Change your thinking about the SHB's and IPM strategies

The following letter, is in response to some questions abut HOW TO handle the Small Hive Beetles, and other pests that we must deal with in order to keep a colony of Honey Bees healthy. I felt it was important enough to copy it here...for all to learn from. I hope this helps your bees also. Picutures forthcoming.


"Okay, I gotta make sure I'm not misunderstood here.....LOL ....I have to agree with Greg here. I just mentioned that I liked the "beetle trap"....because it was so thin. I didn't say I liked "the bait". I couldn't tell what Pluta was using. Greg might be right here. If it is ROACH BAIT......I'd figure that the beetles SMELL IT....and fly on into the hive. Maybe...maybe not. I sure wouldn't want to LURE THE BEETLES ON INTO the hive!! Yikes! however, in talking to various BIG BEEKERS in the far southeast...and east coast....Georgia and Florida DOES HAVE terrible beetle issues. I still strongly believe in my "oil management" techniques, and have NO DESIRE to LURE in more Beetles. however, I do think I could incorporate such a THIN beetle trap, in the upper part of my hives. Since the Wintergreen disc sets on top off the brood chamber, top bars.....the beetles may tend to get AS FAR AWAY from this disc as possible.....hince...going high. By placing this THIN beetle trap (minus Pluta's lure), at the top.....and maybe placing a small piece of Wintergreen disc inside...might help knock out a few bettes. The bettles simply want a DARK PLACE to go....to get away from the bees. It might work....it might not. A simple attempt is in order.

Also, I've learned, that THE HIGHER the stack of honey boxes over the brood nest......the FURTHER room I give the beetles to run HIGH and hide. I didn't think about this much until I pulled the 4th and 5th boxes from tall hives 2 summers ago. Mmmmm? It wasn't that the "disc's" didn't work.....it was simply that I was giving the COLONY TOO MUCH room...by continuing to add boxes, without taking honey off, that could have certainly come off anyway. Also, I understand, that if you do pull a few boxes of honey, before main harvest, this will STATISTICALLY produce you more honey. I did this last year, but since we went DRY in early june.....i could tell no difference. I will pay closer attention to this principle for this year. We could be in for a rather large honey crop this year....as it is SO DARN WET!!! No promises...I know.

As far as "luring the beetles away" from the hives.....this would be the function of THE MOTH TRAPS....in coke bottles. In my "sandwich box" trap...the center cup.....is placed a small amount of MOTH TRAP mix. The SHB's do love this mix. But they are so darn small, I can't easily see them in the Moth Trap bottles, with all the other THOUSANDS of bugs that are in there too!!!. I'd assume that they easily find these big bottles and dive in for a feast. I've actually seen them flying around the hives....with their little butts hanging down.....looks like a miniature June Bug of sorts.....and they're fast too! No way to slap them out of the air....not happenin'! ha! Therefore, we're left at the mercy of what we "already know". Beetles like bee hives. If you don't have them....you'll get them. If you got them...you gotta find a way to GET THEM OUT. I've seen too many pics of Beetle larva pouring out the bottom of the hive. That's just gross neglect on the part of the Beeker...sorry. It seems too easy, in my mind, to just throw on a Wintergreen disc...and knock them out...and keep them out. If the stack of honey boxes gets too high......and there is only 1 disc down low...then yes, maybe the beetles will run high. Of course, you could put 1 disc high as well....but this is a bit much....if anything, I'd cut the disc in half...or quarter it. But heck....just harvest the honey and be done with it. I want the honey anyway...right. AND..this will COLLAPSE the bees a bit...and focus their attention on finishing off the remaining boxes to be compeleted.....AND....force out more beetles, etc. When bees are tightly packed....just enough to where they won't think of swarming....the BAD BUGS have fewer places to run and hide.

Here is a YouTube video of a Beeker in Arkansas, who has made an Oil Tray bottom board....i thought this was unique......a bit messy in my mind....but worth considering. i might try one??? See what you think.

