Sweet, Sweet Success

2025 Honey

Who would have thought I would get so excited about one quart of honey? Well, it is just a start. And, since I got none in 2024, it makes it so much sweeter.

Hives on a hot summer day after being opened

This morning (8-9-2025) I checked my hives. I brought out empty frames, some with drawn comb and some with foundation. I also brought out plastic containers and towels. My expectation was that I would have honey, but it would be cross-combed in my foundationless frames. I found exactly what I expected. So I removed the full frames and put them in an empty box for a moment. I scooped up any comb that fell out and put it in the plastic container. I moved the first frame of honey that was intact and moveable to the back of the middle section, then put in an empty frame, then a foundationless frame and so on so that they will fill out the frames with straight comb.

Both long hives were about equal. I took about three deep frames of honey from each. By manipulating them as I did, I should be able to get extractable frames the next time I get into the hives.

Empty honey frames and my plastic container for collecting broken comb

I brushed off the bees and broke all the honey comb out into a plastic container like the one pictured above. Then I took that in to my nice, hot garage and crushed and strained it into my uncapping tank. I pulled the one quart off of that for now. There is more, probably another quart or two in the tank, but I will leave that for another day.

The vertical hive, my swarm hive is not friendly. About a month ago I added a deep box on top. It was threatening to storm, so it was not a good time to open the hive, but they immediately attacked me. I had not attached my veil well, and they got inside. Let's just say I took a nice swim in the pool. I did take off my beesuit, but of course I did not have a bathing suit underneath! I only got one sting on my head by my ear, but with jewelweed applied immediately, it did not cause me any trouble.

Today, I thought perhaps the hive would be less mean since the weather was better. I had already manipulated both long hives, and they were fine. I prepared an empty deep to just throw on top if they acted mean again. My veil was well secured today. I removed the top and they immediately started pinging my veil. I looked at the top box and didn't see much comb, but I didn't want to take long, so I just put the empty box on top and closed them up. I walked away, but they followed me and kept buzzing me for quite a while. They act queenless, but they have a LOT of bees. I think they are just nasty because they most likely came from the commercial beekeeper's bees last year.

Since my veil was well attached, I just went back and brushed the other (nice) bees off the honey comb and collected that. So, I don't know if I will get any honey from my mean swarm, but the other two hives are doing very well. It is hot and dry right now, but we have been watering, so they have plenty of forage. It is obvious that the commercial beekeeper is not around, or else they would not be doing so well.