The End Of Winter

As I wend along this MooseBoots path, I find a comforting rhythm.  The seasons ebb and flow into one another with slightly different nuances at each passing.  It has seemed like a very long Winter at the expense of the Spring.


We tapped the maples back in February, the sap flowed for a few days.  The weather turned cold, the sap stopped.  It has dripped in fits and starts.  We have finally achieved having both enough sap and time for a boil.  Thus far, we have only 3 pints of syrup put up for the year.  We still have ~60 gallons of sap left to boil, but the buds on the trees are getting bigger (my primary gauge) and the weatherman (my backup data) is forecasting increasingly warmer days.  I fear the season is all but over.  It is strange collecting sap and not boiling until April.  In spite of it all, we are so grateful for the abundant offering nature gives.  We gladly accept.

Last year was a year for the bees.  We spent a bit more effort with them.  We purchased a package again to put in one of the hives. We caught a swarm at a friend's home and installed them in a hive that I built.  And, we caught a swarm at our home and put them in a hastily purchased hive.  Each Spring, around this time, we check to see if the hive(s) survived.  We figured our odds were better this Winter because we started out with three hives instead of one. 


We watched with excitement in February as the bees from one hive took a purging flight (they hold their excrement all Winter until it is warm enough to leave the hive).  We continued to watch each hive for signs of life.  The Yellow hive, which contained bees purchased from Tennessee or Georgia, show no signs of life.  The Gray hive bubble with bees on that warm day and have continued to show signs of life each warm day since.  The Green hive, the swarm we caught here at home, shows signs of life, but we only ever saw one or two bees.  We weren't sure it survived.


Last week, we unwrapped the Yellow hive and removed most of the remaining honey.  We left some for the bees in the Gray hive to come and take.  Yesterday, I unwrapped the other two.  I did not open the Gray hive, which is obviously alive and well, but I was curious about the Green hive, which we were unsure of.  I slowly removed bar after bar finding only empty comb and dead bees, until ... I decided to take a look at the other end of the hive, where I had put the swarm into the hive.  I started lifting a bar and saw movement.  Of course, I took a better second look and decided to leave it ...  THEY ARE ALIVE, too!


We have noted over the past few days that the two, of three, hives that survived were started with bees (swarms) from Maine, while the one that died, was not.  Perhaps there is nothing to it, but the strongest hive last Fall was the Yellow hive, which had the longest time for preparation for Winter.  The Green hive had only from July until the cold to build comb, store honey, and seal the hive.  Yellow hive had a full 2 months longer.


I am not sure of the strength of the Gray hive, but the Green colony is very small.  Of course, they should be able to fill the rest of the hive given that we should see pollen soon.  The maples will flower and the pines will release their pollen.


There is so much to learn.  And, Nature seems to be so willing to teach, if only we take the time to slow down.  In the words of Dan Tyminski and  Avicii, " ... there are endless roads to re-discover ...".

May you feet find the path your hearts seeks!

A Story Of Bees

Years ago, when we were taking our nature classes with the girls, we spent a significant portion of the time playing awareness games.  The goal was to teach us to be aware of our surroundings, to pay attention to all of the things that were happening around us.  We focused on using our ears.  We looked at things with our peripheral vision.  We felt things with our hands and feet.  We smelled things.  We tasted them.

The idea is that we can "see" much more if we use all of our senses, including our intuition.  As a culture, at least in this country, we tend to use only our eyes.  Perhaps, this is a large part of our human condition.  It makes one wonder how the blind can manage in our largely visual world.  Each class we played a couple of games, although they varied from week to week.

I have noticed that one of my girls, Little Fire Faery, really learned the lessons.  She will, invariably, pick out animals and plants on the side of the road when we travel, or see things that the rest of us overlook.  I am awestruck with her ability to notice things.  It could be that being young gives her the advantage of fewer things to share her focus ... she does not need to worry about how to get somewhere or if the coffee pot was shut off or if the car has enough gas.  She is free to watch, listen, feel, and ponder.  Her sisters are free in the same ways, but she has a real gift in this regard.

Last night, as we pulled into the driveway, she exclaimed, "what is that", as she pointed to the top of the trees on the other side of the house.  There, about 20 feet from the ground, was a swarm of bees hanging on a branch.  We all excitedly began to discuss how cool the bees were and that we should try to catch them.

Unfortunately, I did not have another hive prepared.  One hive was filled with bees that we purchased.  The other, which I built last fall, is home to the swarm I caught this spring (I had intended to post about this, but never got to it).  So, the dilemma was whether to let them go or try to find a hive, in spite of the fact that we already have two healthy hives on our little 1/4 acre lot.

