The Wonder of Bees.

[TOF]

I experienced my first opening of a hive last week, it was a top bar. I didn't see the queen but it was truly fascinating and has made me more determined to have some.

[T-oddity]

That's the way to go TOF, work with some one who has experience and it won't be long before you have bees of your own, you sort of get stung by it lol.

[Barneyboy]

I think that when tshtf ,honey will be worth its weight in gold ,you could barter it for anything

[Skean Dhude]

Bee hives are usually made of hard woods like red cedar because it lasts a long time with minimal maintenance. I have a couple of BeeHaus which are plastic ones.

[TOF]

Stupid question, how do you harvest honey from naturally drawn comb?

[T-oddity]

Easiest way is to eat the lot, comb and all, yumm! After that the easiest way is to get the comb in your hands and squeeze best done over a bowl and straining cloth. The remaining wax can then be put in the straining cloth suspended over a suitable bowl in a cool oven about 35 C probably the lowest most ovens will go over night which will just warm the remaining honey to enough to run out of the wax, Lot cheaper than all that centrifuge stuff.

[MaryN]

Well, I was hoping to get a hive this year, but Ma Nature has decided to step in... in the form of a nest of bumblebees! The little dears have taken up residence in one of the garden walls and are busily building a home. I have no objection to this; they are also to be seen in just about every area of the garden. I am pretty certain they are responsible for the good pollination of the fruit growing area this year - they are in the wall beside the patch - so, money saved and hopefully the nest will survive for the season.

[T-oddity]

It is regarded that Honey bees pollinate about 30% of the food that you eat, not strictly true as an awful lot of pollinating is done by other insects and bumble bees are far more efficient than honey bees, generally they start earlier in the day and work later into the evening, if you are looking to improve pollination in your own crops without the hassle of keeping bees then having a diverse variety of nectar rich plants throughout the season to attract in pollinating insects and a bug hotel for insects to hibernate in over winter is about the best thing you can do. Of course you don't get the benefits of honey.

[MaryN]

Pollination is more important to me than honey at the moment. I did not know that bumblebees were so efficient; well, actually I now have proof of it. I may move on to honeybees next year, but thanks for the tip about a bug hotel.

[Skean Dhude]

(7 May 2014, 10:14)TOF Wrote: Stupid question, how do you harvest honey from naturally drawn comb?

Few questions are stupid.

Two ways. As t-Oddity said, just eat the lot as comb. Usually a more expensive option when purchasing. You can buy jars with the comb in.

The usual way though it to run a knife across the wax caps removing them, there is a tool of the right side for the frames, and then letting the honey flow out. A centrifuge can be used to spin it out faster if you have a lot. This then gets filtered and put into jars.