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| New honeycomb under construction. |
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| Inside the top bar hive. |
I bought a large knife at a yard sale. That worked nicely for cutting comb from inappropriate bars.
This time I remembered to smoke the bees. I think that did help a lot to keep them calm.
There wasn't as much honey as I expected. Much of the comb looks empty. Much of the rest contains pollen.
Good morning, Daniel!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and i have been following your blog with great interest. Next Spring, we, too, will be able to count ourselves among those who can bask in the buzz of top bar hives in their backyard. Reading of your journey has been both enjoyable and informative.
I hope you don't mind, but I thought i would share with you an article i came across regarding plants from the big box stores that may have been pre-treated with pesticides harmful to pollinators. Like you, i've been purchasing a number of plants from Freddy's with honeybees in mind, and hopefully (since Freddy's isn't Target, Home Depot, or Lowes), they're perfectly safe. Granted, this article may be more alarming that the situation warrants, but i thought i'd pass it on in any case:
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/bee-killing-pesticide-found-garden-store-plants-what-does-it-6C10919523
http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/93/07/d/3118/Gardeners_beware_report_8-13-13-acknts.pdf
Thank you for sharing your top bar experiences on your blog! It's thrilling to see the photographs of your happy bees, and i can't wait for the next update. :)
Cheers,
A Ridgefield Neighbor
Thank you for the comment and important topic and article.
ReplyDeleteI've thought about insecticides on purchased plants too. I think, with the minimal number of plants I buy, the amount should be very little for my bees, and the local bees. They get most of their forage from the area in general. As I water the plants in, and they grow from my local soil and water, I hope any residual pesticide, if present, will dissipate, dilute, and disappear.
The long term thought is to let the perennials and shrubs, planted now, grow and enlarge. Without added chemicals. The ones that look good for nectar and pollen, and not eaten by deer and rabbits, can provide cuttings and seeds for future plants. Or I can use that info to buy some seeds and starts.
Thank you for posting. Please keep me updated, neighbor!