I am not one to let an opportunity pass.  So, I scoured the internet (unclehenrys, craigslist, and ebay) for hives.  I also place several phone calls, and sent messages, to friends who had hives in the past.  I frantically searched.  As luck would have it, there was an e-bay listing for 2 top bar hives within 50 miles of my house, but the auction would not end until 23:30 tonight which would keep me from getting the bees into it today.

I contacted the person listing the hives and asked if he would part with one before the auction ended. Thankfully, he agreed.  In fact, he offered to meet me half way between his place and mine.  We arrange to meet and complete the transaction.  So, this morning, Wendy and I drove to meet him.  While I only needed one hive, I picked up both ... one for me and one for a friend.

It was raining a bit, but we managed to get the hives in the truck, after removing the legs, and drove home.  As soon as we made it home, I re-attached the legs.  We then moved it into position, leveling it to make sure the bees built comb that did not cross from bar to bar.  That done, we began to ponder how to get the bees down and into the hive.

We talked, we schemed, we planned.  The first thought was to cut the branch, while balanced on the top of a ladder, and then "bonk" the bees into the hive.  Bonk ... by the way ... is the technical term for forcefully knocking something against another surface to physically dislodge the bees.  This causes a lot of buzzing, and quite often a cloud of confused bees, around the "bonked" site.

It turns out a 12 foot tall ladder is not tall enough to reach a 20 foot high limb.  Go figure.  In fact, getting a rope tied a branch at that height is pretty much impossible, too.  Then, we got creative ... lets try to tie a 5-gallon bucket onto the end of a 15 foot long pole.  The idea was to place the bucket under the swarm and then bump the branch, with the bucket, to knock the bees into it.

The first attempt succeeded in putting some bees in the bucket while other clumps fell toward the ground.  I am sure you can imagine the resulting chaos ... confused bees simply trying to protect the queen until a suitable new home could be found.  There were still a large number of bees in the tree, so we tried again and again.

I lowered the bucket to the ground and ventured a peek inside.  Wow!  That is a lot of bees.  At this point, a couple of the bees decided that I was to blame and flew violently around my head.  So, I casually, calmly walked back ... at a brisk pace ... ouch, STING.  I waited a second and then cut the ropes that tied the bucket to the roof rake.

A swarm , you see, consists of all of the bees needed to start a new colony.  The queen picks a place to hang out and the other bees surround her in a buzzing, clump of apiary goodness.  They will stay there for a few days while scouts search for a suitable location.  New site located, they convoy on over and get busy ... like bees do ... building comb, collecting pollen and nectar, etc.  This is why it is critical to get the queen when scooping up a swarm.

After a few minutes of watching, I was still not sure that we had gotten the queen into the bucket.  So, I, logically so, tied another bucket to the end of the roof rake.  This was raised in a similar manner to unceremoniously thump the limb again and again.  This bucket too was lowered to the ground and cut free.  In case you weren't counting ... I now have two open 5-gallon buckets on the ground with a very large number of confused bees in each.  I had no clue as to the location of the queen ... in one of the buckets or still on the branch.

It was at this point that calm reason took over.  I decided to let the bees sit for a few minutes.  As stated, the bees are trying to protect the queen and so will figure out where she is and gather around her again.  After 10 or 15 minutes, I looked into the tree.  She was definitely not there.  Sadly, both buckets were will thrumming with activity.  Being who I am, I sprang into action.  I would simply BONK (see the definition above) one of the buckets of  bees, to get them into a writhing mass on the bottom of the bucket, and then pour it into the other bucket.

It became obvious, when I looked into the second bucket, where the queen was.  So, I poured the queen-less bucket into the queen-ful one.  Then, I BONK'ed that one and poured all of the bees into the open hive, which patiently waited without any under heckling.  I decided to give them all a second to figure out what had happened.

Really, I went to get a small branch from the Arbor Vitae to use as a brush.  Brush in hand, I returned to the hive and brushed the bees off of the side of the hive, into it, and began closing the bars one at a time.  All the while, Wendy and the girls took photos, some of which you see here.

With a full heart, and a big grin, I am happy to report that we now have three active hives in the back yard.  Now, we need to wait and see if they stick around in their new digs.  I have set out the feeder, once again, to help get the colony established, so that they can start to gather pollen and nectar to store for winter.

We learned later that not only did the neighbor see the swarm leaving the hive for the tree, but they were entertained by our efforts to gather the swarm.  Thankfully, they offered a few of their roof rake poles to allow us to length our rake enough to reach the swarm.

