Honeybee_ Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - C. Marina Marchese [17]
Ancient honey hunters may have had to climb dangerous trees or mountains to actually get the honey, and without proper protection, they must have endured a few stings. Bee lining can be challenging the first few times, and it is easiest to do when the temperature is fairly warm and the bees are out foraging in full force.
Most of the drones are not allowed to spend the winter in the hive, because they would eat all the stored honey. So, sadly, drones are forced out of the hive in the autumn and generally die of starvation or cold. It is not uncommon for beekeepers to see the drone corpses at the hive entrance in late autumn.
• • •
ON MY WAY BACK HOME FROM BILLY’S APIARY, I spotted a single honeybee buzzing around the back of my Jeep. Somehow she managed to find her way in and was now on a one-way trip across town. I felt terrible knowing she would not make it back home tonight, or maybe never make it home at all. What would she do? Where would she sleep? Promptly, I rolled down the back windows, hoping she would find her way outside and back to her hive. She was sucked out by the blast of wind, and I will never know if she made it back safely. It was just the kind of thing that happens all the time, but I’d never thought about it from the bee’s perspective until that day. Since honeybees are social creatures, I’d learned from Billy, they rely on the colony as a whole to survive. They return home each night, but tonight where would this bee go?
Later, I remembered to ask Mr. B about that incident. Mr. B assured me if there were a hive in a reasonable distance, her chance of being accepted would increase if she entered with an offering of pollen or nectar. That thought was comforting. I could only hope she found a hive that welcomed her that night.
CHAPTER 4
Foundations in Beekeeping
A few days after the hive inspection, Mr. B called to ask me if I was ready to set up my first hive. If so, I would have to order my colony of bees in the next few days. It was already late April and the time for me to make my decision was running out; bee-breeding farms would not ship bees in the warmer summer days because of stress on the bees and heat-related losses. At that moment I took the plunge and committed to keeping honeybees. I was ready as I ever would be and knew Mr. B would be there every step of the way. I had officially become a beekeeper.
Now that I was a beekeeper I would need a beehive. There are many suppliers of beekeeping equipment in the country, and one can order equipment from them online or through one of their many catalogs. I picked up a few free catalogs at my beekeepers meetings to get a taste of what was available.
Turns out there are many styles of hives to choose from and an abundance of accessories. I opted for a beekeeping starter kit, which included a standard Langstroth-style wooden beehive and all the basic beekeeper’s tools. I could always add more beekeeping goodies to my collection later on as necessary.
THE LANGSTROTH HIVE
The Langstroth hive is the style of beehive that most beekeepers in the United States use today. Prior to the introduction of the Langtroth hive, bees were kept in hollow wooden logs, called gums; in clay pots; or in woven bee skeps. With any of these primitive beehives, it was difficult for beekeepers to manage their bees, find their queen,