Beltane\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waxing Planting Moon<\/p>\n
Discovered an important aspect of bee-keeping this morning.\u00a0 When the temperature is 87 and the dew point is above 70, it gets really, really hot in the bee suit.\u00a0 Hot ![\"05-24-10_bee-diary_6701\"](\"http:\/\/www.ancientrails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/05-24-10_bee-diary_6701-225x300.jpg\" "\\"05-24-10_bee-diary_6701\\"")
enough that by the time I finished I had begun to get dizzy, sweat literally dripped off my forehead and face.\u00a0 I couldn’t get the bee-suit off fast enough.\u00a0 Came inside, sat down and drank a couple of glasses of water, didn’t move.\u00a0 Better now, but whoa.<\/p>\n
(a frame of honey from colony #1)<\/p>\n
Colony 1 has begun to produce honey!\u00a0 The top honey super has several frames full.\u00a0 The second, bottom super is not as full.\u00a0 I’m not sure whether I should put on another honey super or two.\u00a0 Need to poke around in the bee literature.\u00a0 Colony 2 has filled up the hive box divided from the parent colony (#1) and has begun to build comb in the new hive box.<\/p>\n
While inspecting this colony, I transferred all the new frames and foundations to a new hive box.\u00a0 When I put the current one on, I didn’t notice I had failed to drill an entrance hole in it.\u00a0 I took one out with a hole and switched the frames into it, then closed up colony 2.\u00a0 Its primary job is to fill two hive boxes and make honey for overwintering.\u00a0 Beyond that it may make some honey late in the summer, but maybe not.\u00a0 Either way is good.<\/p>\n
The package colony, #3, has drawn out a good bit of comb and has made progress with larvae, honey and pollen, but is not yet ready for the second hive box.\u00a0 That goes on when 80% or so of the frames have drawn out comb filled with those three.<\/p>\n
Two stings today, both happened when lifting frames.\u00a0 I inadvertently placed my index finger on two different bees.\u00a0 It is not a big deal at all now, a nuisance.<\/p>\n
The smoker stays lit for the whole operation, too.\u00a0 That’s a big and important advance for me.\u00a0 My movements have slowed down and my inner world has a much calmer ![\"05-24-10_bee-diary_6702\"](\"http:\/\/www.ancientrails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/05-24-10_bee-diary_6702-300x225.jpg\" "\\"05-24-10_bee-diary_6702\\"")
aspect to it.<\/p>\n
(colony #2 with its hat at rakish angle)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beltane\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waxing Planting Moon Discovered an important aspect of bee-keeping this morning.\u00a0 When the temperature is 87 and the dew point is above 70, it gets really, really hot in the bee suit.\u00a0 Hot enough that by the time I finished I had begun to get dizzy, sweat literally dripped off my forehead and face.\u00a0 … Continue reading Bee Diary: May 24, 2010<\/span>