I consider myself fortunate to have been given this second chance to catch a swarm, in spite of the fact that I am not an expert.  I am grateful for the chance to work with these amazing creatures.  I am hopeful, too, as I travel this MooseBoots trail, that I can one day achieve even a small degree of the awareness that my incredible daughter, Little Fire Faery, has been able to build.

Bees Installed In The Hive ... And The Queen Released

Last weekend, upon my arrival home from the last weekend of my shaman training, I found that the bees we ordered had not yet arrived, but a quick check of the tracking showed that they would be delivered on Monday.  So, we patiently waited for them to arrive.

At this point, this is the fourth package we have installed in the hive.  We have gotten progressively calmer and more adept at getting the bees from the package and into the hive.  In the beginning, we were nervous and excited.  Each year, installing the bees went smoother and smoother.  This year was no exception.  I am not sure if it is because I have started talking to the bees before doing anything, letting them know what I am doing and why before I even start, but the bees this year were completely docile.

That is not to say, however, that there was no hitch.  Every year, we seem to have a little bit of a new twist.  This year, it was the queen cage.  Each of the previous years, the queen was delivered in a cage with a couple of attendants and the box had a candy plug.  This plug allows the other bees to eat through and release the queen after a few days ... they get used to her scent and accept her as queen and, by then, the plug is gone and she can get to work laying new eggs.  This one had neither attendants nor a candy plug ... there was a cork  in the bottom and nothing else.

So, when we installed the bees, we left the cork in place for a few days to ensure that the bees accepted the queen instead of killing her immediately.  On Thursday, we had to release her.  The trick with this is that we needed to be able to get the cork out, and keep her in, until we closed the hive.  Armed with a spray bottle full of sugar water, we opened the hive, removed the cage, cleared the bees that were hanging out on the cage, doused the queen with sugary water, dropped the bar back in place making sure the queen stayed in until we close everything up, and closed the hive.

I peered through the window today to check the cage.  The queen was indeed out.  In fact, the bees were clustered together on the opposite end of the hive, unlike the random clumps that I had seen only a day or two before.  I quickly opened the hive and removed the cage.

Over the next few weeks, the bees will build all of the comb necessary to store honey and pollen, and lay more eggs.  The colony will build until some time in September.  Last year, the bees built 17 bars of comb.  I will be watching to see that they are healthy and well.  On a good note, I observed bees flying back into the hive with their pollen sacks completely full.

The timing could not be better.  Currently, the apple trees are in full bloom, the dandelions and common blue violets are flowering, and Spring is getting warmer as it moves toward Summer.  Life is springing up all around as the natural world races forward to propagate each respective species ahead of the return of the colder weather that signals the retreat back into Fall and Winter.

I feel very blessed to be allowed to watch, in wonder, this incredible continuous cycle of life.  I live and I learn ... and there is so much more to learn.  After all, that is what this MooseBoots journey is all about.

Bees Spring 2013

Once again was saddened to note that the hive had not survived the winter, when I cleaned out the hive a few weeks ago.  I popped open the cover and peeked inside.  Unlike the least two years, my bees had thrived all summer and fall.  They had put up a lot of honey and I was sure they would make it.  Of course, later in the fall, I stopped watching what was happening in the hive.  Actually, I did note a sudden reduction in the number of bees in the window when I peeked, but I didn't really think much of it.  In hind sight, I should have known.

When I cracked the top and looked in, there were very few dead bees.  This was a little surprising, but given that I had already seen it through the window in the fall, not terribly.  I had noticed, and even recognized, the supersedure cell, but failed to act on the observation. 

Supersedure cells are queen cells.  Bees will form these cells, and raise new queens, in advance of swarming.  I had seen them in the hive and did nothing.  Some beekeepers, I have read, will destroy these in an effort to keep a new queen from spawning, which in turn keeps the hive from swarming.  I did not.  I also did not observe them leaving the hive in a swarm, and so could not catch the swarm and put it into the new hive that I built.

When I noticed the population drop, I figured they had swarmed and I had missed the event.  I still held out hope that the hive would survive, which it did until January or February.  Then, the weather took a nasty turn and we received a lot of snow in the last remaining months of winter.  There was little honey left for the bees ... I assume swarms take honey, too.

So, when I opened the hive to clean it out in preparation for the package that was due to arrive this weekend, I expected to see one or two queen cells.  What I found floored me!  The bees had been very successful over the summer and early fall.  I counted at least 13 supersedure cells in the hive.  And, each of them had hatched, as evidenced by the opening in the bottom of each.

