Surprise!

Well... we need to make sure our bees are ready to go for the winter. That means taking the top honey super off to ensure the girls stay in a tight bundle in the two bottom boxes for the winter. Which, by the way, should have been done about a month ago- I have just been too lazy to make the drive up to the hive. Keeping them in tighter quarters help them keep the hive warm- and hopefully ensuring their existence in the spring. So, I went to remove the top super (the one with no honey, but full of wax) and .....

It was full of honey. I was not expecting this... I am stoked!!! I am by myself... I need help...

Lucky for me, My dad and brother just happened to be spending the day on the property. They went there to cut some fallen trees and chop wood, but they got drafted as beekeepers for the day. I showed my brother, Roger, how to start the bee smoker. My dad got and empty hive box out of the barn, and I picked up the bee brush so I could gently remove 8,000 bees from the honey they had worked so hard to make. We had no idea what we were about to get into.

To remove the honey, the first step was to get the bees to go down into the hive- away from the honey and away from what I was about to do. Toward the end of the summer, when the girls have a great amount of honey made and stored, they tend to get a bit protective- which puts them in their most aggressive state of the season. We smoked them well. They filled their bellies with nectar, and retreated to the depths of the hive. Not quite enough for my comfort, but some down was better than none.
The second step is to take out the filled honey frames, one by one, and transfer them (bee free) to a covered box that the bees can't enter. We set down the empty box about 20 feet away from the hive, and took out the first frame. It was completely filled with honey and completely covered with buzzing bees. I took the bee brush and literally swept them onto the ground at the front of the hive. Of course, as soon as they hit the ground, they were in the air. Swarming around, but kinda dazed and not too aggressive. So, I then walked the empty box, put in the frame, and went back to start again. My brother- the smoker part of this- retreated about a minute into the escapade. Too many bees... So, the sweep and swarm repeated nine times, and at the end we had a full box of honey. The air was full of bees. I had no idea what to expect, but it was really peaceful. No drama, no stings, and completely amazing to experience. I thanked the girls, and put on the top cover to close up the hive. Their hive now was back to the 2 box start, and ready for the winter. Easy does it! My dad braved the whole thing with no bee veil, no covering at all- and was amazed at the subdued hive. He carried the full box of honey- it weighed close to 50 pounds with all the honey and wax- and put it into the back of my car, and I drove excitedly to show off our goods to Joey and the rest of the family. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the event... like I said- surprise! Next year, we can document it to show everyone.

The third step is to remove the honey from the wax and bottle it up. More to come on that...