While the weather was bad I took the opportunity to make some windows (or frames you might call them) for my bees, for as soon as the weather warms-up enough to do the "Spring Inspection", I will need to have some foundation frames on hand. While I am at it, I shall also make some honey frames and some closed frames. First of all, I went out to a imkerswinkel (beekeepers' shop) shop and bought some supplies which had to be assembled-- sort of like IKEA furniture. These are simple pieces of pre-cut lengths of wood. To begin with I wanted to make a few sluitblokken (space-filler frames). These are frames that are solid and bees cannot use them. They are meant to limit the free space inside the hive for a small colony. I begin by gluing the joints together. Next, I nail the glued joints together for stability. Next I had to cut some pieces of thin wooden sheets to close the frame. This first side is nailed onto one side. You flip the frame over and place some styrofoam in the frame for insulation), cutting it to form. Once the styrofoam sheet is placed, then the second wooden piece is nailed into place. Bob's yer uncle! The next thing to do was to separate the remaining pieces and organize them into groups. I then punched brass eyelets into holes that were made for stringing the frames with stainless steel wire. I am punching it through here. Here you can see how the eyelets look once placed. The frame is ready for stringing now. You secure one end of the steel wire and then thread it through the eyelets back and forth until you reach the other end. Secure that second end of the wire now and this is the end of the construction phase. I will take all the frames that I made to the lottie where I shall keep them on hand for use when the necessity arises.
Sjoerd, What are you going to do with these "stringed" frames. We don't do this so I am not sure where you are going with this process. We make or use what is called a "nuke" box (short for nucleus) for a small colony such as making a split or one that has a new queen cell attached to a frame and a frame of eggs and bees for a starter colony. The nuke box is a regular hive type box only space for 5 frames not the 10 you would normally find in a hive.
Hiya C-- I shall show you what the strings are for in the next "bee posting"(in a coupla days). I have been doing reading on how North Americans do beekeeping. I have been trying to learn the terminology that you guys use there. I have found some interesting sources in Canada and the U.S. All these are good, but as you know, I value your and MG's info the highest. Thanks for your comments and keep an eye open for the follow-up to this thread . Thanks FRANK-- I do too. All three hives are flying when the days are a little bit sunny, so I hope to be able to make the spring inspection soon.( It is ~3 weeks late due to the freezing weather that we are having).
Okay S, but I am waiting somewhat impatiently for the next installment. On to other bee news, I noticed with all my handsoff treatment this is the first year I have seen all of my hives winter over...YAY!!! K called my friend down the road, that I help and we extract together, to inquire about pails of honey, and he said he managed to get one...read that, ONE out of 22 hives through the winter . I think he is too hands on and constantly manipulating frames and checking on queens etc. disrupting their work flow. I know that I would have a problem if someone was in my greenhouse constantly moving stuff around. That really disrupts my workflow and I am sure they know better than I do what to do in their abode. He even has a bee barn to shelter them for the winter.
This is interesting, I learned alot about honey but not bee keeping during my vacation in New Zealand. Do any of you make cream honey at home? I like it on my bread
I have not made it KK, It is a little difficult unless you have a starter for the process. Kind of like the process of keeping a starter for sour dough bread (if you ar familiar with that). Honey crystalizes naturally due to it's chemical makeup, but the starter for creamed honey forms a much smaller crystal and makes a much smoother texture. I do make honey butter, though. You take a cup or so of soft butter, put it in the mixing bowl and beat it until it is light and fluffy. Start pouring a stream of honey in using approximately the same amount as of butter, continue beating until it is fluffy and light. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and finish by beating that in. I keep it on the counter (we go though it in a couple days) but you may need to keep it in the fridge or a cool spot.
Thanks for your info Carolyn. Before I read your post I thought that honey only crystalizes if it had been adulterated with sugar . Thanks for educating me.
KK, You are not the only one to think that. I hear other people say they thought it went "bad" and threw it away. I am not sure if honey could ever go bad unless it was adulterated with something. Honey is made up mainly of fructose, glucose and sucrose. Depending on the ratios of the components which are determined by the composition of the nectar makes the honey crystallize sometimes rather fast other times fairy slow. Here in the states it is illegal to add anything to honey and label it pure honey. When I extract I keep it in 4 or 5 gallon buckets and it usually crystallizes while sitting there. I put it on a hotplate for a week to liquefy it to put in jars or containers for the roadside stand.
When the honey that I buy from the beekeepers here crystallizes, I have to return the honey to a clear liquid by using an au bain-marie. I have learned that if one heats the honey too rapidly and up to a too high temp it can make the honey harmful to bees that eat it and it diminishes the various good qualities that pure honey can have.
