Honeybees are remarkable creatures. Had someone told me this before I got my first hives, I would have agreed, but not really understood. Now I understand.
When I asked one of my honeybee mentors, he suggested that I leave it there over winter and fix it this spring. "They can eat the honey to help sustain them during the winter," he said. That made sense to me.
Last week, I opened the top, and the box was still a mess, but the bees were working with it. They weren't happy, but I lifted the messy box off, put it in my honey trailer, installed a new hive that I recently built, and closed it up.
Once in the honey house, stripped the messy comb and honey out of the frames and put it in a big aluminum baking pan. Then I took that pan full of wax and honey and rigged up a temporary box on the hive and closed it up.
On Wednesday, I went back out, removed the pan and the temporary box, and replaced the cover. Now the hive is like all the others except it has sturdy boxes and frames.
The bees had removed all the honey from the comb in the pan and put it on the new box I'd installed when I started this process.
I put the pan in the honey trailer and took it to the honey house. The bees swarmed after me saying unkind things about my mother.
Today, when I got a chance to look at the pan of wax, I was amazed. They not only removed the honey but were transforming a pile of wax into a piece of organic art.
Remarkable indeed. Industrious - AND artists.
ReplyDeleteVEry cool.
ReplyDeleteOh, I wish I could have bees. Unfortunately my spousal unit is very allergic....but that art work is amazing, and it made me happy to see it!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy learning about beekeeping through your words and photos.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Art indeed. God is a marvelous artist.
ReplyDeleteYes! I have wondered about bees. For some reason I have a few bees (+/- 2o in my basement. I refuse to swat at them and try to mind my own business. Sherry is a little different, she cannot ignore a bee, she must swat. It is built in defense of most folk.
ReplyDeleteThe nests I found in our block is different from bees of course. Much smaller holes in the cone or nest.
I just wonder if the bees in the basement are looking for something sweet.
Like many here in Bloggersville, I am enjoying your BEE Keeping information. I am continuing to learn, what I have learned is how little I know about nature and the BEE! Good stuff. LOve the BEE art.
Sherry & jack
Amazing! A honeycomb shawl.
ReplyDeleteAlphie
That is amazing! Now what do you do with it?
ReplyDeleteBees wax is used for candles, lip balm, and many other things. Not sure what I will do with this one.
DeleteI agree but really don't understand so found this interesting
ReplyDeleteI love honey and I am in awe at how amazing the honey bee is. They know how to recycle, work as a social unit..we could learn from them.
ReplyDelete