Last year was a lousy one for my honeybees.
Winter weather lasted well into April here in the Seattle area. In fact, on tax day I installed several new packages of bees shipped up from California and two days later, thanks to global warming, it was snowing. It was such a bad year that I never even took any honey off the hives.
I only had one hive come through the winter this year so again on tax day I installed five four-pound packages all on brand new one-piece plastic frames. In other words I started from scratch. Then I fed the daylights out of them (i.e., probably about 145 gallons of syrup across all the colonies).
Last month on the 24th I took a peek inside each hive and although I wasn’t anticipating much of a harvest (the keeper usually doesn’t get much the first year), it looked as though I’ll probably have somewhere between 5 and 10 gallons to extract.
The year before last I took 32 gallons off of eight hives. For me that was very good. I managed to make that last us even though I distributed many of my little nine-ounce bottles as gifts.
Now I’m down to crunch time though. I recently busted in to my last five-gallon bucket, so it’s good to know the girls have been doing what bees are supposed to do out there. When you’ve gotten used to sweetening only with homegrown honey it’s hard to imagine going back to the store-bought stuff, not to mention having to buy Christmas presents!
So assuming that nothing goes sideways between now and then I’ll be extracting this year’s crop on October 31st (I always wait ’til the last possible second.). Meanwhile, hope you enjoy one of my harvest time ditties.
Bees Boardman were a buzzin’
Once again this year – ‘tis true!
The months have been a dozen
Since they last said, “Here’s for you.”
But, boy, you should have seen them
As they took the task in hand!
Miss Queen had sent down orders
And the girls had hatched a plan.
“This year we’re gonna make some stuff
That no one will believe.
It may be late, but worth the wait.
And delicious to receive!”
So off they went in search of the scent
Of blossoms and berries and buds.
Over gullies and rivers and forests and fields
To bring back their payload because
They knew what was needed
For Breakfast and Brunch,
And tea and a snack
To hold you ‘til Lunch.
Ah, yes, the sweet-feed,
The honey, you see.
It was all in the plan
For you and for me.
So the next time you scream
“It’s a bee! It’s a bee!”
Just remember, she’s friendly
And she’s sweetening your tea!
For more on Bees Boardman, check out BeesCause. Some cool pictures!
You’re in Boardman Country!
Make yourself at home,
Brad
Hi Brad, You and Duane would get along just fine. He LOVED raising bees — even in Africa. We had plenty of honey until two things happened: 1) The Bible College students objected to getting stung when they went to the orchard for guavas, and 2) he fell into the car pit that he had located his hive over to foil the pinching ants, who loved our honey as much as we did. He broke a couple of ribs, and that about did in the honey business in Africa.
Hey Sylvia!
Thanks for coming by and commenting.
Yep. I’m sure Duane and I would have stories to share with each other. Bees are fun and fascinating, but every time you think you have them figured out – you don’t!
Tell Duane hello for me.
Is bee keeping your hobby or your income? Sounds like a fascinating way to stay natural.
.-= Lynne´s last blog ..Sewing Update =-.
Hi Lynne.
I just keep bees as a way of keeping us in honey and Christmas presents. We started using honey instead of sugar back when Carrie had breast cancer about eight years ago. For awhile we bought it from a friend, four gallons at a time. Then the friend got too old to manage his hives so I bought all seven from him. We enjoy it.
Thanks for stopping by!
I absolutely love your poem! Wow, great job! And yes, I will try to stop freaking out when I see a bee (actually here in Nevada they estimate that all the bees are africanized – how “they” know that is beyond me, but that’s what’s in the news).
.-= Diane Scott´s last blog ..Panic Attack Relief =-.
Thanks Diane!
I know it’s hard for most to believe, but they really are gentle souls (mostly) as long as you’re not messing with them.
At any rate, the honey’s worth a little pain here and there. 🙂
Glad you are going to get some honey from them this year, Brad!
In Africa we couldn’t even stand and watch the hive for more that a few moments. If you stood there too long the bees got suspiscious and would come after you! No kidding. Daddy lost a whole flock of chickens one time because the bees got in a snit!
I’m glad yours are gentle.
.-= Lynnette Bonner´s last blog ..Crossing the Bar ~ by C. Maggie Woychik =-.
Hey Lynnette!
Thanks for coming by and making your presence known.
Yes, the African bees, I guess, seem to have a whole different sense of how things ought to be – or at least how bees ought to be! 🙂