Month: May 2013

Part of my fascination with honeybees, like many of God’s creatures, is their intelligence…

Sure they’re tireless workers which is evident with the myriad of tasks that go into keeping a hive healthy and functional but they also use a variety of strategies to handle potential robbers. Sometimes they’re effective in keeping out uninvited guests by ruthlessly shutting down these potential thieves and other times they aren’t as fortunate.

 

Below is an interesting video of how the Asian honeybees tackle a much bigger visitor, the Japanese giant hornet.

 

And while it might not seem like such a big deal, since it’s only one hornet, you have to remember the hornet is much larger than these honeybees. One hornet can kill forty European honeybees in minutes. If they round up a few other hornets they could easily wipe out an entire honeybee colony

Which is evidenced in the above video, 30 giant hornets took out an entire honeybee hive. If it’s an established hive, that’s about 40,000 honeybees. Yep, hornets are no joke. They are ruthless killers in the insect world.

Above, you can watch the same video of hornets attacking the honeybees — but with “epic music.”

I’ve already known about the potential hive robbing, more than bears will attack a honeybee hive. I’m just sharing here since I find it fascinating.  Having your honeybee hive(s) wiped out is definitely not something you want to experience as a beekeeper. So it’s important to take precautions (although that doesn’t guarantee your hive(s) won’t be destroyed.  Part of my preventative maintenance is installing the  top bar feeders inside the beehive. Additionally entrance reducers have been placed to narrow the opening into the hive. I’m giving my honeybees every chance they can get to ward of potential risks to their hive.

A few years ago, I started seeing Japanese giant hornets in Maryland. No, they aren’t cicada killer wasps, I know exactly what they look like. We have those also. These were different than any hornets I’d seen in these parts and after a lot of research I was able to identify them as Japanese giant hornets. Earlier this week, I was bitten by fire ants in our garden. While I’ve seen (And felt their painful bite) while in South Carolina, I’ve never seen them here until now.

More news on my honeybees

My bee supplier updated their Facebook page, most people should receive their honeybees either today or tomorrow. And a few people will be getting their early next week. Here’s hoping I get them this weekend! I already told my daughter, if I get the call today, she can leave school early to watch me install the honeybees. I already informed her teacher about this and she seems excited for my daughter.

Slightly off topic

My daughter has done very well this semester. It looks like she will receive straight A’s. Which means she’ll have received honor roll every single quarter. She recently turned ten years old, I  can’t always expect her to  to study independently. Which is why I’m there to assist her, if needed, and help her understand difficult concepts.

My honeybees arrive sometime this week. It’s a new experience for me and it can be overwhelming since I haven’t managed a beehive before but I do believe I’m prepared. I do have the knowledge about honeybees from the vast amounts of reading/research I’ve done on them over the years but that’s still not the same as having my own honeybees, you know?

The list of things that need to be done before the honeybees arrive is small. One thing I didn’t buy was long gloves, I’ve decided to make my own and will sew them after work today. This past weekend I waterproofed the outside of the hive with a clear oil based paint. Today is supposed to get into the high 80’s F so I’ll be painting the inside of the hive with the organic beeswax that I’d purchased. Of course, I’ll have to melt it first!

Tuesday, I finally put together my Warre hive. It was also my daughter’s birthday we chatted as she rotated between drawing with her new Bamboo Splash tablet and playing with her adorable knitted doll.

She seemed quite fascinated with the entire Warre hive construction process and for some reason was particularly loved seeing me use the right angle clamps to make the Warre boxes. I can’t say how long it took to finish the hive, perhaps a few hours. It would have gone much faster if I wasn’t socializing with my daughter but I wouldn’t change that aspect since it made a wonderful experience even more enjoyable.

 

This Warre hive has an observation window, once I take it outside, I’ll be sure to post pictures of how that appears. Tomorrow, if the weather is nice, I’ll paint the outside of the hive with some exterior paint. Initially I was leaning towards linseed (aka flaxeed oil) but from my reading that can take months to cure. I don’t have months, the honeybees can arrive as early as next week.

I’m a bit concerned with the lateness of the honeybess arrival, most honeybee packages appear in early April. However, the unseasonably cool weather we’ve been experiencing in Maryland has delayed shipment for many bee package supplies. I’m prepared to feed my honeybees for a while, if necessary, to ensure they do well. Last month, I purchased a top bar feeder for my honeybees and once the bees arrive, I’ll set them up with a 1:1 mixture of raw cane sugar and water. The placement of the Warre hive might change. I’m now thinking of either placing it inside our fenced in garden, it’s about 3/4 of an acre or setting it alongside our grapevine.