My number one suggestion when people ask how they can help the bees
Let’s 🐝 real we’ve all been there. When your elbows deep in bees and your smoker either won’t stay lit or won’t stay lit for a long time 🐝 Here are some tips to lighting your smoker and keeping it “lit af”🔥
🔥 Use dry and flammable materials. In the past I’ve used pine needles but found the creosote build up too much with it. Cardboard I found burned too quickly. My current go to’s are burlap from old coffee bean bags and pine shavings.
🔥 Start with tinder then add fuel. I usually start with a small ball of newspaper and once that’s flaming good and hot then I add my fuel of choice.
🔥 Add the fuel slowly and make sure there’s enough of it. Adding too much fuel all at once can smother the fire before it’s even started. Make sure the fuel added is smoking strongly before adding more. Final point, make sure you fill (but don’t pack) your smoker.
🔥 Pump those bellows and keep pumping💨 Don’t stop when you see the first wisp of smoke keep adding air until a steady smoke appears (thick enough that you can’t see/barely see the fuel anymore).
🔥🔥🔥Bonus tip: Throw out those matches and BBQ lighters 🗑️Get yourself a propane/butane torch. Having a strong hot flame when first lighting your smoker goes a long way in its sustainability
And remember practice makes perfect! Happy beekeeping! 🐝🔥 #beekeepingtips #beesmoker #happybees
@ontariobeekeepersassociation queen rearing course in 15 seconds. This past weekend I made the trip down south to attend this year’s queen rearing course. Huge shout out to hosts Raquel and Esther at @chatsworthhoney Couldn’t have asked for better weather for it. Was great to meet with like minds, learn something new, get our hands sticky and meet some beeks I’ve only known through social media @gis_bees
We’ve all been there😅 #iykyk #beekeeping #justtakemymoney #beekeeperslife
It’s the little things😅 Happy Mother’s Day to all my fellow Queen Bees 👑 Managing both hives and households since the dawn of time⏳
#realtalk Shoutout to all the SO serving up reality checks 😅 #smallbusinessowner #beekeeping #dreamer #iykyk kyk
The sound of 100% survival rate. With any luck 2024 beekeeping will be a busy one 🐝
Day 30 of #31daysofbees2023I know I’m very late to the game but figured it would easier to explain if I had actual videos than just pictures and text. How do I winterized my hives? Contrary to most beekeepers in Ontario I do not use winter wraps for me bees. Instead I use a regionally specific method to the Upper Ottawa Valley. They are referred to by different names (winter boxes, snow boxes, ice boxes etc.). Designs vary slightly but the idea is generally the same. How it works ⚒️ ❄️ Outer covers are removed and hives are placed in the boxes. Boxes can hold anywhere from 1-4 single brood hives. There are also designs boxes built to hold double brood hives. ❄️ A piece of square plywood is placed to sit on the top of the landing board/hive entrance and rests on the outer wall of the winter box. This is to ensure entrances stay clear for the next step.❄️Hives are then surrounded and covered in pine shavings. Boxes are filled right to the top.Why this method?💧Better moisture control🔥Better insulation🌡️Better temperature regulation❄️Higher survival rates (typically)📈Faster brood build up in the spring. By the first week in May when I take out the hives from the boxes there will be 8 frames of brood in each hive#31daysofbees2023 #winterization #goodnightbees #thatsawrap
Doing day 15 and 16 of #31daysofbees2023 in a 2 for 1 package. Wild card and favourite way to eat honey. My most asked question at markets right now (thanks to a viral post all over Facebook). Is it okay to use a metal spoon with honey and the answer is….💯 YESSS! Using a metal spoon on honey will NOT compromise the integrity of your honey in ANY WAY. Anyone debating that is spreading fake news🚫📰 Most utensils now are made with stainless steal. Not the more traditional reactive metals such as silver or tin. The spoon’s contact with honey is so short that there is no time for any sort of reaction to occur. Still don’t believe me, google honey extractor (the machine most widely used in the world today to extract honey from the frames). All made out of stainless steel. In fact most commercial honey processing facilities contain extraction equipment made out of…you guessed it, stainless steal🤔 So if metal was truly bad for honey why is it used at all? The only time metal becomes an issue with honey is if it’s in direct contact with it for an extended period of time. This is due to honey’s typical low pH (honey is actually acidic on the pH scale) so my suggestion is just don’t leave the spoon in the jar🤷🏻♀️#31daysofbees2023 #crystalizedhoney #metalandhoney #honey #metalspoon