I hope that this year is the year that my bees can survive into next spring.  At this point, I believe I have seen the bulk of the major issues that hives can have ... queenless, poor wind barrier, and now swarming.  The new bees are a week later than expected, but should be in the hive by this time next week.  And, if they swarm this year, I hope to catch the new swarm and hive them in the new hive. 

This MooseBoots journey continues to show me how much I have to learn.  Gratefully and with and open heart, I am willing to do so.

Bee Home - Cheap Rent

Opportunities come and go.  Some, if we react quickly enough, we can capitalize on and expand our awareness, knowledge, personal growth, or our perception of the abundance of this beautiful planet.  Others, as has recently happened on my MooseBoots meanderings, we miss the fleeting chance.  These are not lost.  Perhaps, they are simply preparing us for the next.

A month or so ago, I posted that a friend had found a swarm and I walked him through collecting it and putting it into a hive.  At that point, I had never actually seen a swarm in real life and I had never built a hive on my own.  Well, the same friend sent me a message a bit over a week ago ... it was a picture of another swarm at his house.  This time, I sprang into action to build a hive.  Maybe, I should have built one sooner, but ....

I have had several old cedar fence sections in the backyard for a couple of years.  They were given to us by someone who had replaced it.  Some of the sections have been made into stages for dancing and such, while others stood by waiting.  These, I decided, would be perfect for making a top bar hive.  I flipped through my copy of The Barefoot Beekeeper to see if there was a build your own hive section.  I then turned to Phil Chandler's website where you may download his top bar hive plans.  The clamps to glue the boards together were my own quick design.

I am not the fastest builder in the world, and it took several days to get the hive to a point where I could put bees into it.  At that point, the bees were already gone and settled into their new home in some other,  undisclosed location.  Undeterred, I continued building to finish the hive.

In the spring my hive will likely swarm and I will need a new home for them anyway.  I made a few mistakes along the way, but it is complete, costing a mere $25 for the lumber to make the bars and the screen for the bottom of the hive.  All of the rest of the components were fashioned out of old fence sections.  It still needs a coat of paint and some minor tweaks, but ... viola!

Unfortunately, I was not prepared for this swarm, but I will be ready for the next.  And so, I continue to tread down this MooseBoots path in awe of the gifts the Universe gives, especially when I don't know what they are for when given.

Bee Mindful To Share Knowledge

The last few weeks have been incredibly full of things other than following my MooseBoots path.  The two weeks leading up to last Sunday were spent preparing for the girls' dance recital.  At least one of the girls had practice every night leading up to the shows.  It is always a huge event for us, especially because dance, and our dance family, is an enormous part our the girls' schooling.

My education was not completely stalled, however.  A part of any learning is also learning how to share the wisdom you've acquired.  These opportunities are sometimes well thought out and planned.  Other times, they are spur of the moment events that demand immediate attention.  Recently, I was called on to share in a more immediate circumstance.

On this day, I happened to be skipping out on dance practice.  I am prone to severe migraine headaches.  I have learned some of the triggers, and try to avoid them, but not all of the triggers.  With particularly bad episodes, I can only lie down, sleep, and hope for the best.  This day was one of those.  After taking my non-herbal "headache cocktail" (I can't think when they get this bad), I took a lavender scented cold thing to bed to sleep.

The call came in ... "there is a clump of bees in a tree.  What do I do?"  In my bleary eyes stupor, I said that it sounded like a swarm and that they were looking for a place to live.  I willingly shared what I had read in The Barefoot Beekeeper.  I suggested that he capture them and keep them in a hive.  He was not a beekeeper, did not have a hive, and could not begin to figure out how to capture them.  I was in no condition for a really lengthy conversation, but I told him to look up the plans on the internet to build a top bar hive and found him a link about making a swarm trap.  He built this swarm trap, immediately and hung it within 2 feet of the swarm.

The following day, we discussed the fact that swarms are not aggressive and that they are really focused on protecting the queen by huddling around her and finding a new place to live.  Upon leaving work, he went home and built his top-bar hive from scrap lumber he had around the house.  Then, he called.  The swarm was still in the tree and not in the trap.  I suggested that he just cut the branch off and place it into the hive.  I reminded him that he would need to remove the branch within a short time or the limb would be get embedded in the comb that the bees built.  I also told him to provide food for them to get the hive started.

