One of our beehives shortly after the nucleus was placed in the hive. The entrance is partly blocked by an entrance reducer in order to keep predators like wasps out and make it easier for the bees to protect their hive.
Our bees
On this page we'd like to tell you some more about what has become one of our greatest passions: beekeeping! Spring - the adventure begins! In spring 2014 we started beekeeping. After having done some courses, and with the help of some friends, we put 2 hives on our flat roof, bought two nucs and started beekeeping! A nuc, or nucleus, is a queen bee, some drones (male bees) and a few hundred worker bees in a small box with 5 frames in it. The frames in the nuc box are drawn out with comb. This comb is filled mostly with brood (bee eggs and bee larvae), but also some honey and some pollen. |
Our first two hives on our flat roof
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a nucleus or nuc box
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The nuc box remains closed for about 24 hours, then the frames are placed in the bees new home. In the morning, before sunrise, the frames are placed in the hive before the bees have left the box.
We've learned that beekeeping is not necessarily hard to do; it doesn't really take much time. It's important not to bother the bees too often. During the season (April - October) we usually check the hives once every two weeks. We check them on mites (mainly the Varoa mite) and other pests. |
Summer - work in progress
During the Summer the bees are really as busy as can be. The queen lays eggs continuously. It's amazing to watch the colony grow and it's hard to imagine that within a few months the colony expands from a few hundred bees to up to 50.000 bees in August!. Most of the bees are females: worker bees that draw out the comb with wax and gather the honey, pollen and propolis. They also look after the queen, the eggs and larvae and last but not least: they protect the hive from intruders like wasps (and from us, sometimes ...). The male bees or drones meanwhile have done most their job: fertilize a neighbouring queen. The ones that survived - they die right after fertilizing a queen! - play a role in protecting the hive. It is also said that the drones and drone eggs are at the outside of the frames. In case of an intruder they're the ones that form the first line of defence. In times of starvation the protein-rich drone larvae also function as food for the remaining bees. |
We were lucky: here's royal highness the queen! You can see her (with her big bum) in between the worker bees on cells filled with brood.
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Fall - harvest
We were advised to start with at least two hives so we could compare the hives. During the first year the bees will spend a lot of time on building the comb on the frames in which they subsequently store the honey, pollen and in which the queen will lay her eggs. It's hard to tell whether the bees will produce enough honey to leave some for the beekeeper to harvest.
This year (2021 season) we harvested about 300 kg (over 650 lbs) all bee yards combined, which is pretty good considering the dry and hot 2021 Summer!
We were advised to start with at least two hives so we could compare the hives. During the first year the bees will spend a lot of time on building the comb on the frames in which they subsequently store the honey, pollen and in which the queen will lay her eggs. It's hard to tell whether the bees will produce enough honey to leave some for the beekeeper to harvest.
This year (2021 season) we harvested about 300 kg (over 650 lbs) all bee yards combined, which is pretty good considering the dry and hot 2021 Summer!
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Where do our bees get their nectar from? (of which they make your honey!) Bees gather nectar within a range of approximately 3 kilometers from the hive. We have 3 of our bee hives on the flat roof of our house on Memorial Mountain (Spallumcheen). As you can see on the map below (left) more than half of the foraging area lies in the mountains behind our house (wildflowers). Early in the season (April/May) there are a lot of dandelions available for our girls. Also alfalfa is grown in many fields within the circle which provides a very light and delicious honey. |
In the spring of 2018 we've 'opened' our second bee yard on the Shuswap River Ranch (Kingfisher) (Formerly the 'Fink Farm') (see map below, right). Together with our friends the Anions Family, in particular with Jesse, we have expanded our bee yard up to 15-20 hives. As you can see on the map it's mostly wild flowers that are available to the bees. Mother Marilyn makes sure the ranch keeps it's natural status by making sure to only plant native flowers and keep the non-native flowers out, as much as possible. On the farm there's a lot of mint blooming during the summer months. We think there's a hint of mint in the honey that the bees produce! Come try and find out for your self!
