Martha,
Thank you for the pictures and info on your beehives. We are new beekeepers ourselves and are learning all the time about how to care for our bees. We have three hives and one of them has very few bees after this cold winter. I have been surprised at much we truly care about the bees, not just from an economic standpoint but as creatures in our care.
I look forward to seeing more recipes using honey on the show and in the magazines. I would love to see a segment on creating beauty products using the beeswax, honey, and propolis!
All the best to you for a good nectar flow this year!
Posted by: Jody Gladden | April 1st, 2010 at 11:24 am
my uncle guy is the best beehive person around!!!
Posted by: Denise Boyle | April 1st, 2010 at 1:23 pm
I would like to post a tip for all fellow bee-lovers out there (or especially for those of us whom bees do NOT like). Get a product called "STOPS THE STING"! It works REALLY well on bee stings, fire ants, and other stinging insects. It takes the sting away almost instantly! My husband is deathly allergic to bees stings and we found that he doesn't have to use his EpiPen if he uses it! (though we keep it with us just in case, of course). The website is http://www.stopsthesting.com It's one of those products that every outdoorsman, beekeeper, or anyone with children needs! It's worth it's weight in gold.
I found that it works great on mosquito bites too!
Posted by: Joni | April 1st, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I use Stops the Sting.My wife is alergic to bee stings and it realy works for her.It is the best I have seen for just about any sting you can get! We have some around for my son and daughter to. It really works. It stops the sting right away.(You can buy it on there web site http://www.stopsthesting.com)
Posted by: Josh | April 1st, 2010 at 3:27 pm
.
STING---
Doesn't simple baking soda do the trick just as well?
.
Posted by: andrea and weims on twitter | April 2nd, 2010 at 11:00 am
andrea,
not hardly. my mom used baking soda when we were kids and it worked a little but not like this stuff. you will never believe how stops the sting works until you try it and then you won't go anywhere without it. besides how do you carry baking soda around with you?
Posted by: TEX | April 3rd, 2010 at 8:32 pm
I am so glad that you are making this blog available to people. Not enough people realize all the good that bees do for us everyday. As for the previous posts about stops the sting, they are right! I live in Houston and there are so many bees and ants... fire ants got my son last year and I used it... thank god it worked and our day wasn't ruined.
Posted by: mbmomma | April 5th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Amen to the Stops The Sting. I am a landscaper and I get into a lot of 8 and 6 legged creatures that bite and sting. I have used Stops the Sting a number of times on painful stings and itching bites....it works wonders!
Posted by: Patrick | April 5th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Hi Martha, It's great to know that you are still have your bees. My Grandfather was a beekeeper for as long as I can remember. I inherited one of his hives (without the bees). I have since moved into my parents old farmhouse and intend to set up the hive for production eventually. In the meantime, I have set up Mason Bee houses around in the yard to keep the pollination of the fruit trees going until the honey bee hive(s) get going. Love your new show and love to see all the old episodes that I have recorded on VHS tapes from day one of the original show. I have been a follower of yours for years. I was known at work as 'Martha #2'.
Also, in response to Joleen, yes you can delay the blooming of peonys by wrapping in plastic (the cones florists use) or newspaper and keep them in the refrigerator. Just make sure house guests don't think they're something to eat! LOL
Thanks again Martha for everything you do. Grace
Posted by: Grace Smith-Parker | April 8th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Interesting that Guy is not wearing any protective gear. Doesn't he get bitten? He looks very skilled in what he is doing. Thanks for sharing this with us about your personal stuff.
Posted by: Niel Peter | June 9th, 2011 at 6:29 am