My friend, now a few weeks later, is the proud owner of a top-bar hive full of bees.  We have discussed when to harvest any honey and how to protect them for the winter.  His bees have likely survived a winter here in Maine and are much hardier than mine.  It is nice to be able to share wisdom and have a new fellow beekeeper to compare notes with.  Ironically, with my direction, he has done something I have yet to do ... see a swarm in the wild, capture it, and hive it.  And so, my MooseBoots journey continues in unexpected ways.

If you are interested in learning to become a beekeeper, I recommend The Barefoot Beekeeper.  The woman who got us started also has a book, The Thinking Beekeeper: A Guide to Natural Beekeeping in Top Bar Hives, coming out soon.

Hive Clean Up 2012

As I travel along this MooseBoots trail, I think it equally important to share my foibles, as well as my successes.  Indeed, most of my learning is a direct result of one misstep or another.  Mistakes, errors, and blunders provide very fertile ground for true understanding and profound wisdom.  In this spirit, and with sadness in my heart, I share this.

This year, like last, the bees did not make it through the winter.  The failure was for a completely different reason this year.  Last year, the bees were queen-less, probably from the beginning.  This year, the hive was healthy and strong.  I watched as the bees built bar after bar of comb.  I watched as the bees gathered pollen and nectar, filling the combs with honey.  I kept an eye on the comb as it was filled and capped with honey.  In summary, this is the way a healthy hive behaves and grows.

I knew that the bees were dead before I opened the hive.  I hoped to find a cause ... where had I failed them?  So, I removed the cover and the comb-less bars and the feeder, which I had left in the hive.  Very quickly I got my first clue into the reason for their demise.  There was plenty of honey, in fact it was dripping onto the floor of the hive.  So, they did not starve, which was my guess.  In a mild winter like we had this year, the bees can stay active and deplete their stores of honey before the spring.  This was not the case. 

The pile of bees in front of the entrance provided all of the explanation that I needed.  The bees, trying to keep the hive warm to protect the colony, had piled themselves up in front of the opening to keep the wind out.  They had frozen to death.  Clearly, I did not protect them from the elements enough ... wind is deadly to bees because it sucks the warm out of the hive.

We want to honor the bees to the best or our humble ability.  We cleaned the dead bees out of the hive.  Then, in the interest of helping out the next set of bees, who arrive in May, by giving them a head start, we left the brood comb and some of the honey comb.  Of course, if you read the  previous post, you know that we had neighboring bees raid the empty hive and take the honey back to their hive.  We gathered some of the remaining honeycomb and put it into a bucket, still undecided as to how to use it.

In order to better protect the bees this coming winter, we have moved the hive closer to the house.  This will reduce the exposure to the cold winter north winds.  Further, the hive will be exposed to more sun, keeping it a bit warmer.  Wendy and I plan to build a straw bale "house" around the hive(s).  The bales will be used in the spring as raised garden beds.  In spite of the fact that the past two years have been a phenomenal learning experience for us, we hope to be able to keep the colony alive this year.  Better would be to have them alive and strong enough to produce a swarm next spring.

Today, to honor the bees, I made 6 gallons of mead, with an added 1/2 cup lavender flowers.  The mead should finish out at about 10% alcohol with a lovely lavender flavor and smell.  I was reading, in Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation, that traditional mead, brewed with all of the hive parts (honey, comb, propolis, pollen, and even bits of bees) is very healing and, so, I used crushed up comb for the wort.  I have never made mead, but it seemed appropriate to remember them this way.  We also jarred up 2 quarts (1.9 liters), or 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms), of raw honey for us to eat.

So, with a hopeful heart, and a profound sense of gratitude, I eagerly anticipate re-populating the hive in May.  My neighbors remarked, last year, that the had never seen their plants so healthy, which they attributed to the healthy hive in my backyard.  I look forward to a successful, mutually beneficial relationship, with these fascinating, incredible beings as I continue plodding my way along this MooseBoots journey. 

Life Bee Good

If you've been following my MooseBoots journey, you know that I have bees.  This is the second year.  Last year, I am guessing, that I inadvertantly let the queen go when I installed them.  It was sad to watch the hive start to build and then slowly die.  This year, as I said before, I was better prepared.

Unfortunately, I have not been keep good records here on my blog.  Today, I rectify this.   I have been watching them over the last three months.  The difference between this year and last is striking!  Let me begin by telling you that "busy as a bee" is not just an idiom.  Those guys and gals are constantly working.  I love to stand by the entrance and watch them leave and return, pollen sacs swollen to the point that it seems impossible they can still fly.

