Saturday 20 December 2014
So I decided on a name
Do you know how tricky it is to come up with a name no one else has?
Every bee related pun and saying has been taken!
I tried a bunch -
Every bee related pun and saying has been taken!
I tried a bunch -
- Honey, Im home - taken
- Bee'n'busy - taken
- Ms Bee Hiving - not taken but Miss and Mrs were so I thought it was too used, and not for bees keeping!
- Bee Line - taken
I thought about Hive on the line - reference to the location of my house next to the railway line and that bees are 'endangered' for want of a better term. I played around with drawing of bees as trains but it didn't work for me...
I had a cup of coffee in a cafe with a blackboard menu and I liked the traditional layout style...I scribbled while I sipped....The Hive of Activity was born....a quick check of the Australian business register...it was taken by a company non bee related.....so I added the mandatory extra word or letter to make it unique.
Still lots of refining and reworking to do.....but that's the general idea! Steampunk-ish and sepia on brown paper labels is what I'm aiming for....what do you think?
Still lots of refining and reworking to do.....but that's the general idea! Steampunk-ish and sepia on brown paper labels is what I'm aiming for....what do you think?
So the bees are busy!
Thursday 18 2014...almost caught up!
I got the smoker working really well - pine needles ignited, a few puffs with the bellows then I spray mist the flames to extinguish them...( I take the ironing water spray bottle out with me)..puff, puff...bees subdued and distracted.
I carefully removed the top and looked in....bees and waxy goodness! It took a bit of prising to remove the frame - trusty hive tool at hand - and up the once black plastic membraned frame came - look at it!
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| Look at those girls go! |
The glistening honey can be seen in each cavity....Arent bees amazing!
Look at the precision of the comb they are making! I was completely surprised and happy to see the girls hard at work.
Maybe a couple of weeks and it could be first harvest!
I live in the hills not far from our state national park. Needless to say it is a very heavily gum treed area Lots of gardens and trees, both indigenous and introduced. Lots of pollen from a range of sources. in fact I must confess to going out into the front garden every night before dusk with a coffee or tea in hand to watch the heavily pollen laden girls fly back into the hive!
Go Girls Go!
So I got a sting! 15 November
Memo to self - check the smoker works - or rather, I can work the smoker - before opening up the hive!
Zoe, 5 and Charlie, 3 - niece and nephew - wanted to inspect the 'buzzy bees' so I obliged in opening the top of the hive. It was a cool day. the bees weren't too active - until I didn't apply enough smoke,
Calmly I opened the hive, the kids were safely back and as I got a BIG STING by one 'super bee' on my leg I calmly continued as to not scare the kids and popped the empty spare frame back into the hive. All very quiet and calm..."No problems kids, all good here but no honey yet"...
I am not allergic to bees but my goodness did the swelling continue for some time! Two weeks later and it has finally receded! Track pants are NOT thick enough! Photo not suitable for posting - there are some things that should not be seen....my swollen leg for one!
Some more YouTube viewing and research about the application of smoke to distract the bees and send them into orderly fire drill action....
That'll teach me!
Zoe, 5 and Charlie, 3 - niece and nephew - wanted to inspect the 'buzzy bees' so I obliged in opening the top of the hive. It was a cool day. the bees weren't too active - until I didn't apply enough smoke,
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| Just organising themselves before they swung into sting Tracy mode! No camera in the hand as the bees went understandably 'crazy' |
Calmly I opened the hive, the kids were safely back and as I got a BIG STING by one 'super bee' on my leg I calmly continued as to not scare the kids and popped the empty spare frame back into the hive. All very quiet and calm..."No problems kids, all good here but no honey yet"...
I am not allergic to bees but my goodness did the swelling continue for some time! Two weeks later and it has finally receded! Track pants are NOT thick enough! Photo not suitable for posting - there are some things that should not be seen....my swollen leg for one!
Some more YouTube viewing and research about the application of smoke to distract the bees and send them into orderly fire drill action....
That'll teach me!
So I'm registered!
November 21 2014.....It's important to do things right....especially when dealing with living things! Food AND bees!
On Colin's advice I have successfully registered my hive with BioSecurity SA. I have my hive registration code and it's on the box!
On Colin's advice I have successfully registered my hive with BioSecurity SA. I have my hive registration code and it's on the box!
So I became a bee keeper...
You really should get a bit of background here.
I live in a 50's 'fibro' that I have been renovationg and converting over the years to something a bit more 'cottagey'...not too cutesy, but a bit more 'Queenslander' I guess. Tha house came with a chimney, but the fier didnt work and I eventually re faced the hideous brown brick interior with a false chimney with iron fireplace and mantelpiece, The fireplace became redundant but was a feature only.
Cut to 20 years later...oh, my....and there have been bees living in the chimney for years. No problem to me, I was quite happy knowing the bees were happily coming and going and hopefully pollinating the fruit trees and flowers in my garden.
The time came for the old broken tiled roof to be replaced. Time for corrugated iron and new gutters - also to prevent the possums - yes, I have wildlife - from living in the cavity too! ....moving them is a whole other story I wont post here!
The bees had to be moved - the roofing workers would not begin until this was done. Enter Colin and Frank - from Beeutiful Honey. Unfortunately the bees were too far down in the chimney and could not be saved. they were removed and the chimney sealed up.
The old tiles removed, the new iron in place, and I became a beekeeper!
A moment of fancy thought became reality....yes, Id love to keep bees - I'm used to them in the garden. Lets do it!
And so the boxes came, and the frames, and a brood and a steep learning curve began.
I live in a 50's 'fibro' that I have been renovationg and converting over the years to something a bit more 'cottagey'...not too cutesy, but a bit more 'Queenslander' I guess. Tha house came with a chimney, but the fier didnt work and I eventually re faced the hideous brown brick interior with a false chimney with iron fireplace and mantelpiece, The fireplace became redundant but was a feature only.
Cut to 20 years later...oh, my....and there have been bees living in the chimney for years. No problem to me, I was quite happy knowing the bees were happily coming and going and hopefully pollinating the fruit trees and flowers in my garden.
The time came for the old broken tiled roof to be replaced. Time for corrugated iron and new gutters - also to prevent the possums - yes, I have wildlife - from living in the cavity too! ....moving them is a whole other story I wont post here!
The bees had to be moved - the roofing workers would not begin until this was done. Enter Colin and Frank - from Beeutiful Honey. Unfortunately the bees were too far down in the chimney and could not be saved. they were removed and the chimney sealed up.
The old tiles removed, the new iron in place, and I became a beekeeper!
A moment of fancy thought became reality....yes, Id love to keep bees - I'm used to them in the garden. Lets do it!
And so the boxes came, and the frames, and a brood and a steep learning curve began.
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| The queen and her bees..... |
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