Drstratton - My Backyard Journey Journal

[drstratton]

We've already had many days of triple digits, with more to come. We're getting to old to be standing out in the sun in 100+ degree weather as we inspect our bees. So we put up a temporary cover until we have the time and energy to build an arbor over the top of our Apiary. My husband wants grapes, I want to plant a start we took from the Wisteria that my mom gave to me. We also added a fan, set to come on when the temp hits 78°. It has really helped the bees and us to be more comfortable. They are not bearding as much as they were.

 

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My fun little bee watering station (it's set on a timer and gets filled with water 3x's a day) and a larger trough. Bees can use a gallon of water on hot days.

 

[drstratton]

July 11th, 2025
Yesterday we extracted our first honey. We were able to pull 13 fully capped frames. We will hopefully pull the rest in two weeks. Then we will do our 2nd mite treatment after removing all of our honey supers. We will have another nectar flow this fall. It will come from buckwheat. It makes a very dark and strong flavored honey. Not my favorite, but it's supposed to be one of the healthiest honey's.

Dale decided to remove the cappings with a heat gun. The top layer of honey was barely warm. It worked perfectly.

In our extractor!

Finally the reward of beautiful, golden and delicious honey!

We got around 3 gallons of honey or about 38 lbs. Such an amazing journey, bees are truly awe inspiring. Totally worth all of the work we put into it.

This is from the first 8 frames. 26lbs of pure honey with no sugar syrup.

 

[drstratton]

July 12th

It was around 100° yesterday, so the bees were bearding on their front porch. It's supposed to hit 105° today and I have no doubt it's going to get there. I'm so glad we gave them shade and air movement, or it would be even worse for them.

 

[drstratton]

As the temps approach 105°, I thought I would share a video of the girls trying to cool off the hive.

A bee can move their wings 200-300 times a second... amazing!

 

[drstratton]

A video looking up into the hive through the screened bottom board.
Took this one awhile back.

 

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On a cucumber blossom!

 

[drstratton]

Here is a list of my new mixed flock. I managed to get a few pictures today. We were also supposed to get 2 Bielefelders, they missed putting them in and 2 Olive Eggers, they said something happened and they weren't available. I was very disappointed about the Bielefelder as I had to choose a later ship date to get them. One Speckled Sussex and one New Hampshire Red didn't make it.

2 Ameraucana

2 Aquila

2 Barred Plym Rock.
This girl is so friendly!

2 Black Sex Link
Another friendly girl. So happy that they have the red feathering. So pretty!

2 Cream Legbar

2 Lavender Orpingtons

1 New Hampshire Red

2 Rainbow Eggers
This girl is also friendly. Can't wait to see what color their eggs are. These and Ameraucana are like a box of chocolates, you don't know what you'll get...lol

2 Silver Laced Wyandotte

1 Speckled Sussex
Missed this girl, she's a little flighty.

2 Welsummer
Love this breed.

 

[drstratton]

Caught her and she's on the move, per usual...lol

Speckled Sussex

 

[drstratton]

Silver Laced Wyandotte
This girl has more white on her breast, than her sister.