Harvested my first...

[RRJJ]

comb of honey! For those that don't know I kept my first hive last year, however, wax moths decimated the hive and prevented me from getting any honey. I bought a new pkg of bees this year, changed the location of the hive to help prevent the moths and success!

There best part of the harvest was ripping three small pieces off, one for and one each for my boys. Here is a pic of the comb in the bucket waiting to be squeezed.

 

[badger]

Way cool!

 

[swantucky]

Nice John!! All we have harvested out of our bee hive was some mice....I should see if I can find that story and repost it. I bet some would get a kick out of it.

 

[Thunderflight]

Can you eat the comb?

Also, what happens to the bees in the winter? Do their eggs hatch in the Spring?

 

[Hoytmania]

I have heard that eating honeycomb can help prevent colds. Someone was telling me they read that in a field and stream or outdoor life magazine.

 

[RRJJ]

Can you eat the comb?

Also, what happens to the bees in the winter? Do their eggs hatch in the Spring?

You can eat the comb...it's just wax. Bees only live for a few weeks - except for the winter - the queen is constantly laying eggs to replenish the hive. In the winter the bees slow way down and only move when they have eaten the honey out of a comb and have to move to the next comb. Bees are master regulators of temperature and can keep the hive at a comfortable temp year round.

As long as they survive the winter, the bees that were left will jump start the hive for spring and the queen goes back to laying eggs.

 

[RRJJ]

I have heard that eating honeycomb can help prevent colds. Someone was telling me they read that in a field and stream or outdoor life magazine.

Haven't heard that, but eating raw honey is thought to help with allergies through micro dosing. Raw honey contains pollen, spores, and mold that cause 90% of allergies. By eating raw honey it's believed that you are building your immunity.

Bee stings are also thought to help prevent arthritis. Very few bee keepers ever end up with it.

Actually, honey and bees have many medicinal purposes.

 

[RedCloud]

That's pretty cool JJ. Congrats on a first harvest .


Now pass the flap jacks and honey and a nice side order of bacon or sausage links lol.

 

[Thunderflight]

That is pretty neat. How many times have you been stung?

 

[RRJJ]

In two years I have only been stung once and that was this year when I was introducing the bees to hive. I wasn't wearing protective clothing and I dropped the box into the hive. One flew up and got me on the jaw.

A sting every now and then is good for you as long as you are not allergic - or you don't get swarmed all at once as that can cause allergic reactions down the road. One of engineers was mowing last year and got attacked by ground bees and got stung several times. This year he was out jogging and got stung once and had a severe allergic reaction. His dr said that him running probably saved his life as his body was naturally creating adrenaline. He now has to carry an epi-pen with him at all times.

Now, honey bees are different than any other stinging insect. They will only sting if they are provoked and are surprisingly gentle. I often go to the hive without protective clothing and just observe. They will fly around you to get to their hive. Their main goal is to build comb, collect pollen, and make honey.

 

[Buckmaster]

Nice hobby. It's on my to do list someday. My neighbor has some.

 

[RRJJ]

Nice hobby. It's on my to do list someday. My neighbor has some.

Get with him and have him show you the ropes. Make it a foal to get started this spring. You'll love it!

 

[Buckmaster]

Get with him and have him show you the ropes. Make it a foal to get started this spring. You'll love it!

Actually, he died last year so now the hive is operated by the Ms.

She's selling honey now so perhaps I'll grab a jar and ask some questions.

 

[RRJJ]

Actually, he died last year so now the hive is operated by the Ms.

She's selling honey now so perhaps I'll grab a jar and ask some questions.

There you go!

 

[hickslawns]

I hate to ask, but I HAVE to ask. Was he killed in a tragic bee hive stinging incident?

 

[Buckmaster]

I hate to ask, but I HAVE to ask. Was he killed in a tragic bee hive stinging incident?

No, Old age at 98. Rich mowed the yard and tended his bees well into 97.
He was a joy to talk with. His Dad was a blacksmith in town before the Model T; that's when streets were made of dirt and brick.
That man knew it, done it, and could run circles around most.

His wife tends the hives now.

 

[hickslawns]

Wonderful! I love hearing stories about guys like that! It is truly a great loss when they do pass away. Sounds like you lost a good neighbor and friend.

