First Harvest

FIRST BeeHappy Honey harvest

Thanks to my be mentors Jane and Rob Wild, also my mom for harvesting the first batch of honey! I wish I had been there, next time. The honey came from two hives, I wish it had been from all four, however, it seems as if the queens in hives one and hive three weren't really doing their job. In fact hive one is essentially a frat house of drones because the queen wasn't able to do her job. As I understand it looked as if she were injured. Hive three swarmed this spring and I decided to leave it alone, assuming that they would create a new queen. Rookie move. I should have recognized about a month later that the new queen wasn't very strong. I should have reQueened. The realities of a rookie keeper. So as we head into the winter I really think only two hives will make it.

Back to the good news. Two hives produced about 40 pounds of honey. Not a ton but enough to satisfy a rookie keeper. My mom did all the work and I think she has officially become a beekeeper too.

I look forward to getting bee hives going here at school too. Orange Blossom and Avacado honey instead of apple and peach blossom.