Chris, my beekeeping partner/mentor wrote: "Here are some photos of the bee hive in the ceiling a farm house that I told you about the other day. After figuring out where the bees were inside the house using a stethoscope, I scored the plaster with a small grind wheel then cut out the lath with my sawzall. So, after I took the 3rd photo I cut the comb out dripping with honey and it dropped to the floor (covered previously with plastic). By that time my gloves were too coated with honey to take any more photos but it was a real mess. Now the space in the ceiling has been cleaned up as has the floor and the entrance sealed. The owner has learned a valuable lesson. Last year when he had a bee hive that I removed in an easily accessible notch in the house siding I told him to seal up the entrance and clean out all the comb. He didn't do that resulting in the mess you see here after a second swarm of bees discovered the house this year."

A happy ending

They found their new home. They also will receive gainful employment and a full health care plan.

Office Bees

On Wednesday I notice some honey bees on my office window. A swarm took up residence on the top of my window. My office window doesn’t open. Fourth floor. The first story windows don’t open either, so it apparently it not because they don’t trust academics to refrain from hurling themselves to our deaths. Anyway, Chris and I put an empty hive body on the roof above. We put some pheromones inside to attract them. I hope they find their new home.

Harvest - Fall 2008

Capturing a swarm

Brood frames with brood cells.

Setting up new hives

The honey bees are trying to get into the little box with the queen. You can see the white sugar plug on the left.

Here are three new hives, with the bees just put in, ready to be covered and left.





Here are the three new hives ready to be covered up.














From near to far, an older-established hive, three new hives with the parcel boxes propped up in front, and then the remaining older-established hives.

Harvesting honey

Here is Chris out in the field, gathering the honey supers and chasing the bees out.



















Here he is taking the wax caps off of a frame using a heated knife.




















He then puts four de-capped frames into the extractor, which spins the honey out.