Day 4 of #31daysofbees2023 Your Favourite Bee picture who can choose just one? #31daysofbees2023 #beekeeper #bees
It’s Day 3 of #31daysofbees2023 and today’s topic is your favourite tool. This one I discovered thanks to @rushingriverapiaries If you’re a new beek and nervous about marking your queens I HIGHLY recommend you get yourself one of these. Able to use both bare handed or with beekeeping gloves. It also makes a great spur of the moment queen cage. How it works👑 find the queen 😉👑place canister over the queen 👑push up on the back handle slowly to close the gate at the top👑slowly push up the handle on the side that pushes the sponge pad to the top of the marker👑 ensure that the queen is lined up horizontal in-line with the gaps in the gate 👑mark your queen with the appropriate colour for the year 🔴🔵⚪️🟢🟡The gate at the top acts like a queen excluded so as you push up the sponge the attendants around the queen when you catch her will be able to fit through the gate but not the queen herself. If you’re new to queen marking and want practice, try using it with drones a couple times before the real deal Happy marking 🖊️ #31daysofbees2023 #queenmarkingcage #queenmarking #beekeepingtools
It’s Day✌🏻 of #31daysofbees2023 and today’s topic is your favourite hive🐝 And really what this question is asking is who is your favourite queen because it is the queen and her genetics that dictate the bee behaviour and temperament within a hive. And for me it’s this one☝🏻Not going to lie she sticks out like a sore thumb because she’s pretty shabby looking next to the typical decorative hives I have. But the reason for this is…I’ve never had it where they wasn’t a time there weren’t bees in this box and I could take it back to the shop to add another coat of paint to it. This is also the original hive box I purchased from my mentor when I started beekeeping by myself in 2020. So far it has housed two great queens. Queen Elizabeth I, my original queen and the best of the best Queen Victoria (cameo in the reel). Who I purchased in 2021 and is still alive and kicking this fall. Absolute power house, lays like a locomotive, and always the most calm hive to work with, you never need smoke with her. Luckily I’ve been able to produce not one but two of her daughters this season Queen Vera and Queen Viola. Both of which are just as well built (these girls are THICK) and well tempered. My hope is Queen Vic will make it through the winter and I can use her again next year to supply my queen banks She got a brand new box for her and her hive this fall but her daughter Queen Vera is now occupying this old box. As for Queen Elizabeth I. So far I’ve been lucky to continue her strain of genetics and current have her great granddaughter (Emma) and great great granddaughter (Elusive, there’s a story behind that one, also known as Ellie) in two other hives within my yard. Again great laying patterns, good over wintering success, decent hygiene and lovely docility. Some of the things I look for when choosing genetic traits I want to keep around. #beekeeping #31daysofbees2023 #favouritehive #favouritequeen