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/user/jfreeman1944#p/a/u/2/G4Na95EjrPI
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/user/jfreeman1944#p/a/u/1/v8DQpla0biI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMiBuyyQ-BA&feature=related

Wow! a lot of work just to make this Arkansas Beetle trap up!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkfqxYL-45E&feature=related

I must go back to what Ray Crocker taught me over the phone. When he and his bee-buddies where testing Oils.....they eventually determined a RATIO of Canola oil and Wintergreen oil, that would knock out the mites and SHB's, but not harm the bees. This was so effective and so effecient...they headed off on a road trip to the Georgia and Florida State bee inspectors and actually had their BOTTOM BOARD TRAYS in tow!! ....in order to actually SHOW THEM what had been accomplished. Having kept my bees on these oil recipes that Crocker taught me, over 4 years now....I can see why. IT'S SIMPLE !! LOL. I can appreciate all these Beekers, coming up with all kinds of methods for traping out and getting rid of said BAD BUG. When you scour YouTube, looking for this kind of stuff....you really get a feel for what all kinds of things people are trying.

Yes, again, I'd agree with Greg....these BIG commercial keepers DON'T HAVE TIME.....they'll cut all the corners that they can. But did you see how many bettles where in his trap!!!! Good grief! that would tell me that the hives aren't checked that often. In other words.....THE QUALITY OF CARE suffers.....the larger you grow. The more hives......the less quality care....in my way of thinking.

In my phone visits with some larger beekers in florida and georgia....i asked them...."Do you know what Essential Oil management is for your bees?" ha! You should have heard their answers??/ ha! They just don't know. That's all....they just don't know.

I feel very fortunate to have learned from Mr. Crocker. Yes, he's still around. I'll make a point to contact him about once per year....just to visit. He did say that he liked the Mega Bee Diet pollen substitute. He was a bit leary to try it, but did so anyway....and his comment to me was...that he'd go ahead and use it. Mmmm? that's high praise comin' from a 60 year beeker!

I don't think I'm inclined to put ROACH BAIT up in my hives either. I find enough roaches in the lids, when I open up, etc. I don't need more. I know most people know about Boric acid and powdered sugar, as being a simple homemade roach killer. I just don't know about putting it in these thin bettle traps. Haven't convinced myself of that just yet. My Ace in the hole????? A full size wintergreen disc, ontop of the brood chamber....and keep the honey box stack under 3. ....if you can.

I don't like the idea of having to buy Guard Star, to spray around the hive, on the ground either. Just more cost...just more work. Beetles fly from one hive, to another, to another, to another..until they find one that they're comfortable with. keep all your hives on oils and strong.......(always in FULL SUNLIGHT)....and they'll all head over to Gregs hives...for a nice safe, warm home! ha! ha! (sorry, couldn't resist)

Here's what can happen if you neglect your colony, and this beeker atleast admits it, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB6x68J6uLo

This just looks like something you'd want in your hives.....right? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQDFl_giWwc

John Pluta and his THIN beetle traps (like I said, i like the THINness of this trap...not what he puts in it) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0mO-cYTZ58

And yet ANOTHER way of doing it....with boric acid and powdered sugar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_KDPp8H6PU

This is just disgusting to look at, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibbEY2J9kfY&feature=related

This is a unique design that merits some consideration, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egLroAZ_Qn0&feature=related


Now....if you took the time to look at these YouTube videos, you can certainly see the issue with the darn little black beetle. What's the one thing, that all of these videos HAVE IN COMMON? Think about it a sec. Ans; they want to either TRAP them, ATTRACT them, or DROWN them. ..................uh? Why not DRIVE THEM AWAY? We just don't want them....that's all. Just learn how to DRIVE THEM AWAY. If I can "kill'em" fine....but I don't want them INSIDE in the first place. I don't want them around at all.....I don't care WHERE they live....I just don't want them living INSIDE my bee hives. heck, i'm not going to kill ALL OF THEM. They just don't like the Wintergreen discs. If they stay inside TOO LONG....they die. They can leave on their own accord. DRIVE THEM AWAY. Sounds like common sense to me...how 'bout you?

All of these videos, most of them anyway...require you to BUILD something....drain something.....or buy something. UG! Too much darn work.....only to get rid of a LITTLE BLACK BEETLE. But if that's all they know...that's what they'll go with.

