One of my daughter's beehives swarmed on use. We've had a lot of high wind here and trying to get out to my in-laws property has been difficult. It never fails on a nice day without high winds or rain we have appointments or other commitments.  

My father in law texted me this picture while we were at an appointment. Sigh it was a large hive. I hope they fair well in their new home wherever it may be. 

We go out this weekend which is suppose to be nice to check on the hives. Hopefully, the other hive doesn't plan on moving out before then.

 

In The Bee-Friendly Garden, award-winning garden designer Kate Frey and bee expert Gretchen LeBuhn provide everything you need to know to create a dazzling garden that helps both the threatened honeybee and our own native bees. No matter how small or large your space, and regardless of whether you live in the city, suburbs, or country, just a few simple changes to your garden can fight the effects of colony collapse disorder and the worldwide decline in bee population that threatens our global food chain. There are many personal benefits of having a bee garden as well! Bee gardens:

· contain a gorgeous variety of flowers
· bloom continuously throughout the seasons
· are organic, pesticide-free, and ecologically sustainable
· develop healthy and fertile soil
· attract birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects
· increase the quantity of your fruit and vegetable harvest
· improve the quality, flavor, and size of your produce

Illustrated with spectacular full-color photos, The Bee-Friendly Garden debunks myths about bees, explains seasonal flower progression, and provides detailed instructions for nest boxes and water features. From “super blooming” flowers to regional plant lists and plants to avoid, The Bee-Friendly Garden is an essential tool for every gardener who cares about the planet and wants to make their yard a welcoming habitat for nature’s most productive pollinator.

My Thoughts:

As a beekeeper I have been learning that not only do you need to learn how to manage your beehives and about the honey bees themselves. I have to help them survive by having plants that help them thrive in this time of decline for the bees.

I was given a mixture of bee friendly seeds to plant my first year of beekeeping. I also bought some native wildflowers to plant in my yard. I was surprised the second season of what I seen in my garden. My garden came alive with native bees, wasp, and so many interesting insects. I have never seen so many species of bees prior. It was truly a delight to watch for the whole family.

We sold our house this fall and we are starting from scratch with a garden. This time around I wanted to learn about plants for the honey bees, native bees, and other pollinators. I want to have plants that are in bloom all season. I also want a healthy garden.

I was pretty excited to see, “The bee-friendly Garden “come up for review. I have to say that it was beyond my expectation. I was expecting it just to cover plants. I was delighted that it talked about the many different species of bees in detail. It covers how to identify native bees and what they like, how they nest, and so much more like birds and butterflies.

This is a paperback book with 224 pages. Every page has stunning photographs of flowers, gardens, and bees. It was easy to read for the average gardener. It also had a lot of information and I learned a lot.

Contents:

Introduction: The Benefits of a Bee-Friendly Garden

Chapter 1: Our Friends, the Bees

Chapter 2: Plants for Your Bee-Friendly Garden

Chapter 3: Bee-Friendly Plants for Edible Gardens

Chapter 4: Bee Garden Basics

Chapter 5: Designing Your Bee Garden

Chapter 6: Beyond Your Own Backyard-Becoming a Bee Activist

Resources

Regional Plant List

Southeast Region

South Central Region

Southwest Region

Pacific Northwest Region

Rocky Mountain/Intermountain West Region

Northeast/Midwest/Mid-Atlantic Region

Basically this book will take you from researching what you need to plant, how to plant a garden that will appeal to bees. The book is very comprehensive.

I would recommend this book to any gardener who is interested in helping out our pollinating friends, beekeeper, and a person who just wants to plant a stunning garden.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from Blogging for Books- Waterbrook for free in order to write this review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and were not subject to editing from the publisher.

We moved from Wichita about 2 months ago to a small town in Cheney. I looked at the city bylaws prior and they didn't say you could not have beehives. Of course, the way it's worded could always be in a grey area. They label bees as animals. In one part they say that animals must be contained to your yard or if they are an endangerment to the public! The city only list two specific dogs and chickens are not allowed in the city limits. I was hoping  to find a local farmer in the area to let me put the hives on their farm in the spring and summer months when the girls are busy and buzzing around.

We currently have three hives. Last week there was a police officer in our neighbors backyard taking pictures. Our neighbor came over and said he didn't turn us in but, a city worker seen the hives The police officer told him, "they are illegal in the city limits".

My daughter Bug(13) is devastated and can't grasp why with her Autism, rare chromosome deletion, arthritis, and several other disabilities why we have to move our bees. Its just truly heartbreaking as insects occupy 80% of her days. Every day she walks outside to check on the hives. I am afraid it will effect her a lot. I've even become fond of them myself and spending time with her with the hives. Shes the reason why we even have bees.

It's sad that with all the information out there with bees that cities are against owning beehives. I would think more cities would be pro bees!

