Episode-239- The Easiest Way To Install Bees Into A top Bar Hive

I begin this video with the actual installation of the honey bees. With I hope to show you Easiest Way To Install Bees Into A top Bar Hive. I am also careful and cautious about their condition. The video will show the importance of having respect for animals. They have just traveled 650 miles from the Walter T. Kelley Bee Company in Clarkson, Kentucky. They rode on trucks, mail cars and my car....

Episode-236- 7 Essential Supplies For Spring Beekeping

2014 is my fourth beekeeping season. Right now the top bar hive seems like it will make it into spring no problem. However, getting them out of spring will be the challenge. It's been a long much too long winter and the bees will need to work hard in between the early rains to gather pollen, nectar, build and raise brood and support themselves. There will also be another colony of honey bees to...

Episode-234- Insulate The Top Bar Hive For Winter

As winter drags on through month four it seemed like a good idea to reflect on how I prepped the top bar hive back in October. In the warmer fall weather it was easy to avoid tasks such as this one but experience and knowledge of Mother Nature;s tendencies prevented me from being lazy. I am glad I took the steps to insulate this hive because it has been a rough winter for this area. The other...

Honey Bees Get Some Sun Before Snow

January 20, 2014 outside the thrive hive top bar hive and there is a lot of activitiy. The temperature went up to 12 degrees Celcius (54 F) just ahead of another snow storm coming our way. This one looks like a keeper although the ice from last December lasted a week after the snow melted. The busy bees are a great sign as they are getting some fresh air before tis too late. Newbees are taking...

Episode-227- Part 2 Check The Top Bar Hive Before Winter

Here is part 2 of the November 2nd pre-winter check of the top bar hive. In this video you will see more of the honey stores these bees have prepared for the long cold winter. A good clean up job of old unused comb and the addition of fondant will help these bees through the winter. At least that's the plan. We'll see how it goes. The update I provided on December 22 describes what I saw and did...

Episode-226- Check The Top Bar Hive Before Winter Part 1

Today's video is from November 2nd 2013 when I went into the top bar hive to check on the bees' winter honey supply and to put in top bar of fondant and a sugar patty packed with essential oils and vitamins. The manner in which I planned to introduce the fondant was on a top bar and filling out pretty much the size of full comb of honey. You will see in the video how I prepare the fondant and...

Feed The Bees During This Warm Winter Break

It was 70 degrees Fahrenheit in northern Virginia today the Saturday before Christmas 2013. It is supposed to be 70 and rainy all day tomorrow through Monday and the bees were out and active and I was too as a good check inside the hive revealed their shallow stores for the remaining winter. They had already plowed through the frame of fondant I put in the hive on November 2nd and they were...