Spring Update 2022

 DANDELIONS ARE OUT!  That means that SPRING is officially here (as far as the bees are concerned) and it's time for an update on what we've been up to...

Long Live the Queen (but replace everyone else)

  

 Looks like we've officially made it through the last of winter. I've taken the snow tires off, bought gas for the lawnmower and the awning company should be out to shade our deck again any day now. For the bees, transitioning from winter to spring is arguably the hardest thing they ever do.

Selling Honey @ Pittsburgh Car Bazaar, Penn & 6th St Garage - April 10 and 24

   

The Pittsburgh Car Bazaar at Penn & 6th St Garage this past weekend was a great success for us! I realize now that I read that-- in my head-- in Borat's voice. I would not read it out loud like that, or at least I would not admit to it. But I digress...  It was great to meet many of you and we will be BACK for the April 24th Car Bazaar! Here's how the first one went:

Starting Our Fifth Year of Beekeeping & Winter Update

 

There's a joke in beekeeper circles that everyone becomes an expert in year three....  and then humbled again by year five. Or... something like that. I think we've been pretty humbled from the start (!) but are certainly older and wiser than we were five years ago and eager to start a new season. So let me start by giving a little update on where we screwed up last fall. Yeah.  HUMBLED.

Autumn Honey Harvest Available With Our NEW Labels!

BUY NOW! 

Total Fall honey harvest this year is 104 pounds. Which is interesting, because many Beekeepers are reporting huge year-over-year shortfalls due to the drought we've been having, but we're only 5 pounds less than last year.

A Backyard Beekeeper's Autumn Day's Work

 

I thought I would try something new this week, since I was going down to the apiary anyway...  So I tossed a phone in my pocket to see what would happen.

Timing the Fall Honey Harvest

 

This year's fall honey harvest has been a tricky one. A lot of beekeepers are reporting very low yields and the state is considering it a "failed crop." We have fared better (we think?) but it has not been without its challenges.

Maintaining Our Boardwalk

Our beekeeping mentors give us a bit of light-hearted grief about our "swamp," where the bee hives are located, but the bees really thrive down there... assuming you can GET to the bee hives, because the path is sometimes completely underwater.

How do honeybees find their way back home?

Our three main hives all look pretty similar and they're located really close to each other, so you might wonder how do honeybees find their way home at all, let alone into the "right" hive? It's really a fascinating process called orienting. 

Haulin' pollen means more bees!

 

As the late summer goldenrod is flourishing, the honeybees are busy stocking up on their winter supplies, but first...  they need more pollen.