Here's an idea; 1 glass gallon jug, add 16 oz of Canola (or Corn) oil, to this add 1 oz of NATURAL Wintergreen oil (from www.lorannoils.com ) ....Go to Chilis resturant for Valentines dinner....ask for a stack of Coasters. Drop a few coasters in this mix, one at a time.....let them soak, they'll be fine. A full brood box gets 1 full disc. 1/2 a brood box gets 1/2 a disc. If the bees are on 3 frames, i'll cut it to 1/4 or less. Under 3 frames they're too tender and I don't give them anything. They'll chew up, walk on and drag out pieces of this disc. This RATIO of oils, is strong enough to knock out SHB, varroa and trachea mites. If it takes care of the beetles, then it's taken care of T-mites too. Crocker warned me, DO NOT go below 16 oz of Canola oil...if anything, you can go up to 23 oz of Canola...which dilutes the mix a bit. I keep it at 16 oz and I use Corn Oil....although, this year I may switch to Canola...why? just to change things up a bit. Canola is more expensive. And let the disc drip off a bit before you put it on. heck.....Crocker has used SHOP TOWELS and done this before. That's HUGE in comparison to a small disc. He just slaps the towel right down on the brood chamber...lets'em chew it up and out. A bit aggressive in my way of thinking. My point? the discs are a very safe and easy and CHEAP and efficient way of DRIVING AWAY (or killing) the BAD BUGS we have in our colonies. Too each his own. (pssssst ! and I'm not trying to SELL you anything either....just the fact that I've had great fun, and much success doing it this way..but, whatever.)

Off my soap box now! ha! gotta run...I hope i helped someone. check us out at www.littlecreekbeeranch.blogspot.com .....some cool pics and lessons.

see ya, Ken, Little Creek Bee Ranch."

How smart are Honey Bees? You decide!

Spring of 2008, I got a phone call from my mother-in-law, who had a small swarm of bees in her back yard here in Inola. She only lives 2 miles from us, on the other side of Inola. I reassured her everything was okay, that I'd be coming over straight away to catch them up and all would be okay. When I arrived, this is what I saw.

As I arrived, I initially didn't see the bees right away. I was looking "high". I was expecting bees to be hanging from a tree limb above my head somewhere. She had to point them out to me, and they where only 5 yards away from her back patio. Surprised to see them so LOW, I was pleased that this would be an "easy catch". (so I thought) Now, how to get them "caught".

Take a good look at this little swarm of bees. They're just hangin' out on an Azalea bush. They're only about 6" off the ground. Mmmm? What to do?

My in-laws are great gardeners and take great pride in their flower beds, etc. So, I didn't want to just go to cutting limbs, etc. Out of respect, I decided to forgo any "cutting" and approach it a different way.

Since the bees where so low to the ground, I could simply spritz them with sugar water, and slip my little "carry box" (a Nuc box for swarm catches..which I modified) up under this little swarm of bees, give them a good tap and shake them off the limb, and into this box. A simple strategy.....at least I thought so.

I did just that...and watched the bees fall into the box, settle on a few frames. I already had a bottle of Sprite, set up for them, ready to close them off, and take them away.....until.....?

I see them "pooching" on the front porch. If you look closely, this bee behavior tells me that the Queen is inside and the bees are telling their sisters to "Come home! Come home! The Queen is inside. We have food and a new home! Come back and get inside!" I knew this was a good thing. This is the behavior that I look for when catching swarms in Nuc boxes. Give them a minute or two to orient themselves and you should see the same thing. You can even see their Nosenov gland on the tip of their abdomen.

They where coming and going nicely. I was pleased with what I was seeing. I stood back and admired what I had just accomplished, all while my in-laws where watching me from the back porch, asking me if I had finally caught them.

I turned to talk to them and acknowledge their questions....when all the sudden, the bees starting POURING OUT THE FRONT PORCH of the box! Ug! Now what? Sadly, I have no more pictures of this event, due to the fact that we went into panic mode, in order to get these bees caught back AGAIN! ha! ha!

I looked down and saw all the bees running along the OUTSIDE of the nuc box, headed to the back side. Not sure of what I was seeing, I got on my hands and knees to take a much closer look. After a minute or two of study, I determined that THE QUEEN must have flown out and gotten over to the side of the box (or she didn't initially make it into the box in the first place?) and hunkered up UNDER the wood handle of the box, out of sight. I watched the bees, as they came to this spot. I grabbed my Queen catcher and gently worked my finger up under the wood handle to get her to move. It took a few trys, but she eventually came out, and we took a snap shot with the camera. If you look closely, you can see the Queen in the TOP LEFT of the above picture, with her attendants surrounding her. She was on the move! I gently caught her back with the Queen catcher. Once safely secured in the Queen catcher, I THEN PLACED THIS CATCHER IN THE BOX, in the back & on the bottom. All the bees began to flow back into the Nuc box, and all was well.

But the story doesn't end here!

