It’s Got to Bee in the Genes
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On April 30, 1898, my grandfather, Ben Byer wrote in his diary, “got 1 swarm bees.” He was 15 and living near Glendale, Arizona. His future father in-law also had bees, and his grandpa helped some. His journal entries sound similar to all beekeepers with entries about getting swarms, and making hives. “I have 23 [...]
To Inseminate or Not to Inseminate?
Today I stood beside a row of Christmasberry trees in North Kohala, listening to the buzzing of bees around newly opened blossoms. Some were gathering pollen, others, nectar. I leaned in close to inspect their bodies for that dreaded and all too prevalent parasite, the varroa mite. I was pleased to find not a one [...]
The Moment I Have Been Waiting For…
For several years I have known that I want to be a beekeeper. I became infatuated with bees and honey after reading a chapter in the book “Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers” that claimed that people who eat a primarily honey diet have been known to live to well over 100 years old. I was [...]
What is Natural?
Larry, Noel and I talked excitedly about bees all the way to class. Larry has already built several top bar hives, and is building one for me this week. We’re ready! However, the class this week was a difficult one both visually and emotionally. Seeing pictures of a slime out caused by small hive beetle [...]
The Big Picture
Last week I wrote about my distress at finding Hive #3 without a queen. This week, I was glad to find out that Hive #3 has a queen and is doing fine! She was newly introduced last week and we just missed her in our examination of the hive. It sounds like things are going [...]
Dancing with the Bees
It is a romantic image… bees hovering over delicate blooms, gathering nectar and pollen ripened by sunlight. Then, in the darkness of the hive, wax is produced and shaped into comb the color of cream. It is as if sunlight had found its way into the very center of the hive! We take the gifts [...]
Bees Make Their Own Homes
With the sun over our shoulders, we took turns holding up the frames of our beehive to look at the bees. At first we saw a blanket of bees, but by blowing gently, the bees moved and we saw the six sided cells capped with honey, then some eggs, and larva. We saw bees drinking [...]
Reflection on First Opening of a Hive
The intoxicating aroma of beekeepers’ smoke The fond smells of summer campfires does invoke For a while we were able to share For a while we were able to watch and stare Amazing this hive, this amazing place Thank you, bee friends, for sharing your space Posted by Maria da Silva a href=”http://www.westernsare.org/”>This project was [...]
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