Honey Bees!

This is our third year with bees .... we've really enjoyed them, and the children have learned so much!

Beginning April 1, Marion will start making the rounds as the Holmes County Bee Inspector...(inspectress??) and John will go along as her dutiful bee body guard ;-)

Our three hives made it through the winter, and are doing well.... Ariel is planning a bee garden for the bee yard, fashioned after the one at OARDC...

The children have several families they help with their bees, as well as the ones at home....

They are members of Tri-County Beekeepers, (Marion's the club secretary) and just finished helping with their huge workshop in the beginning of March....

We are experimenting with natural ways to control the mites etc. that plague bees these days, and have come upon an interesting product.... Bee Calmer Gel... it's available from Parson's Gold Apiaries.... will let you know what we think...

We are blessed to have Carlton Simpson of Simpson's Bee Supplies practically down the road from us in Danville..... He has been a wealth of information, and an all around great guy :-)

Honey Bee Picture Gallery

Journal :

September 2002

We took off some of the loveliest honey this summer, :-)

and hope to have enough to sell next year.... this year, it's mainly been for gifts ;-)

the bees have been healthy and growing strong...

God willing we'll take off one more crop before winter...

John had a systemic reaction to some upset bees this year,

so we've had to take some extra precautions with him,

and have put his desire to do a bee beard on hold....

but it hasn't curbed his love of working with these amazing creatures...

Praise the Lord!

July 2002

on her inspection rounds, Marion has come across some areas

where American Foul Brood has been a problem....not good... :-(

May 8th, 2002

March 26th, 2002

Once this snow melts....... :-)

Swarm 2001

May 27, 2001

We bought a new buckfast queen, and both hives seem to be doing well.... we'd had quite a bit of drifting though, when the one was queenless...as the hives are a little too close together.... hopefully this rain will stop soon, and they can get back to work pollinating :-)