 

[Jackalope]

In two years I have only been stung once and that was this year when I was introducing the bees to hive. I wasn't wearing protective clothing and I dropped the box into the hive. One flew up and got me on the jaw.

A sting every now and then is good for you as long as you are not allergic - or you don't get swarmed all at once as that can cause allergic reactions down the road. One of engineers was mowing last year and got attacked by ground bees and got stung several times. This year he was out jogging and got stung once and had a severe allergic reaction. His dr said that him running probably saved his life as his body was naturally creating adrenaline. He now has to carry an epi-pen with him at all times.

Now, honey bees are different than any other stinging insect. They will only sting if they are provoked and are surprisingly gentle. I often go to the hive without protective clothing and just observe. They will fly around you to get to their hive. Their main goal is to build comb, collect pollen, and make honey.

My grandfather kept bees.. When I was 4 i banged on the hive in the winter with a stick because i didn't see them all out front hanging on the hive like they were all summer. I got stung 34 times... The very next summer my cousin threw sand at the hive with a plastic shovel. I got stung 26 times. Now. If I get stung by 3-4 honeybees my ass better be on the way to a hospital. Hornets, red wasps, yellow jackets don't mater. Only honeybees.

Think that stops me? 3 years ago one evening a buddy and i found a nice hive under a giant oak limb on Deer Creek.. We came back the next morning when it was cold and i climbed up there and robbed them blind. Killed the hive but they were dead anyway with the winter coming and just under a limb like that out in the open. He was shaking his head saying i was nuts.. It was then I told him. Oh yeah. BTW. I'm allergic. But it's Ok.. I have my eppi pen.. Guess what I used to smoke em before i cut the comb away.. Yep.. My smoker. duh. LOL


BTW my mother was always on his ass to get rid of those bees. He never did. One evening he went out there to rob them and they swarmed his ass. Even with the protective clothing, four bees managed to get under his bonnet and got him in the neck. . They had went "aggressive" or something like that.. He went back out there with a gas can and burned the whole farm to the ground.. LOL

 

[rgecko23]

My grandfather kept bees.. When I was 4 i banged on the hive in the winter with a stick because i didn't see them all out front hanging on the hive like they were all summer. I got stung 34 times... The very next summer my cousin threw sand at the hive with a plastic shovel. I got stung 26 times. Now. If I get stung by 3-4 honeybees my ass better be on the way to a hospital. Hornets, red wasps, yellow jackets don't mater. Only honeybees.

Think that stops me? 3 years ago one evening a buddy and i found a nice hive under a giant oak limb on Deer Creek.. We came back the next morning when it was cold and i climbed up there and robbed them blind. Killed the hive but they were dead anyway with the winter coming and just under a limb like that out in the open. He was shaking his head saying i was nuts.. It was then I told him. Oh yeah. BTW. I'm allergic. But it's Ok.. I have my eppi pen.. Guess what I used to smoke em before i cut the comb away.. Yep.. My smoker. duh. LOL

There is couple big ones at my one property hanging off the branches I want to get for my man room someday......I heard the dead of winter is the best time to get them. Now your saying you got stung in the winter?? Whats the best way to get them old nests like that.

 

[Jackalope]

There is couple big ones at my one property hanging off the branches I want to get for my man room someday......I heard the dead of winter is the best time to get them. Now your saying you got stung in the winter?? Whats the best way to get them old nests like that.

Those aren't honey bees, those are hornets nests you're seeing. In the dead of winter hornets do go underground. By "dead of winter" i mean January.. I went to get a hornets nest last mid November and it very much still had hornets in it. I threw some sticks at it from a distance. Nothing.. They were in the top of a sapling about 5 inches around.. I climbed up then bent the sapling over and started walking to the nest holding the tree bent. Well they started crawling out all sluggish... I let that dude go like a catapault and hauled ass..

The best way is to get them in the dead of winter in a garbage bag.. The put them in the deep freeze for a couple days. (bag and all)..

The ones i found at deer creek under a limb were honey bees that had swarmed there and made a comb that looked like this

Hornets nests look like this.

Ain't no honey in there. Just a bunch of big pissed off hornets.



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