🐝🌼 Buzzing with excitement to share some fascinating bee behavior with you all! 🌼🐝 Have you ever heard of washboarding? 🚿🐝 It’s a peculiar behavior observed in honeybees that has left scientists scratching their heads! Let’s dive into this intriguing phenomenon together! 🤔💡🐝 Washboarding is when a group of worker bees gather on the surface of their hive and start moving their front legs in a repetitive motion, resembling a scrubbing motion. It’s almost as if they are washing clothes on a washboard! Hence the name! 🧺🐝🌼 Scientists have been studying this behavior for years, but its exact purpose remains a mystery. Some theories suggest that washboarding may be a form of communication among the bees. It could be a way for them to exchange information about food sources, hive conditions, or even to coordinate their activities. 🗣️🐝🚿 Another hypothesis is that washboarding might be a way for bees to clean their hive entrance. By scrubbing the surface, they could be removing dirt, debris, or even chemical residues that could potentially harm the colony. 🧹🐝🌼 Interestingly, washboarding is not observed in all honeybee colonies. It seems to be more common in certain regions or specific bee breeds. This suggests that it could be influenced by genetic factors or environmental conditions. 🌍🐝💡 While we may not have all the answers yet, it’s incredible to witness the intricate behaviors of these tiny creatures. Bees continue to amaze us with their intelligence and complex social interactions. Let’s appreciate and protect these incredible pollinators who play a vital role in our ecosystem! 🌸🐝#BeeBehavior #Washboarding #NatureFascination #BeeLove #SaveTheBees #pollinatorsmatter
🐝🌱👶🏼🐝 Did you know that bees go through four stages of development before they become fully-formed adults? It’s true! Let’s take a closer look at the four stages of bee brood:1️⃣ Egg: The queen bee lays a tiny egg in a cell of the honeycomb. The egg is about the size of a grain of rice and hatches in just a few days.2️⃣ Larva: The newly-hatched bee is called a larva. It looks like a small, white worm and spends its time eating and growing. The worker bees feed the larva a special mixture of pollen and honey called “bee bread.”3️⃣ Pupa: After about a week, the larva spins a cocoon around itself and transforms into a pupa. During this stage, the bee’s body undergoes a complete metamorphosis, developing wings, legs, and other adult features.4️⃣ Adult: Finally, after about two weeks, the fully-formed adult bee emerges from its cocoon. It chews its way out of the cell and joins the rest of the hive in collecting nectar and pollen.🌸🍯🌼 Each stage of bee brood is crucial to the survival of the hive. Without the hard work of the queen bee, worker bees, and drones, we wouldn’t have the delicious honey and important pollination services that bees provide. Let’s do our part to protect these amazing insects! #beelife #beebrood #pollinators #savethebees #naturelovers
Happy World Bee Day! 🐝🌍 Today, we celebrate the importance of bees for our planet’s ecosystem and the challenges they face. Bees are essential for pollinating flowers and crops, ensuring food production and biodiversity. But they are also threatened by climate change, habitat loss, pesticides, and diseases.That’s why it’s crucial to raise awareness about the importance of bees and take action to protect them. We can all do our part by planting bee-friendly flowers and herbs, avoiding harmful pesticides and herbicides, buying local honey, and supporting conservation efforts to protect bee habitats and biodiversity.Let’s show our love and appreciation for these amazing creatures that do so much for us and our planet. Happy World Bee Day! 🐝❤️ #worldbeeday #savethebees #bees #biodiversity #pollinators #climatechange #habitatloss #pesticides #conservation #sustainability
Hey there, honey lovers🍯 I’m excited to announce that She Keeps Bees will be participating in not one, but TWO upcoming farmers markets in the area. You can find us at the Powassan Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 9am-1pm and at the Sundridge Market every Friday from 5-8pm. But that’s not all! I’ll also be at the Sundridge Sunflower Festival on August 12th. Come out and support local farmers and artisans while stocking up on our delicious, raw honey and other bee-related products. We can’t wait to see you there! #farmersmarket #localbusiness #rawhoney #beeproducts #supportlocal #beekeeping #sundridgesunflowerfestival
The rush is on🏃♀️ less then 24hrs till I go to pick up my hives and start the 2023 beekeeping season🐝Today is filled with last minute prep, packing and painting the boxes that will house this year’s splits🎨 #beekeeping #beekeeperslife #prep
Happy Spring Equinox🌙🌷#springequinox #spring #beekeeping #fypシ゚viral #fypシ #fypviralシ #savethebees #ontario #canada