Of course, then I get curious.  What are they eating?  Where are they foraging?  Once or twice I was completely dumbfounded.  Nothing was blooming ... but, wait ... there is pine pollen everywhere!  I never seem to find them where I expect.  Of course, to see them one must be very patient and still.  I am still not very good at that.  Bee Balm is apparently a misnomer, or not applicable to honey bees.  Milkweed, the staple of the Monarch butterfly (which, incidentally, were not so prolific last year) seems to satisfy their cravings.  I'll admit that the flowers are sweet.  I hear that they can be rendered into sugar, but have not tried it ... they go right into my mouth, one at a time.

Tonight, I went to get some picture of them to share here.  I found lots of others as well.  The Japanese Beetles have established something of a spa on the grape leaves.  The Bumble Bees are content to share the Milkweed.

And so, life is good here.  All creatures seem to exist in harmony here.  I am blessed to be a part of it and extraordinarily grateful to be allowed to observe and learn from all Nature offers. 

Bee Installation Success

As I mentioned Thursday, the bees had arrived.  This was clear indication to me that something exciting, and interesting was about to happen on my MooseBoots journey.  Friday, the weather was gorgeous, but I could not get to Gold Star to pick up my package.  So, they had to wait until Saturday morning.  As luck would have it, the girls didn't have dance class.  The weather was cool and rainy.  Wendy and I talked on the way up and decided that we would install the bees while it was cool ... they would be lethargic and easy to deal with.

We arrived at the same time as another beekeeper picking up a hive.  She and Christy were chatting and the comment was made that they pitied anyone who tried to "put bees in a box today."  It got the gear turning ... why?  The light bulb went off for us ... the bees need to stay warm and we would be dumping them in a loose heap on the bottom of the hive.  They being cold, would not be able to clump together and likely they would die!  So, we decided to wait until today.  On the drive home, the bees got very active in the warmth of the truck.  But, there were a lot of dead bees on the bottom of the package - this was one of the better packages left.  We had just enough time to drop them off at the house before Cinderella choreography for Big Little Sister.

This morning, the day dawned a brilliant blue.  I goofed around for a bit and then decided to prepare the hive for the installation.  I re-watched a few videos on installing the bees and noted a few "differences" between what I did last year and what the video showed.  Of course, I also benefited from the filter of experience rather than that of a new-bee.

Then, I stepped out to place the hive in its home and was hit between the eyes - it was gorgeous out!  The sun was shining brightly and it was in the mid/upper 50's at 10:00.  Perfect weather for "hiving the bees."  Wendy and I moved the hive into position and got everything prepared.  This year, as opposed to last year, we were not pressed for time.  There was nothing else to do today, except hang out at home.

So, it was time.  I took the package out with what I thought was all of the stuff.  Alas ....  I pried the cover up from the package and was surprised that the queen cage came with it ... now, there is an opening for bees to use.  I flipped the cover over and pulled the queen cage off of the staple that went through the metal tab.

It was at this point I realized I needed a hammer, a nail, and a drywall screw.  Wendy volunteered to get those things.  And, we quickly proceeded.  I punched a hole in the tab, pulled the cork and attached her to a bar.  So, the queen was in the hive.  So far, so good.

Then, everything moved very quickly.  We had a quick discussion on "bonking" the box and how we were going to dump the bees into their new home.  This is a little unnerving ... 10,000 bees flying around going, "hey, someone just threw us on the ground and then poured us into a box like so much cereal into a bowl."  I'll admit, the package sat in the hive for a few second before I extracted it.  Then, we covered over the opening with many of our new friends flying around.  A few, however, became "closer" friends.

Tonight, we all go to bed, secure in the knowledge that we have done good work - the bees and we.  I hope that this part of my MooseBoots path works out more favorably for us and the bees.  Regardless, we all win.  The bees have a new home.  We helped some new friends move into their new home.  And, no one got injured in the process - no stings means no bees died. We are all content.  Bee Well!

On Bee-ing Ready

As you know, if you've been tagging along, my MooseBoots journey is not filled with triumph after triumph, success after success.  It has many, often humorous, failures.  I like to think that my awareness and intuition are growing more and more reliable, but sometimes I get put in my place.  I am a fallible human and, contrary to what I may tell my kids, I do not know everything.  But ... I am willing to try (and make a fool of myself) and to learn.

Last year, our first hive was a failure.  In the face of that failure, I present the following:

• I am comfortable with my ability to recognize some problems with the hive (not all, but it is only my second year).
• I am certain of the correct procedure to install the bees in the hive.
• I have a much better idea what to expect from the bees.
• I am more aware and am actively trying to develop this awareness further.

