Tuesday, March 4, 2008

I'll Try It Again: Keeping Bees

Okay, this one's getting started, because now it's official - a few minutes ago, I ordered a package of bees, to be shipped on April 29th. Woo hoo! I got an adrenaline rush, just making the call.

*gulp*

Okay, so now on to the details. I have my old hive, which has been damaged a bit by exposure and high winds. It's still usable, but I need a few new pieces, and I think I'll give it a fresh coat of white paint, even though the bees won't mind the grey of weathered wood.

I've also been doing some reading, trying to catch up with the current state of beekeeping. The big concerns last time were varroa and tracheal mites, treating your hives for them,and the concern that feral honeybees were disappearing across the country.

Those are still a concern, but now there's something bigger: CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder. Unexplained disappearance or dwindling of hives, on a large scale, and showing up everywhere. Coincidentally, in the UK, they're calling it "Marie Celeste syndrome" (that's the third time that name has come up for me this week, including on this board!).

Tons of theories flying, no one thing pinpointed yet. Is it the mites? Is it a new virus? Is it that they're foraging in pesticide-laden fields? With GMO crops? There does seem to be some sort of immunity compromise. But again, nothing conclusive. Then, other factors:

- It's more prevalent in commercial hives than in smaller hobbyists' yards.

- Beekeepers managing their hives organically are not reporting issues with CCD.

That has added other potential influences. Commercial keepers are more likely to feed their overwintering bees with HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) than sugar syrup or honey (not to mention the fact that the corn used may be GM).

Commercial hives are moved often, being rented out to orchards and other farmers who need the pollination. This stresses the bees.

Non-organic beekeepers use more chemicals, pesticides, medication, etc.

Something that I didn't know, and found interesting: The standard starter combs used in the industry, [url=http://bushfarms.com/bees.htm]have larger openings than that drawn in a natural hive[/url]. This apparently produces larger bees, as well as leaving more time for mites to get into a cell before it is capped off. Organic keepers are now switching to the smaller cell size.

Many keepers are now using plastic starter frames, rather than wood and beeswax. Bees sometimes have a hard time adapting to the plastic. I tried a couple of frames last time, but the bees never really built on them.

And organic management means being far enough from pesticide-treated fields to avoid having it show up in the honey.

There are many other common practices that might be factors. Some may even be reducing the quality or quantity of propolis that the bees are producing - their natural sealant, used to protect the hive from germs or pests.

It already suits my nature to lean toward the idea that the more naturally you manage a hive, as with most things, the better results you are likely to have. Hopefully there is still room in our chemical-laden landscape to do that. Looks like I will have to do some digging into this idea of organic/natural beekeeping.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Spastica said:

Holy C**p! They send you bees in the mail? A box containing 12,000 bees?

That’s insane! And so, so funny! I can’t even imagine the postal workers… "Whatever you do, don’t drop it…" "Wha? Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t!"


I can’t stop laughing. That image is so funny.

The cool thing is that a swarm of bees, whether in a box, or hanging from your porch railing or from a tree branch, is actually not as dangerous as messing with a hive of bees. When you see one, you know they are on the move, looking for a new home. They are usually full of honey (or sugar water in the case of the box), stored up for the journey (and for building new honeycomb in their next home), and that keeps them pretty calm. Same reason you use smoke to work in a hive; something about it, possibly the instinct to evacuate the hive in the case of a fire, sets them to gorging themselves on honey, which keeps them busy, then calm.

Ever see one of those crazy people who make a "beard" of bees, or cover their head with them? Those bees are in a swarm. They’re just hanging out in a cluster, waiting for one of a few scout bees to come back and tell them she’s found the spot for a new hive.

If you do see a swarm hanging out around your house, and you’re worried about them building, say, in the walls of your house (or even if it’s just freaking you out), you can call a local beekeeper to come and get them. They are usually glad to come, because they can take the bees back to their own beeyard, to set them up in a new hive.

You’d also be doing the bees a favor; due to various mites and viruses, honeybees are in danger of being wiped out in the wild.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

I'll Try It: First Things First

Well, as soon as I declared this project, I went into rebel mode. Couldn't think of anything good to try, couldn't find any of the hundreds of lists I've already made. Go figure.

So, I decided to think about other things. Yesterday was a fairly warm day; it feels like spring is just waiting around the corner (Sorry, spastica! I know you just got more snow!). As great as that sounds, it also reminds me that I'm behind on all of my grand plans. Every year, February is "crunch" time, time to make final decisions on some of the projects I typically like to start. I'm supposed to already have all of this year's seeds ordered (I don't). If I want to order chicks for spring delivery, February's the time, but I think I'll hold off on that this year. So, what's left?

Bees!

If I want to keep bees, I need to order them in February! Ack! I hadn't decided! Was this the year I would take it up again? Was it too late to order?

Long story (sort of) short, I think I'm going to try it. Technically, the bees I kept the first time came to me already in their hive; I bought them from a keeper who helped me get started. This time, I would have to receive a 3 pound (@12,000 bees) swarm in the mail, in April...and put them in the hive myself...and I'm so there.

Looks like there will have to be categories in this blogging project. I think this one can fall under: I'll Try It, Again!

In the meantime, I’ll have to come up with some more immediate things to try. This really wasn’t a weasely attempt at procrastination.

I'll Try It!

I have this crazy idea, and I'm going to run with it. It's inspired by a few things, including Make Magazine, and their series of short, do-it-yourself projects on Youtube, and also the website, 43things.com, where you set up a list of things you'd like to do in your lifetime, and then interact with others who have one or more of those same things on their list.

I'm planning on blogging about my attempts at various activities. Could be anything from making a Japanese bento box lunch, to skydiving, who knows? (Don't count on that last one) Not sure how often I'll add posts, or how long it will last. But I am still hoping that this will be the Year of Doing. Maybe this will be the boost I need, to get me going!

After I get an idea of how I'm going to do this, any suggestions for things to try will be cautiously considered...please, no jumping off of cliffs! :O

Links:

http://www.43things.com/

http://www.makezine.com/