Beekeeping 101

This is me and my cousin Jason. He and my Aunt Maxine came for a visit and for his first lesson on beekeeping. We're suited up, just need to put our veils on and we'll be ready to go.

This picture was taken shortly before harvest time. I've just pulled out a frame that is completely capped (the cells full of honey have a thin layer of wax covering them).

Notice the flat piece of metal Jason is holding, this is a 'hive tool'. Bees produce a thick tacky substance called propolis that they use to glue everything together. It's good for plugging holes in the hive, insulating any cracks and is an excellent water proofer. The hive tool is just a mini pry bar used to separate things.

Now I'm looking for the queen to show Jason and I know she's in the bottom.
The queen can only move around in the bottom box known as the hive body. A queen excluder prevents her from getting any higher in the other boxes. She should never get up in the areas that the honey will be harvested from because you don't want to harvest honey with eggs or larvae in it. A queen excluder looks alot like a cake cooling rack and sits directly on top of the hive body, between it and the next box up. The worker bees have no problem getting through this to do their work, but the queen is so much larger and the cross pieces are so close together that she wont fit.

Jason is holding a frame with probably a few hundred bees on it. They continue to be so focused on their chores that they don't pay us much attention.

Afterwards, Jason wanted to try out the John Deere. Bush hog to your heart's content. Danny and I are glad you and Maxine were able to come visit. Come on back anytime.

Did you know ......

just how healthy honey is? It can be used on cuts, scratches and burns (do not use on open wounds). It takes the moisture out of everything and promotes faster healing, reduces scarring and reduces the chance of infection since it is sterile. For allergies, 2 teaspoons daily is recommended.

In addition to honey, a hive also produces pollen, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom. Pollen is the bee's protein source and cannot be made in a lab. It contains enzymes, vitamins, omega 3's, 22 amino acids, and is 35-40% protein. It is used as a dietary supplement to increase energy, aid in digestion, improve circulation, help allergies, and bolster the immune system.

Beeswax contains vitamin A and serotonin. It gives off positive ions when burning which is good for the air. Propolis contains antioxidants, antibiotics, antimicrobials, is antiviral and antifungal. It strengthens the immune system, heals burns, and helps skin disorders, fights colds and flues. Royal Jelly is produced in the heads of nurse bees for larval food. It contains B1, B2, B5, & B6. It reduces stress, increases resistance to disease, and combats aging and growth problems. It is used in cosmetics to improve skin. It also heals cuts, scrapes and burns. Bee Venom contains enzymes, proteins, and amino acids. It stimulates the release of cortisone, is hemorrhagic in action and applied directly or by intramuscular injection.

This information was obtained from the Georgia Beekeeping Association and the University of Georgia Entomology Department.