So, the order was placed months ago for a new package of bees.  They have arrived at Gold Star Honeybees and are ready for pick up.  We will be picking them up tomorrow or Saturday for immediate installation.  I hope to work successfully with the bees this year.

We knew they were coming and took the opportunity to finish cleaning the hive.  We also decided to give it a fresh new paint job.  I had some help.  Can you think of any better way to re-dedicate a home for bees than with the love and laughter of four lovely "flowers".  I'll admit that I may have touched up some of the paint, when they ran off to play and weren't looking.

I humbly ask the Universe to provide the guidance and wisdom I need to work with these incredible bee-ings.  And I will gladly go, stumbling down my MooseBoots path, growing, learning, loving, and laughing.  My your path be filled with joy and love, and may it be your own.  Wish me luck!

Hive Clean-Up

My Mooseboots journey, as is life, is filled with pleasant successes and disappointing failure.  The bees were a sad example of a failure.  From the exciting beginning steps to the ultimate recognition of failure, they provided a lot of food for thought and learning.  Where did I go wrong?  I will never know.  Did I release the queen on installation?  Was the hive infected with a virus from the breeder?  Was the colony robbed of all resources and died out?  I know for a fact that I was queenless at one point ... the sheer number of drones was out of proportion with the rest of the hive.  Perhaps, I had a laying worker.  The only thing to do is try again.

I have removed the legs from the hive and removed all of the dead bees.  The hive is indoors right now.  I will paint it and prepare it for next spring.  I have also removed all of the comb from the bars.  I figure that if there was an infection, it might do no good to keep the comb.  So, assuming the risk outweighs the benefit, I melted it all down.  I am now the owner of 1 half-pint of bees wax.  Wendy and I have talked about what to do with it a bit, but it is still sitting there.

Last year, I put my name on the list for a breeder in Vermont.  His bees have been bred and raised in Vermont, so they should be better suited to my area anyway.  I believe he is also very careful about the chemicals and techniques he uses for his bees.  All around, I hope the bees arrive healthy and ready to set up their new home.  I may just put my name on the list for local swarms, to be safe.

The further I travel on this MooseBoots path, the more I learn how much there is to learn, whether it is the bees, mushrooms, friction fire, basket making, or something else entirely.  I am often overwhelmed, and yet simultaneously excited to continue down the road.

The Queen Is Dead ... Long Live The Queen

If you have been following along on my MooseBoots journey, you know that many of my learning experiences begin with failure.  (If you have not been reading along, we'll wait while you catch up.)  These failures, life's little unexpected twists, provide much more fertile soil for growing wisdom and learning, as frustrating as they are.

You also know that this was my first year with bees.  And while I have read a few books and spoken with a few people, I still rely on my instinct, intuition, and observation to help me along.  Since early on, I knew there was a problem, but ....  Then, I re-queened, but ... the hive is clearly dead.

I checked in recently and found a vast wasteland.  Dead bees litter the floor of the hive.  The honey stores are gone.  There are no eggs or larva.  Only a few dozen bees remain.  I do not know what went wrong, or when.  Obviously, I re-queened too late for any effect.

All that remains is to clean it up and try again next year.  My MooseBoots path will continue.  I will learn what I can from this and move on.  I am sorry, Bees, I have failed you.  Please, offer me guidance and insight so that I can work with you next year with more beneficial results for us all.

Queen Me

5My MooseBoots path sometimes takes unexpected turns for the worst.  As excited as I am about the bees, they are not doing well.  It was able to figure out that my hive had gone queen-less.  I don't know how it happened, it just did.  Of course, the real red flag was a dramatic drop in the number of bees.

So, I called around and found an apiary that had one last queen.  I promptly picked her up and installed the cage in the hive.  This all happened about 3 weeks ago.  I am waiting to see if the hive will recover.  I look in the window everyday.  I am really nervous how few bees there are.  Perhaps, I re-queened too late.  We will see.  Of course, if the hive does not survive this year, I will try again next ... I am still on the waiting list for New England raised bees.

These type of set-backs only reinforces that I have much to learn.  Really, is that not what life is all about?  My MooseBoots path continues....

Bee Check - 29 Days In Hive

This MooseBoots journey, my journey to my handcrafted, brain tanned moose hide moccasin boots, is full of interesting surprises and constant reminders that I am not always in control or all-knowing.  Simple reminders that we need to pay attention and be open to experiences provide unexpected learning opportunities, which we can choose to take or not.