I don't know what I am going to do. We can put the bees back on my in-laws land. That will be difficult caring for them being further away.  Even more difficult for Bug. I don't want to sell them. I don't know what to do at this point. We have invested so much into the hives and into Bug's future with the hives. 

The city chief of police finally came at the end of last week has asked us to remove our beehives out of the city limits as they deem them illegal in the city limits. We have 30 days to remove them. The local fire chief is letting us put them on his land just outside the city. I am going to possibly appeal having them removed.

After talking to the local bee association and several larger beekeepers in this area they recommended that I get letters from doctors and professionals who work with Bug. Several of them know Bug and are very impressed with her accomplishments with bees. She has won many hearts with beekeepers with her passion for them. They have seen many cases appealed and city codes changed in the last few years. Many willing to stand behind us and help make a case. 

Last night a women we know from one of the colleges in the entomology department came to Bug's 4-H entomology class and was hoping to see us in the class She has even offered to come and talk to the city about bees and codes. She has helped many communities. She is also a beekeeper and has been impressed with Bug over the years. This individual is in charge of entomology at the state fair.

Several individuals have suggested we contact the local news channels to do a story about her and her situation. I don't want to stir the water being new in a small community. I think it needs to be done in a professional way and approach the city council and mayor. Its really tough.

The bees have been therapeutic to her and have matured her in many ways. She is more confident, she calms down with the bees when I can get her outside just like a therapy dog does for a person. I feel they have even helped her when she is having seizures.

Beekeeping  has helped her to build confidence, learning to manage money, social skills, behavior, and to see a future to support herself with dignity, despite her disability. She has kept involved in organizations with donating honey baskets for fund raising money for them. Bug is my hero!

I think my job is to educate and take one step at a time. I have heard of many changes of hearts in big cities and small towns towards individuals having bees in their backyard. Someone has to be a first person to take the first step. I don't know if I can make them change their minds but, maybe others will stand up in this city.

For now I have a little girl with a broken heart who just doesn't understand. This mom is also heart broken. It feels like her dreams are crashing down.

How do you educate a city? It will be a new journey that is for sure. I really don't want to take this journey. All I know is that before my daughter I was like this too and scared to death of bees. I thought they are dangerous creatures with stingers. I even thought beekeepers were a bit crazy. She educated me and won me over. Now, I see beauty in these amazing creatures. They are relaxing and peaceful to watch. I can look back and laugh at it all as she has taken me on a journey of a lifetime. 

When I look out my dining room window we get to watch the beehives. It's fun watching the girls being busy on a warm day. Those days aren't often the last few weeks.

 Bug can't wait till spring when the girls are constantly busy. I don't even have to go outside to see if they need water. 

I have found watching the beehives very relaxing.

 We have a double lot and the beehives are on one side of the yard. This side I hope to put a deck going out the patio door. Right now we have our table and BBQ grill on this side sitting on the ground. Maybe one day we can watch the hives from the deck.

Then you go through a path on the back of the house to a larger yard. Hopefully soon we will have the playset built. The kids have a lot of running room on the other side We could block off the path if needed to for the kids. 

The yard has lots of bee loving flowing bushes and even a mulberry tree. Hopefully, next spring I can get a garden going.

A few weeks ago Bug and I answered a call to help with a massive bee accident. It was down the road from where we live and we had nothing else going on with our schedule. We decided it was a perfect time to learn how to work a bee accident/swarm.

We were the first beekeepers on scene. What we didn't know was that it was all over the news. We heard about the accident online from our local bee club. It was a media circus with several news channels and the local newspaper.

A large bee supplier company had dropped some hives when they transferred bees from a broken down trailer to another one. They left the bees and ran over many with a fork lift. Come to find out some of their bees escaped up the road at another location the same evening. It also generated a stir at a local fire work stand and people were getting stung.

Bug and I calmly walked over to the light pole with out our suits on to assess the situation. I knew right away I had to get on the phone and call other beekeepers. I didn't have enough equipment for this many bees. It was enough bees for several hives. They were just the workers and I didn't think they had a queen but, I was unsure.

Then came the media circus. Of course I had no make up and I had just got out of the shower when the call went out. So I am the bee expert suddenly! I was able to stay calm and look like I knew what I was doing. This was the first time we had done anything like this.

 Beekeepers to the rescue! They faithfully came after I called!

 These two hive boxes are filled with bees. Unfortunately, this wasn't what we took home. The rule of thumb is that the first beekeeper on scene takes home the majority of the bees. I didn't have enough equipment and told him that he could have them. I need to save up and sell more honey to purchase more hive equipment. 