I finally got these girls plugged up in the box and took them back home to my Honey Hut, just 2 miles away. I left them inside the Hut, in their box, with air, sugar water and with their Queen still inside the Queen catcher. So, they weren't going anyway.

The weather wasn't so good, and I had to wait a few days before I hived them into their new home. On the third day, I was able to get them safely setup in their own hive body. I recall I did this in the morning, around 9am.

Later, that same day, I got a call from my mother-in-law again. She was a bit panicked, and mentioned that "...these bees are back again!" Rather surprised, I said that they where probably looking for their Queen. I reassured her, that they would come back home in a day or two, just leave them alone, don't bother them and they'll head back home. To reassure her, I did make another trip back over to her house to check them out and let her know I cared. Sure enough, some of these bees WHERE ON THE SAME BUSH, ON THE SAME LIMB in fact.....a bit more fidgety than usual. They where certainly looking for their Queen. I didn't feel that these where all "scout bees"...there were too many of them. I'd say about half the colony had left their NEW HOME that I had just given them early in the day, and CAME BACK to the same spot that I caught them only 3 days earlier!!!!!

So, what's all this mean, as far as bees go? Several points of interest actually. 1) When I caught them, and finally got them all in the box, I closed them up and took them 2 miles away, and sat them down in my Honey Hut....for 2 1/2 days. They didn't even know where they were going, nor did they know where they were sitting. 2) When I finally hived them, about half the colony MADE A DECISION to go BACK TO THE SAME LIMB that they where on several days ago. 3) This tells me that they can "choose", to stay or go. 4) This also tells me that they "hunt" for a specific location....a specific plant....a specific branch. 5) That they can certainly FIND what they're looking for!!!! 6) After a few days, THEY DECIDED to come back home.

It took me a few more days to think about what had just happened. As I explained this all to my family, they where just as baffled and impressed as I was. This certainly gives me a new appreciation for the Honey Bee. They are certainly an INDEPENDENT little bug. And a VERY, VERY smart bug a that......wouldn't you agree?

Trapping Bees out of a tree, without cutting the tree down.

Here's a real challenge! Can you get these bees out of the tree safely and successfully, without cutting down the tree? Mmmmm? How would you go about doing that? Lets learn!

See this old knot? On the left side of this knot, the bees are coming and going. First, find out if there are any other holes in the tree that they are using. If so, plug them with old rags, or cotton batting. Use the main hole that they are using to enter and exit.

Some of this old, flaky bark needs to be peeled off. Be sure to use your smoker a little bit, before you start digging at this bark. These bees where very nice, and didn't give me a hard time.

Another hole that they are using, got plugged up with cotton batting.
Before you begin, you need to make a Cone, from hardware cloth. The tip of the cone needs to be about as wide as a Pencil....rather small. Staple the Cone against the tree. Plug all gaps around the base of the Cone. This cone needs to be as level as possible. You'll need to create as smooth a surface as possible on the tree trunk.As soon as you get the cone properly secured, the bees will try really hard to "breech" your set up. See the bees on the cone above? They're feeding each other through the mesh cone. They'll try hard all day long to get through the base of the cone. Plug any gaps.When you set your Nuc up, it needs to be level with the hole in the tree. Use a folding table or cinder blocks, whatever, in order to get the Nuc level with this hole. In the back of the Nuc you need to have about an 1" wide hole, for your screened Tube to be inserted into the back of the Nuc. This tube is THE KEY. The other end of the tube needs to go OVER the outside tip of the Cone. Note; the tip of the Cone CAN NOT touch the inside of the tube. Otherwise, the bees will be able to travel back and forth. As long as the tip of this cone, doesn't touch the inside of the tube, the bees can't figure out how to get BACK INTO the tree....it becomes a ONE WAY trip. In the above picture, the Nuc box is too low, and I'll have to adjust it up, in order to level the Cone and Tube.

After surveying the situation, I need to get this table a bit higher. I used small flat stones to get the table higher and more level. Here's is the BIG TRICK; inside this Nuc box, is 4 brood frames that are FOUNDATION ONLY. The remaining 5th frame is a frame of brood, placed in the center of the Nuc, with another Queen on this brood frame. The bees come out of the tree, can't get back through the Cone, find that there is ANOTHER Queen inside this new box that needs help raising all this new found brood. These newly trapped workers then kick into gear INSTINCTIVELY and leave the FRONT side of the Nuc, go out and forage in order to care for their NEW QUEEN and brood, come back home and remain.

