The Enduring Cycle of Bees

We finally pulled the last honey super off the original hive and gave them a pollen cake and a candy board to help them through the winter. We had already done this for the Warre’ and the long hives. Temperatures are still warm enough during the day so we’re feeding syrup as well to help them with honey stores for the winter. But the candy board is filled with a solid sugar solution, with small pollen cakes hidden inside for them to work their way to during the winter months. I also dotted the top of each candy board with chunks of pollen cake. They loved it last year.

Unfortunately, the new split didn’t survive. We believe they went back to their original hive since the split was sitting next to it. But we had received some bad information from a local beekeeper recommending that we pull our honey supers at the beginning of August. In reality, we shouldn’t have taken it until September. But we’re new, and we believed someone we shouldn’t have. We waited until almost the middle of the month before pulling it because we just didn’t think it was ready. The dearth she described wasn’t evident on our property as flowers were everywhere and the bees were constantly out bringing back both pollen and nectar to the hive. But we decided to listen to her and pulled the super off the split, putting the frames of honey in the freezer.

The hive was fine until just a few weeks ago when we opened it and found it was fairly empty. Since there were no dead bees and no evidence of a swarm (which probably wouldn’t happen this time of year anyway), we’re really not sure what happened. But we have a feeling that it was related to pulling that honey super. It was just too soon.

We left the super on the original hive because there was also brood in there. We don’t use a queen excluder between the brood box and the super so there’s always a risk that she might want to lay up there. That particular queen did just that and we had to wait until today for the brood to hatch and the bees to cap the remaining honey. Not all of it was capped completely, but we wrapped it in plastic wrap anyway and stored it in the freezer with the other frames from the split.

I have to say that I was devastated to find that we lost the split. It was my hive and to lose it that way was just awful. But the new Warre’ hive is doing well although they’re somewhat confused on where to build their comb. Or I am. Not that I care or anything because I brought that one into the apiary to simply see how they function in a hive like that.

The horizontal long hive was probably the most successful new addition. It’s essentially two Langstroth hives put side by side. Sort of. But the idea is that you can have a top bar hive that accepts Langstroth frames. Other top bar hives don’t do this. And we ordered the new hive with foundationless frames so that we could watch the bees as they built their comb. Most hives use frames with foundation already in them, but bees prefer to design their own comb without the help of an existing frame. They know how to create a perfectly sized cell in which new bees will grow. They really don’t need us and we’re typically just in their way.

We plan to put up a windbreak this year in the apiary although they probably don’t need it. Some beekeepers wrap their hives, but so far we haven’t felt the need to do that. But we can do so if the weather dictates. The bees don’t come out much in the winter, but on the occasion of a warm day, some take flight. We look forward to such days because we miss them so much during the winter.

And then Spring arrives and out they come and we almost can’t contain our excitement! But for now, they’re snug in their hives, making their last preparations for winter. They’ve reduced their numbers and will huddle together in the middle of the hive, keeping a perfect temperature. And then sometime after the Winter Solstice, the queen begins laying brood for the coming year.

It’s this blessed cycle of the bees that has endured forever. Humans would do well to embrace their unity of purpose, each doing their part for the survival of the colony. They are in truth one organism.

As are we.

Blessed Be