 We took home a nice nuc of bees. I would estimate around 20,000-30,000 bees. If it wasn't for these bees one of our hives would of died. It helped her survive until their new queen emerged and began laying eggs. I basically combined the hives by added newspaper between the hives. By the time they chewed through the newspaper they were us to each others scent and didn't kill one another.

 One of the reporters from a local news channel was quite uncomfortable around all the flying bees. One of the beekeepers gave her a bee suit to put on as she was panicking and swatting at the bees. Several reporters got stung numerous times.

 The first site of the bee accident got a lot of social media attention. Along with Bug as the local newspaper did and exclusive on her. It was her age and collecting bees that made it more news worthy. The story line read,Young Beekeeper helps contain Massive Bee Accident" They asked her, "aren't you afraid of bees". She told them, "I am fearless" and "I was just born that way".

Due to the social media attention one company donated a $500 check to our bee club. We had nothing to do with the first site but, we got invited as we helped with the second site clean up.

 Love the Thanks for creating a "buzz" about our Product.

The donation is going to go to starting a youth program scholarship if it is approved by the members. It would help youth like Bug with a hive and all the equipment along with a mentor for a year.

That was our great adventure that was all the buzz this last month. 

We haven't done much art this summer around our home. Our main focus the last few weeks has been the kids finishing up their 4-H projects for the fair which began last night. 

For my Bug her entomology cases are a piece of art of God's creation that brings her much joy to look at. (I know I just showed you her boxes in a post yesterday so sorry for those who are seeing them in another post so soon.) We will be extremely busy with the fair for the next few days.

 Her first time doing an education box for 4-H. She was inspired by her Apis mellifera ( honey bees) and the creation of the Langstroth hive history. She was able to get her hands on a queen, drone, and worker bee. Along with some pest from the hive like a small hive beetle, wax moth, and a varroa mite.

My favorite part is the vials of honey, pollen, propolis, and the drawn bees wax.

 She is now in intermediate and this is her first year she can have two cases. She can have up to 300 species in her box. She managed to have 264 species, 20 orders, and 54 families.

She was excited that she could finally add butterflies and moths. They take a lot of space and we kept many out of her boxes in the previous years as the number of species plays a role in how you ribbon if you go to the state fair.

I think our Creator does do art the best and has an amazing imagination. Some of these insects are unique and even pretty.

 

 My sons artistic creation is the hard work of his rocket that he created. Of course - launching it is the best part.

Stop by and see what other bloggers are creating with art. I think you will be delighted at the ability that God has given others in art.

It's time to get ready to pack lunches and get ready as we have a long day ahead of us today at the county fair.

Last week Bug and I went into both of the hives. 

We wanted to make sure the new hive Chai was looking good after installing her. The queen is doing her job and laying eggs nicely. She is bringing in pollen and nectar.She is also slurping up a quart of sugar syrup a day!

We actually got Chai from the same person we got our second hive Bolt from last year. He catches swarms and does splits from his hive. I wanted to make sure I had at two hives just in case I don't do a successful split with Bol soon or lose her to swarming.

Little Man was up on the fort taking pictures!

He actually ventured closer. I am surprised that he did.

Bolt is looking real good and I saw the queen in the bottom brood box. Two weeks ago I had to do a reversal of the brood boxes to get her into the bottom of the hive. Bees prefer to go up instead down in a hive.

My mission this week was to look for supercedure cells or swarm cells which both of these are basically queen cells. Also to look for any other issues.

Supersedure cells is where the colony is trying to raise a new queen to replace the old one that is currently in charge of the colony. This could be due to her age or damage. There are a small number, usually 1-3 of these cells.

Swarm cells are built when the colony is preparing to swarm. They look similar to supersedure cells, but there are usually a lot more of them.
 I don't want Bolt to swarm and hope to make her into two hives. Honestly, I still am a little nervous about timing and not seeing problems.

Bug joined me today in the hives. She has a hard time in the full bee-suit. They are hot and uncomfortable!

Looking at the honey super frames and the girls are doing a good job of filling up the cells with nectar and pollen.

Going into the brood box.Which I like to tell people this is were the nursery is and the queen's territory.

Little Man actually came closer when we were looking in the honey super frames. That changed fast though because when you open the brood box the bees get a bit more fussy.

His explanation of these pictures is that the bees started coming to quick for his liking. Smart boy!

 Little Man did head back over after they mellowed out a bit.

 We may get him to suit up in the future as he wanted to see a frame with bees on it. Maybe??

I found a few empty queen cell cups that they make just in case they need them and then one that looks like a supercedure cell as it's in the middle of the frame. They could be trying to replace Bolt. 

Honestly, I don't know so I think. The bees know what they are doing and I pray that they don't swarm on us. I'm not ready for Bug to deal with losing her bees. I will have to keep my eye on her.

Other than that she looks good and no one got stung. They sure did buzz me a few times that evening and the next morning when I was working in the garden.