Springtime is the most exciting time in the world of beekeeping, at least I think so.
The outdoors is exploding with blooms (your allergies may have alerted you already!) and the honey bees are very busy gathering pollen and nectar, as well as raising loads of brood inside the hive. This time of year, a hive can begin to get crowded, and the bees are thinking about swarming! (More on that soon!)
The other day I was checking my hives and had to scrape some burr comb off the frames. I had put a feeder on the hive a couple of weeks ago that left a gap so the bees had built comb, and the queen had already used the cells to lay eggs. It's too bad when I have to scrape this mess off (my chickens seem to like it) so I took a picture first because I loved seeing the developing brood. I think I will even print this for educational purposes. Can you spot a couple of tiny eggs among the bee larva?
I decided to do a 2021 update of my beehive inspection journals. I ordered the two I made and really loved the way they looked, and more importantly, the way they worked. There are all kinds of ways to keep track of your bees, but I find writing it down immediately after a hive inspection is the best way for me to keep on top of the bees and their production/maintenance. This year, I included a few pages to record varroa mite treatments and an easy checklist for inspections.
Here's the pretty cover and a peek inside! Click on the image to open in Amazon.
I am happy to report that my bees are doing great! (It's all recorded in my inspection notebook!) It was a tough winter, and we did lose a couple of hives, but I am happy with how my current hives look and anxious to make some splits when the weather is nice again.
Beekeeping has been my happy place for nearly 7 years now. There's something so incredibly relaxing, mysterious, amazing, and fun (all of the things!) about opening up a beehive to see inside. I love to share this joy with others too if you want to come along sometime! I am going to work on being more present on my Instagram account, The Kansas Sweet Life, if you'd rather follow along virtually. I know stinging insects make some people nervous.
And because I take a ton of pictures when I check the bees, check out this amazing dark queen! I've never had one this black before. Isn't she beautiful? The genetics in each hive is different, and it's always fun to find her majesty!
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