Notice that I have a jar of sugar water on the front porch. I'll keep a new jar of sugar water on this Nuc until I get all the bees caught out of the tree.

Get a good look at this set up. An old milk crate, a few old boards. The table that this is all setting on, is a folding plastic table that I bought at Wal-Mart for using at Farmers Market.

As the bees begin to fill the box, they'll add more and more weight to the table. This causes the table to sink into the ground. Over a 4 week period, I had to adjust the height of the Nuc 2 times. The weight of the bees put the table further into the soft soil. It may not be soft where you are, but this set up was classic. Keep this Nuc level with the hole in the tree!!

After a few weeks, I gently smoked the front of the Nuc and took off the lid for a short check on the bees. The Nuc was full of bees!! It was working! I could see that the bees where still coming out of the tree at this time, so I left them for another 2 weeks. I checked on them each week. But only opened them up once. If it's working, leave it alone. It took me 4 weeks to catch all these bees. The OLD QUEEN will remain inside the tree. She won't come out. We will sacrifice this old Queen. The end result? I was able to capture nearly all the bees out of this tree, over a 4 week period. It wasn't hard. I had to check on them 4 times. I didn't have to cut down a tree, and make a mess. And the owner of this land and tree was very pleased and excited. The tree was only 10 feet from their back porch. He even said I could cut the tree down and just suck up the bees if I wanted to do so. I prefer to trap them out, if possible. It's so much easier. A bit slower, not nearly as messy. Bees are calm and gave me no hassles. When it came time to take them home, I smoked them just a bit, and plugged the front with screen, and removed the tube in the back, covered the hole with Duct tape. Picked up all my gear and thanked the owner. They later got a few pints of honey for all their trouble. Everyone was happy. The bees got a new home. The beekeeper got some new bees, the easy way. And the land owner didn't have to hassle with anymore bees as he mowed his backyard.

How to catch a hanging swarm of Honey Bees!!

So you walk out to check your Honey Bees, and you see this.....? What to do now? And where did they come from? See the hive closest to the swarm of bees? It's hive #4, and they've decided to swarm out, and get ready to LOOK FOR A NEW HOME!! Let's give them one!

Note the TIME OF YEAR, the date on the photo. This is the time of year when we see HUGE swarms of bees. They can be rather large. This one is a good size, but not huge. Also notice the honey suckle limbs that are in the way? They have to be clipped out of the way, carefully.

Inside this cluster of bees, is the OLD QUEEN. Likely, I won't see her as we work these bees, but she is there, ...in the middle some where. They're simply hangin' out while SCOUT BEES go out and look for a new home.

Once the Scout Bees find a pretty good home, they'll come back and DANCE on the cluster very aggressively, in order to convince their sisters to come along with her. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. They might hang here for a day, or 2, but not much more than that. Then, they're off.

An important tip here; once you come out and SEE the bees hanging....just remember, they SEE YOU too! And then, the GAME IS ON! If you don't go get your equipment right away and catch them back, likely they'll fly off to hang in a more private location. This has happened to me more than a few times. When you SEE THEM, they SEE YOU....catch them back NOW!!

The first step is to spray them down with a bottle of scented sugar water. You can put a little vanilla in your bottle of sugar water, and spritz them down, wet their wings...make them think about EATING, and not LEAVING. They'll fidget a little bit, but settle down and chill out. Just remember, they're LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME....that's all. So, give them one!

Now it's time to gently clip out the small SECONDARY limbs, and get them out of your way so you can get ready to dump them in a Nuc box. This is a classic, easy catch for a Beekeeper.

Once the secondary limbs are clipped out of the way, find the MAIN limb that the bees are hanging on to. Bees which have swarmed, are GORGED with honey....they chose to leave their home, in order to start a new one. Therefore, they must take as much honey as they can suck up, in order to build wax inside their new digs!! They're HEAVY. Slide the EMPTY nuc box up under this cluster of bees, and hold it firmly.

Once you've found the main limb, reach up with your free hand and clip the main limb gently. The bees will fall into the EMPTY nuc box......set the box down right under where they're where just hanging. Remember, you have Scout bees coming back, and they'll be looking for their Sisters and Queen.

Once the box is on the ground, reach in and grab the main limb. Gently shake off all the bees.

