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Biting the Hand that Feeds You

August 29, 2014

Bishop Beekeeping, Composting, Gardening 2 Comments

I was tending to both my bees and my garden this morning. My bees just typically go about their business and I go about my business without conflicts. I am still giving the hive sugar water to help as they continue to grow in size. I noticed that the quart jar in the Boardman Feeder was empty so I gently eased down, removed it, shooed the few bees that had clung to the lid and took it into the house for a refill. A few minutes later I returned, slipped the quart jar into place without event. I always do this without any beekeeping gear, so it was shorts and a t-shirt with my camo Crocs on my feet….the ones that my daughter Lisa hates to see on my feet at the coffee shop or for that matter….anywhere in public. Too bad, I like them and they are comfortable.

Bees just continued to do what they do ignoring me. I spread some pine needle mulch and grass clippings around to help suppress the weeds. My son had mowed our neighbor’s lawn and brought the clippings home. I decided to add that “black”, key word, bag of clippings to the compost bin next to the hive. I grabbed it and swung it up onto the bin’s cross bar to untie it….not even thinking about how the bees would react to this big black object swinging through their air space….

So, a big dark black object coming quickly into their space is seen as a threat. Me, being attached to he black bag was also, apparently seen as a threat…..dark red shirt worn by this dummy in addition to the black bag threat made it doubly bad. Well 8-10 bees tried to encourage me to leave and I just tried to ignore them. Trying to untie the knot must have been see as a aggressive act so, one of the protectors gave up their life and stung the hand that also feeds them…..OK, I get the message. I walked away, used my knife to scrap the stinger out and left them alone for about 15 minutes. I put a dab of cortisone cream on my hand and all was fine.

After 15 minutes I went back out and as usual – they ignored me, I untied the bag and slowly dumped it and finished my chores. I believe I learned a lesson…..I just hope CRS doesn’t kick in and I forget the lesson.

Just doing what they do best...... I just need to make sure that I am not an irritant or look like a bear.

Just doing what they do best…… I just need to make sure that I am not an irritant or look like a bear. Photo from earlier in the year when someone else’s bees were pollinating my lemon tree.

TTFN

Bishop

 

The Last of the Strawberries

August 20, 2014

Bishop Beekeeping, berrries, Berry Preserves, jam and jelly, Making Jam, Strawberry , , 1 Comment

I used up the last of the 2014 strawberry harvest today. I made a low sugar recipe resulting in 2-12 oz. jars, 4- 8 oz. jars and 1-4 oz. jar of wonderful Strawberry Jam. This was a banner year for my strawberry harvest. I am not sure if my bees will make much difference next year as strawberries are largely self pollinated, but, they can’t hurt!

I do love my morning toast with a healthy dollop of backyard jam, whether it be my strawberry jam or my blackberry jam….wild or domestic! No domestic blackberries this year as they met with a breakdown in communication with my hired help. The sprinkler installation guy, my son Ben, was a little too rough with the existing plants, they all died….next year or the year after may be a good year.

So, what does lite jam mean? Standard recipe calls for 5 cups of strawberry mush and 7 cups of sugar…..so danged good. The lite recipe is also 5 cups of mush but only 4 cups of sugar. I really like the lite recipe as I think more of the fruit flavor comes through. I will admit that the last batch of Dewberry Jam, a wild blackberry, was made as a full sugar recipe….wow…very good!

An 8 ounce jar of my very good Strawberry Jam.

An 8 ounce jar of my very good Strawberry Jam.

Now…clean the kitchen and bottle my Russian Imperial Stout! – Tomorrow, I just sampled a couple of Kona IPA beers and they were awesome. That should be detailed in my beer blog in a day or so.

http://bishopsbeerblog.com/

TTFN

Bishop

 

 

 

 

TTFN

Bishop

 

Bees – Lessons Learned

August 6, 2014

Bishop Beekeeping, Gardening, Healthy Lifestyle , , , 1 Comment

If you are going to be a bee keeper you are going to get stung! I am still using a Boardman feeder holding a quart sized jar of sugar water. The hive is healthy and growing. They will consume a quart in about 10 hours!

Therefore, I, or my daughter Lisa, have to refill it daily. We don’t put our gear on or use the smoker. We just calmly approach the hive, remove the jar, shoo away the few that hang on and refill the jar. Once topped off calmly replace the jar.

A few days ago I was apparently too abrupt on my approach. As I removed the empty jar, four or five bees came at me. Most were just bumping me, trying to discourage my presence. Apparently one Lone Ranger bee saw me as a bigger threat and popped a stinger through my shirt on my left pec. Fortunately I don’t react to stings, just itched a bit for a day or two. Lesson learned, be gentle and the bees will respond in kind!

Lisa and I added a super and the queen excluder over the past weekend. We were appropriately attired in our beekeeping gear. The bees are busy making honey and more workers! I hope to have my first harvest/extraction by the end of summer.

I will leave them alone for the next three weeks or so before doing a more thorough inspection of the hive and the queen. Who knows, I may get lucky and be able to split a hive! I do have an empty NUC hive box. Maybe I should try and capture a swarm. I do have some extra full sized frames! Waste not, want not.

TTFN
Bishop

20140805-195711-71831341.jpg
Boardman feeder similar to the one I use.

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