Hello everyone. I had a nice visit with an old friend this evening. Since I was asking a big favor I figured it would be best in person. My 2nd beehive got poisoned with Aqua Reslin by the city last week and I almost quit beekeeping. Instead of letting the fucking city win I decided to move my hives 17 miles into the country to my oldest friend's house. I have unlimited access and it's miles from a city or commercial farm. Hopefully it helps.
Have a good night!
The Guardian: Could become a death spiral’: scientists discover what’s driving record die-offs of US honeybees
Some of the more intact bee houses. Unoccupied, last I checked.
Jungle all around them.
7 hives in this apiary, which is on the edge of a thin strip of woodland. They are doing OK. #beekeeping
Slowly sorting out the old beehives in the overgrown orchard, as I'm making progress clearing around them.
Some might still be usable, but many are just too rotten, like this one. Someone wrote 1988 5 (May) in the lid, probably when the first colony moved in. And June 2000.
These are cold climate hives, they're insulated on three sides with cushions stuffed below and above the frames (now gnawed to pieces by mice).
I saved the metal roof, some of the frames, wax and a separator in good shape.
The planks are full of nails and difficult to re-use.
Our hive has a new queen, and her daughters are smaller in size. That does not stop them from getting right to work.
https://www.pictorem.com/2405409/honeybee-with-purple-flowers/
[New post] Counting mites is a thankless task, but you sometimes have to do it. New AI software can make the task easier, faster and more accurate (choose any three).
https://theapiarist.org/ai-and-beekeeping-counting-mites/
#beekeeping
Beekeepers: do you measure the water content of your honey before packaging?
Onte participei nunha interesante xornada na Casa das Abellas (Abegondo). Nela falouse sobre a apicultura pasada e presente. Na palestra abordei a historia da modernización da apicultura en Galicia (o paso da apicultura fixista á mobilista) mostrando as iniciativas de divulgación da apicultura moderna feitas entre finais do XIX e a primeira metade do XX. Na charla destacouse a figura de Benigno Ledo e o papel da Deputación de Lugo @raposavermella #beekeeping #apicultura #historiaagraria #abellas
Still learning the ropes, but so satisfying to see ~10kg of honey coming out of a single healthy hive.
I might reconsider my wish to own a sauna though 
Pink sky awakes,
Honey shakes. 
No suit needed -
Love's conceded! 
Field so bright,
Gold in sight.
All agree:
Best day be(e)! 
Fedi beekeepers:
Last year, I managed hives for a farmer. They closed their stand in late August and asked for a second honey batch even though it was very early. I got a weird last batch in October and tried keeping it in a sealed bucket.
The result is pictured. I think it's just crystallized, but what should I look for to determine if this can be sold in some form or not?
My little ladies are enjoying the sunflowers
https://www.pictorem.com/2402530/honeybee-on-sunflower-0704-1/
We finished with 74 pounds of bottled honey. This first crop will be for sale via the CSA at Upstream Farm and by in-person orders. We split it between one pound squeeze bottles and 2.5 pound glass jars.
First 2025 honey harvest. About 75 pounds off of two hives. Super productive already. We'll do rolling harvests this year just because I don't have enough honey supers to keep stacking.
