Bees Buzzing and Walking Stick bugs... walking

I have been neglecting the BEE portion of this blog.... so I decided to make it up to you today while N is taking his nap and I am hiding from the heat and humidity of the day.

While most hives these days are based on the horizontal Langstroth design, some folks are choosing a less invasive method. For example, these are my 2 top bar hives. In a top bar hive less area is exposed when handling the bees. With the devistating effects of Colony Collapse Disorder, I am a firm believer that the ONLY sustainable method of beekeeping is if you don't treat with pesticides and antibiotics and you just let the bees be. The wax is cleaner and not infused with poisons. The 'treatments' effect the reproductive organs of the drones and queen, and are detrimental to the fragile immune system of the honeybee in general. Treatments effect the purity of the honey and propolis as well which are the bees sources of nutrition and medicine. We are so lucky to have the honeybee in our world. I read that every third bite of food on our plate is brought to us courtesy of the honeybee.

There are no pesticides or antibiotics used in these 2 hives. One hive has Russian/feral genes and the other is from a wild swarm found here in NY. Right now, the wild bees are faring much better. More bees, more comb, more honey. I am worried about the Russian cross hive as they had a rough start in May and a bout of chalk brood during the cold damp weather. I have given them a few jars of sugar syrup to try to get them to rear more brood before it is too late. If they do not build up the population soon, and start foraging more and making more honey, I am afraid that they will not survive the winter. Sugar syrup has a much higher pH than honey and a lot less nutrition. On one hand feeding the bees a higher pH, you risk the chance of a higher reproduction of brood disease, on the other hand, lack of bees this late in the season could mean the bees will starve over the winter. It is a gamble and a difficult decision for a beekeeper who wants to do right by her bees. I took another risk as well in hopes that I might help save this hive.... I took a bar of healthy bees and brood from the 'wild' colony and gave it to the weak one. I am trying to read up on every natural method I can to help these bees. I fear though, that the more we mess with bees the worse for wear they become. I will never stop learning from them.

This is a "bar" from the healthier of the two hives. The bees build their own comb the way and size they choose. Their cell size is not predetermined by a factory made piece of plastic that already has the size of each cell stamped into it. The bees cells are scaled down in this method of beekeeping because they are building it without this plastic foundation. It is obviously more natural. The bees are healthier for it and they are also more hygienic. It is thought that the smaller cell size also has a better potential for discouraging varroa mites and other pests from devastating a colony. The comb is like a fortress. Bigger is NOT better in this case. MORE bee buzz to come ....

Oh, and here is another cool fellow... I saved from being squished by the garage door.