Pre-Season Garden Report from The Home

A Honey of a Bee Story
Mrs. Bizzy B's ... Bees !!!
April 2017



Honey Bees in the Pot

Whilst prepping the container garden for this years attempt at some tomato’s. peppers, and cukes down here at the home, we discovered that some honey bees had taken up residence in one of the main planter pots used to make a shelf for the container garden ... wow!!

Bees – yikes!!?? Are these safe, or African bees?– is there honey? – how can we save them, or can we? … hmm ...

What to do Percy?

I puzzled on this for a day or so, then realized that our local farmers market folks might be a lead on where to find a bee person for advice. I was hoping – with crossed fingers – to be able to find someone who could help me save, and move the bees – versus an exterminator and killing them!

First, I called our Urban Harvest folks – who coordinate our community gardens and our truck farms and farmers markets. They referred me to the 'Honey Lady', but alas, when I called, she was harvesting honey out of town. She referred me to Shelly – a well known local bee keeper, and teacher of Bee Keeping at the local High School. Shelly was the right call! Here's why! First 3 calls, got me to right to Shelly who is locally known as “The Bee Rescue Lady” !! woo hoo! What a great decision to call the farmers market – the bees will be saved!!!

Shelly was instantly interested and helpful! She immediately came over and inspected, and determined these indeed were nice docile honey bees – not the aggressive “Africanized” bees that are so dangerous to have around. Shelly said she'd be back the next day with a means to capture the hive. They would be rescued, and moved to her acreage with many other bees, and live a nice happy bee life! Yay!

The process to transfer the bees however, had surprisingly many steps and stages over the next few days ... who knew? I did re-discover how super fascinating bees are, and this whole 'close up and personal' episode was a delightful exploration of how bees live and work. Mentally I reviewed all the nature documentaries on bees I've seen over the years, and remembered that as a youth, I loved to visit the Museum of Agriculture. I would sit entranced for long periods of time, by observing the huge bee hive they had behind a glass wall for spectators, and watching the little 'dances', signals, and moves of the workers and drones. Totally engrossing, but I digress!

The next day when Shelly arrived, the first job was to determine if there was even a decent hive, that would transfer! So far, we only had seen a few bees going in and out of the 'drain' holes in the upside down flower pot.

Without any protection or netting ... Shelly gently lifted the container straight up ... but then a curious thing happened. As Shelly picked the pot straight up, out fell a giant 'disc' the size of a dinner platter – and apparently had covered the whole bottom! The bees had actually sealed the opening over the ground, to prevent water and moisture from affecting the honey combs.

The large disc was made of the tan bark bits that had been on the ground under the planter. The bees had glued together all the individual bits of bark to make a large unified disc, and completely seal the bottom. It was a spectacular bit of construction. Shelly had never seen one so perfect. They had sealed the whole inside of the flower pot!! Amazing!

I gently put my cellphone camera on 'selfie' – slid it under the pot while Shelly was holding it up at waist level – and quickly snapped a couple pics. On the playback, we were delighted to discover a beautiful hive with six beautiful combs. It was a well established, healthy hive! Nice!

Once we realized there was a lovely hive, apparently with several hundreds of bees ... the next step was to get a transfer box, and get the hive resettled -- out of the flower pot – into the temporary hive. This was the part we were all excited to watch. How ever is it done?

When Shelly returned the next time, she had a small specially designed cardboard transfer box with several frames slotted into it ... the empty frames are designed just for this process. The box becomes a temporary travel home. It was late in the afternoon by this time, and it was decided to let the roaming bees return home to the flower pot, and start the project of transfer in the morning while most of the bees were out of the hive gathering, so there would be fewest at home to worry about.

The next day, around 10 am, Shelly arrived and brought Cameron (manager of our local farmers market). He is also a bee keeper and came to help open the hive and start the transfer. Cameron got out his sharp serrated knife, and gently began to cut open the side of the heavy plastic planter ... to inspect what was there and what might be transferable. He made a nice opening on the side and we could see the hive working. Fascinating!! They studied how to remove the combs, and keep them intact, and so they could be attached to the frames of the transfer box.



Honey Combs

Once determined that the well established combs could be removed, they were gently and carefully taken out one at a time, and attached to frames with large rubber bands to cinch them. This took quite a few hours, always being careful not to hurt the bees, or cause damage to the combs.

The process to remove and attach the combs to the frames took the best part of a day ... the bees were surprising in that they were so gentle. A bit of bee smoker was used once at the start ... but not really a lot. There was very little need for more smoke later... the one quick puff around the hive at the start was enough. I found it curious that the best bee smoke is made by using local oak leaves and ground debris from where the hive is – somehow this seems to calm the bees.



Bee Carrier

By the end of the afternoon, all the combs had been transferred, and placed in the frames, and all the while, the bees were continuously working and tending the hive – even during all the disruption! The box was closed up, and left in place for the night. The bees that were out, would follow pheromones to the new hive, and find the entry. That evening the harvesting bees returned as dusk fell. By dark they were all home in the new box- hive.! How easy was that?!

That night, all the bees came home to the new box. After dark, Shelly came and got the box with all residents aboard!! They are now living on a lovely acreage, with many other bee hives, and will no doubt continue to be a very productive hive on their own. Bees saved!!

In all this process of moving and attaching combs, drops of honey got everywhere, and of course had to put just a wee drop on my finger – and quickly finding it delicious and sweet, with just a lovely hint of fruitiness. Yum!

Shelly has promised to bring us some honey soon, and we are even talking about putting a small official hive back where these guys were, to continue pollinating the local neighborhood gardens! Apparently they were there a long time – maybe a few years – and never bothered anyone – maybe we can do it again ... properly? All in all though, it has been quite the Bee Adventure!

Shelly will be using the left over materials – the cut away flower pot , and the plug / disc made from the bark, as well as many of these pics and videos for teaching … We got enough photos and video's to even make Ken Burns nervous!

I was surprised that I never needed any protection to get in close with the camera. The bees would check me out, but somehow sense I wasn’t meaning harm ... and they let me put the camera wherever I wanted. There are some great shots of the queen cells with the attending bees... even some of a pest beetle that moves into hives and kills therm – they were saved that fate and have a grand new rebirth!

This has been a great experience and fun project. Very satisfying and rewarding. Bees – and bee photography.. who knew?

Mom grew up on the farm, and Grandad always had bees ... I recall having him tell wonderful tales about keeping his bees, holding swarms in his hands. I saw him pick up a bee many times ... trapped in a window ... and carry it outside! He delighted in his bee's, and now I can understand why, and Mom always has tales of the bees down on the farm – my how we also love when she reminisces about those honeyed golden days too!

Well that’s about all from the home folks ... this is Bea Hunei ... signing off for now.



Honey Bees at Work