The bees are a constant fascination - the way they move, the things they do, the amazing  way they build, and the incredible level with which they are attuned to nature and the weather.  Day 29 required another hive inspection.  I needed to check for larva, eggs, brood comb, etc..  It becomes easier to work with them with each inspection ... perhaps because I am calmer and more sure of myself.  No stings.  Every bar checked and photographed.  Here are some pictures.

I find it simply amazing that they have been able to build all of that comb, store all of the honey they have stored, and begun procreating in such a short time.  I find it intriguing watching their flight patterns and trying to figure out what they are foraging at any given time.  It is great watching how tuned in they are to weather patterns and how they deal with different temperature changes.  There is a lot to learn from these guys.  My MooseBoots journey is definitely enhanced by their presence.

Bee Check - 17 Days In Hive

The bees have certainly been interesting to watch.  I am really trying to learn what they have to teach ... perhaps a bit more intently than they would like.  This MooseBoots journey demands that I take the time to watch and learn, so I do what I must.

Yesterday was Day 17 for the bees in the hive.  I have checked that the queen was released and even removed the queen cage.  Last time, I did not see eggs or larva.  So, I decided to check in again and see if I could see any eggs or larva.  Wendy even wanted to get into the act.  Here is what we found:  6 bars with comb in process, some eggs and larva, and some capped cells.  Now, I need to learn the difference between the capped cells - honey, worker brood, drone brood, etc.

This MooseBoots journey is simply fascinating.  Oh yeah, one sting on my finger ... not sure why ... the others were very calm.  I guess it also goes to show that while I may know the path I am on, I certainly don't understand all of the mystery it entails.

Bee Check - 9 Days In Hive

This MooseBoots journey, my path toward building the required skill set to live in concert with the Earth Mother, symbolically culminating in the making of a pair of moose boots with leather that I tanning, consistantly illustrates just how much I have to learn.  Each year, we strive to learn new skills and develop more environmentally appropriate habits.  Today, I checked the beehive and was reminded again of the difference between reading a book and learning a skill and the actual application of the knowledge.

The tasks for today were:

• Remove the queen cage that I should have removed a week ago.
• Check to see that they are building comb.
• Check for eggs or larva in comb.

So my agenda set, I enlisted the aid of Big Little Sister.  We went out and removed the roof without incident.  Then, we move the follower board away from the build area which opened up one bar of space.  No stings ... OK.  Next, each bar was slid toward the open area.  We reached the last bar, where the queen cage was attached, and removed it.  The bees had started building comb on the cage itself.  Sorry, guys, but it has got to go.  I sent Big Little sister in for some pliers to pull the cage.  Now, let me note that I am still currently and planning on working with the hive without the standard protective gear.  That said, I am still a bit nervous around the bees (this is a budding relationship) and did not want to move them by hand.  While I waited, I used a stick to push the bees out of the way.  Pliers in hand, I removed the cage and a mass of bees with it.  This I placed off to the side and put the bar back into the hive.  Remove the queen cage - CHECK.  No Stings.

Then, as I slid the bars back into place one by one, I inspected them.  They have a fairly impressive comb started on one bar and another slightly less impressive comb on another.  I use the word impressive only as a relative term - it is all very impressive as I do not have the skills, physically or intellectually, to make wax and build comb.  Of course, with each bar, there were many bees.  Check for comb - CHECK.  No Stings.

While viewing each comb, I did a scan for eggs and larva.  It is early in the comb building stage and the combs were covered in bees.  Again, I did not care to rile up the bees and let them hang out where they were.  That said, I did not see either eggs or larva.  Check for eggs and larva - CHECK.  No Stings.

Unfortunately, I did not have the camera with me and do not have picture of the operation.  Here are some pictures I took afterwards.  You can see that they are starting to spread out as compared with the last pictures.  If you look closely at the second picture, you can see the queen cage that was removed and placed in the hive for the bees to retain anything they want and to put the attached bees back in the hive.  The third is a picture of the comb built on the queen cage - one of the cells even has pollen stored in it.

I count this visit as a success.  This week I did read a bit and found it recommended to check the state of the hive by watching the entrance - what a great idea.  This morning, I recognized a bees arriving back at the hive with her pollen sacks full.  Amazing.  I have also been keenly aware of the activity level of the hive with relation to the weather.  I guess it pays to open your eyes and really see the world around you.  Of course, that is what this MooseBoots journey is all about.

All Is Right In Bee World?

Bees are a fascinating new part of my MooseBoots journey. This morning, I went and checked on them in their new home. Here is what I found.

Amazing!  This MooseBoots journey is certainly full of things to learn.