the only hive in town

Last summer Hatties Garden agreed to have a Baues Busy Bees beehive come to live here. Wow have they been busy. Apparently it is unusual for a first year hive to make enough honey to share with the humans. but there was so much in the frames that our beemaster, Dave, decided it was best for the bees to remove some. And it was good. I rationed my pint all winter.

I'm here to tell you that if there was sun, they were flying. They gotta have a serious bout with cabin fever. Now, a bee-keeper friend of mine said they go out for a little pee! even if they aren't finding pollen. I didn't know they were so fastidious. I wonder what the queen does! ewww.

Dave's latest visit uncovered a packed hive. So many he was worried they might swarm if action wasn't taken. First he added a couple honey supers. those are the 2 smaller boxes that will be on top of the 2 larger boxes, its where the bees store the honey.

The smoker wasn't cooperating but he's still in there.
I think he is immune to the stings since he only wears a hat. As you can see I am FAR AWAY. I am intrigued by the darling drones but the dive bombing & getting stuck in my ponytail makes me a little unnerved.

Anywho..... the next step is to give the bees an option of starting ANOTHER hive.
"Well we're movin on up, To the east side. To a DEEluxe apartment in the skyayayaay."


At this very moment, the drones are selecting their new queen, you know the type; the virginal, vibrating, type A personality with WIDE hips for birthing baby bees..... well .... do bees have hips?


At least we can hope they will occupy the new hive. I mean look at it! all elevated! It's got that clean hive smell.... come on now......


We have plenty of the purple dead nettle (in the foreground of this photo) for them, AND unlike many other farms, we actually have some turnips and arugula and purple mustard that we let go to seed, so they should be quite happy to dine at the only hive in town.


This is a snap from last summer, Dave is giving us a lesson on propolis.

( a resinous mixture collected from sap & other botanical sources, they use it to seal gaps and a buncha other stuff)


For instance... if something dies in the hive & they can't carry it out, they cover it in propolis!
( Thats what wikipedia said) wild huh??



DATELINE: Spring 2011, the weather is making it difficult to believe, but it is. This is how I know, the purple carpets all over the empty fields. Weeds, naturalized but not native, seem to be harmless; in fact they have a purpose. At the time of year when there is very little in bloom, the bees have pollen to gather. You can thank henbit & purple dead nettle for this display, I'm okay with it. it goes away. don't be dose'in it with chems please. thanks.

NEXT WEEK'S EPISODE : Join us next week to see which Queen gets the rose, and if the new apartment gets renovated!