Last year (2021) we noted that some colonies produced very light colored, transparent honey. We learned that it's very likely red clover honey but also fireweed honey! The heat and the drought forced the bees to forage higher up in the mountain where fireweed blooms. Fireweed honey is very light colored and also has a very light and delicate
Since we were usually sold out of honey before the end of the year, we opened another bee yard at Back Enderby Road in Armstrong. Debbie and Alan Clarke offered to host some hives at their beautiful Willow Tree Farm (Spallumcheen) where they grow raspberries. Raspberry honey is said to have a delicate scent of flowers and the delicate flavor of raspberry, a very pleasant aroma and a wonderful taste. By now there are 6 very successful hives on the farm.
Last summer Gabriele and Wolf Wesle asked us to put some hives on their Green Croft Gardens (Grindrod). This was a great opportunity because not only their farm is certified organic but also their neighbors' farms are certified organic. Since these new bee colonies have only been there a short time, the amount of honey harvested is limited (available at the Green Croft Gardens farm store).
Raw versus heated honey
When bottling honey we do not heat the honey. Only when the honey is crystallized we slightly warm the honey au bain marie so the honey won't get too hot. when the honey is heated, natural enzymes and nutrients are destroyed. Cold harvested honey is called raw honey.
When extracting the honey from the frames we always have some pales of wax and honey left. The only way to separate the wax from the honey is to heat it. This honey (which is obviously not raw anymore) we use for baking and cooking (when it gets heated anyway). If you like to use honey for baking or cooking, please let us know and we'll get you some for free!)
Store honey is often heated or even Pasteurized (heated until just under 100°C / 212°F).
As we always tell our customers: "you do not need to buy our honey, but please buy it from a local bee keeper so that you know where the honey comes from and how the honey is treated".
Last year (2021) we noted that some colonies produced very light colored, transparent honey. We learned that it's very likely red clover honey but also fireweed honey! The heat and the drought forced the bees to forage higher up in the mountain where fireweed blooms. Fireweed honey is very light colored and also has a very light and delicate
Since we were usually sold out of honey before the end of the year, we opened another bee yard at Back Enderby Road in Armstrong. Debbie and Alan Clarke offered to host some hives at their beautiful Willow Tree Farm (Spallumcheen) where they grow raspberries. Raspberry honey is said to have a delicate scent of flowers and the delicate flavor of raspberry, a very pleasant aroma and a wonderful taste. By now there are 6 very successful hives on the farm.
Last summer Gabriele and Wolf Wesle asked us to put some hives on their Green Croft Gardens (Grindrod). This was a great opportunity because not only their farm is certified organic but also their neighbors' farms are certified organic. Since these new bee colonies have only been there a short time, the amount of honey harvested is limited (available at the Green Croft Gardens farm store).
Raw versus heated honey
When bottling honey we do not heat the honey. Only when the honey is crystallized we slightly warm the honey au bain marie so the honey won't get too hot. when the honey is heated, natural enzymes and nutrients are destroyed. Cold harvested honey is called raw honey.
When extracting the honey from the frames we always have some pales of wax and honey left. The only way to separate the wax from the honey is to heat it. This honey (which is obviously not raw anymore) we use for baking and cooking (when it gets heated anyway). If you like to use honey for baking or cooking, please let us know and we'll get you some for free!)
Store honey is often heated or even Pasteurized (heated until just under 100°C / 212°F).
As we always tell our customers: "you do not need to buy our honey, but please buy it from a local bee keeper so that you know where the honey comes from and how the honey is treated".
The area where the bees on our flat roof and the bees at Willow Tree Farm get their nectar from (Memorial Mountain)
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The area where the bees on Shuswap River Ranch of the Anions' Family near Kingfisher get their nectar from.
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We're so happy with our newest bee yard! Located on Gabriele and Wolf Wesle's Green Croft Gardens close to the Shuswap River between Grindrod and Mara. Bees get their nectar from organic farms in the area. Lots of clover, alfalfa and wildflowers available. We can hardly wait for next year's honey harvest!