Backyard Beekeeping

Beekeeping is becoming more popular all the time.  In fact two of my neighbors are beekeepers.  Their bees benefit all of our gardens, as the bees visit our flowers, taking the pollen back to their hives to make honey. 

There are many websites devoted to beekeeping, so today I’m just going to show you the photos I took while visiting my neighbors.  The hives require some work to keep the bees healthy and productive.  Water is available nearby and the gardens are kept pesticide free. 

My neighbor getting into the hive to check on the progress of the honey production. 

 

The bees are angry at his presence.   They weren’t too happy at my photo taking either so they stung me to make sure I got their message.

 

My other neighbor has  hives placed among their flowers and shrubs 

 

This hive, tucked into the garden, becomes part of the aesthetic design of the yard.  A water feature nearby provides the necessary moisture.

 

I was given this frame full of honey. The perfectly aligned cells and the rich, sweet smell of the honey were just part of the wonderfulness of it all.  There is thought that by eating local honey, created by bees who have collected the pollens in your area, you’ll not suffer the common seasonal allergies.  It makes perfect sense to me.  

  

Gathering the honey was  simpler than anticipated.  I used a wooden spatula and slid the fresh, sticky honey into a strainer, letting it strain overnight.        

    

The scraped frame, ready to return to the hive, and a jar of the delicious, fresh honey.  This sweet honey from my neighbors hive has a hint of mint from the mint grown in another yard.  Honey fact:  If kept well sealed in a cool, dry place,  honey will not spoil.  If it crystallizes, you simply warm the jar in water. 

 

Comments

[sunday taylor]

Janet, this was fascinating. I can't imagine keeping bees but so glad that others do! I loved learning about honey from you and how it will not spoil. I will try your technique with some honey in my pantry. Another great post! Love your photos.

[Marilyn]

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