Place this main limb, just in front of the Nuc box. TIP; the Queen pheromone is on this main limb!! The other bees are looking for this limb. Leave it there in front of the Nuc box for a little while. Also, do you see the "white stuff" along the main limb, we just sat down in front of the Nuc box? That's small bits of wax that they laid down while hanging there. Cool uh? The bees now crawling on the limb, are likely scout bees who have returned and are looking for their Queen. A bit confused, they'll quickly determine that she is now inside, and head on in to check out their new house.

Now gently place your frames down inside the Nuc. DO NOT push the frames down! Remember, you have a pile of bees in the bottom, trying to get themselves oriented to their new house. Simply set the frames on top of them, carefully. As they come up and onto the frames, the frames will sink into the Nuc.

When you see the bees coming up and around the frames, they'll quickly take ownership of their new home! They're like little kids at this point. They'll run up and down the frames, very excited to have a new place to call home! Watch them and enjoy this moment. It's rather funny. They get just as excited to have a new house, as children do when we buy a new home! They go goofy!! Give them a fresh jar of good sugar water, on a porch feeder, and watch how they act on the porch. Bees want a Queen, food, and a safe home. If the Queen is inside, they'll POOCH backwards on the porch and fan hard. They'll point their bottoms up in the air, and roll out their Nosanov gland, telling their sisters to come home! "Come home! Come home! Our Queen is here! The food is here! And we've found our new home!" This is what you're looking for, once you have the bees in the Nuc. Put the lid on and let them settle down. You can plug the Nuc later in the day, well after sundown, and move the Nuc where you want to set it permanently. Leave them plugged, until early the next morning. Pull the plug early the next morning, and walk away. Leave them alone. They're sensitive, tender and a bit shy. I won't go back and check on them for a week or two. The Queen will crawl all over the frames, and the more she does, the more of her pheromone she spreads around. The more she crawls around, the greater the chances are that they'll stay put. If you have lots of other bee hives, a simple way to LOCK THEM DOWN, is to give them a fresh frame of BROOD, from another hive, but MINUS the bees. This is my INSURANCE POLICY in order to keep them in the box. If you don't have a frame of brood, just keep giving them good sugar water, they'll do the rest. When you do move them, try to move them 80 to 150 yards away from the hive that they just left. Otherwise, they may decided to just up and leave again. Bees will do, what bees want to do. Rathe independent little critters too!

Congratulations! You've just caught a swarm of Honey Bees! And the best thing is....that CAUGHT SWARMS produce LOTS and LOTS of honey! They really work hard! Get ready! Enjoy!

Summer of 2009 Honey Harvest

The first step is to smoke the hive just a little bit. The bees think their house is on FIRE! They'll go suck up a little honey, thinking they might have to leave and find a new home. This also gorges their tummies, and they can't roll to sting me..a good thing. The smoke also stops them from communicating. Bees communicate chemically. Therefore, they can't get a "rally" against the Beekeeper, as he does his work.


















We then carefully separate the honey boxes on the stack. The boxes are glued tight with wax and propilis. Slow and steady is the key here. No fast moving of hands. Once the box is separated, we'll pull a few frames to check for how much honey is on the OUTER EDGES of the box. This will give me an idea as to how much honey the entire box holds. A full honey box will usually hold about 40 lb's of honey! More than you'd think, depending upon the size of the box. See the bees on the frame of comb that I'm holding, as I pull it up. The bees are all chilled out, no problems. As long as I'm tender and slow, they'll let me do most anything.


















It's time to turn the box on end, and use the leaf blower to blow out the bees. This is the fastest, easiest way to get the bees out of the honey boxes. This doesn't hurt the bees or make the bees mad, they're used to having the wind blow them around. They simply think that a strong wind came along and just blew them out of the house. Once out of the box, they'll float down to their front porch and go right back inside. We'll turn the box around a few times and blow all the bees out that we can see. There will be a few bees that we miss, but this is fine. We'll deal with them a bit later in the process.



















It's always helpful to have another Beekeeper come and hold the boxes upright as we blow the bees out. We never want a honey box to fall to the ground. The frames and combs of honey would surely break open, and we'd have a huge mess on our hands. Needless to say, thousands of bees looking to gather all that honey back up. We'll also put on empty honey boxes for them to start filling back up again. This will be the SECOND harvest later in August. The first honey harvest occurs around early June, the Clover honey!! The second harvest is mid August....which is Wild Flower honey!

Once the initial blowing of bees is done, we'll carry the honey boxes over to the tractor/trailer and stack them, and cover them. We may even have to blow a few more bees out again. Easy, no problem. And no mean bees! Then, off to the honey hut!!