I've recently started an experiment with my bees that involves a wood frame and wax foundation in the shape of the United States (lower 48). In two weeks, they've made a lot of progress and show a knack for US geography without any prompting on my part. California and the Pacific NW are extremely popular and apparently too small, as the bees have built burr comb to make the west coast bigger. They have built-up the Rocky Mountains as the high point of their map; and constructed a very large island off the coast of the Northeast. Perhaps an enlargement of overcrowded Manhattan? Otherwise, there's not much happening on the East coast. They've made some progress on the northern section of the Appalachian mountains, maybe a Catskills retreat for Manhattan bees to get away. Florida gets zero attention because the peninsula is too small for bees to make it worth their effort. The Southeast, Midwest and Texas are basically flat but above sea level (if you imagine the wood frame to be their ocean). Nearly all of the nectar and pollen are stored in the bread basket of our nation. Good job little geography bees!
honey bees
open studio: pollination USA /
pollination: meet the new queen /
Below are images from the package installation, two days before this video was taken.
Photos by Sarah Loy, 2015.
pollinators: bees licking honey /
open studio: welding brass skep /
Top row, left to right: making of the traditional bee skep (from Wikipedia); a stack of welded brass rings; brass rings with a ground surface to create straw-like texture; shaping the segments of the brass rings with a peening hammer and wooden cradle
Bottom row, left to right: welding the brass rings together with an oxyacetylene torch and brazing rods; two welded rings with clamps to attach a third; measuring the uppermost ring, which has been hammered to reduce its diameter, in order to create a tapered top for the skep; a bee skep from a french fairytale
pollinators: 1st look into my new hives /
Various images of frames in my new hives, both 1 and 2. Beautiful!
pollinators: welcome, my darling new bees /
My new honey bees have arrived! After losing two hives last Fall (both packages from Georgia that succumbed to varroa mites and small hive beetles), I purchased locally raised nucs in hopes that they will be stronger and better adapted to my environment. They moved right in to their fancy 10 frame hives (thanks Dad!) and are not bothered by photography. This unedited video was shot with an iPhone 4S balanced at the entrance to their hive. They are so cool. I love my new bees and hope that they thrive. Kelly Heaton, 2014