Monday, August 25, 2008

Busy Busy Bees

Suit up...
pull out the frames and brush off the bees...

and snicker at the bumble bee who couldn't resist stealing just a bit.

Ogle at the 37 pounds, about 17 kg, of frame, wax, and liquid gold.
(Yup, the geek in me had to weigh it.)
Just a few more minutes...
now slice off the caps...
crank the extractor to spin the honey out of the frames...
It's almost ready.But first, filter out the wax and wings.
Finally, it's time to enjoy...
the first honey of the season. It was delicious!

My husband is the island's only beekeeper and he has yet to find any wild colonies. That means his bees have no competition...

The one shallow honey super (one of the two shorter boxes on the bee hive) he harvested yesterday yielded around 24 pounds (about 11 kg) of honey - that's two gallons (about 7.5 liters)! He's got at least one more to go; depending on the bees he may have a third! It's a good thing we are a honey loving family...

14 comments:

The DO said...

COOL! You guys have the best adventures... bugs, horses, fake snakes. What fun:)

Anonymous said...

Oh. My. Gosh.
I want some sooooo bad!
Cool! :)

jacquie said...

Yummmy! Brave man too!

JessTrev said...

SO cool! Friends of ours had bees when I was growing up. If I ever have some space...I will join you! Thanks for sharing the marvelous pics.

dutchcomfort said...

Thanks for showing this fab photos to a city girl who always buys honey in a jar!

Love the picture of the bumble bee steeling a bit and of course of the brave man who does the job!

Jane said...

Hi Liz, We have a huge nest of bees ( angry ones ) here at our house. What kind make the paperish brown balls ??? Not honey bee's to be sure... what a nice hobby your hubby has that you get to enjoy too.

Unknown said...

Hello Liz
How kind of you to pop over and leave a comment. Much appreciated. YOu've got a great blog too and I certainly love this post! Seeing all the honey makes me want to buy one jar..yup, we're out of stock at the moment. Beautiful pictures here. Have a great week ahead ;D

Anonymous said...

I just LOVE the superhero outfit. It's a bird...it's a bee...it's APIARY MAN!

Hope you guys are having a great rest of the summer and are looking forward for school to start. Middle School starts for Sophia next week!

Anonymous said...

Oh Liz... how I wish I were your neighbor and could taste some of that goodness. Nice to be married to a beekeeper!

Shannon said...

mmmm... looks sticky, sweet and very yummy... I could have done without the wing filtering, but will do my best to put that out of my mind the next time I pour honey on a nice hot roll with lots of butter... mmmmm.... craving honey now!

muralimanohar said...

Lol...reminds me of way back when...We lived in San Francisco, a few blocks outside Golden Gate Park. My parents got the brilliant idea that we should keep bees. My stepdad advertised as a swarm remover, and when he got the calls, would take the swarms to hives he had hidden deep in the bush in the middle of Golden Gate Park! lol When it was harvest time, he would suit up, trek into the middle, and bring it out..I don't think he ever got busted by park rangers! lol And man, that honey was goooood...Your pics are making me drool..mmmmmmm...

Jane: those are wasps, not bees. Ouch.

muralimanohar said...

BTW, I tagged you. :)

Mum-me said...

Wild raspberries, fresh honey, and a whole 40 hours to yourself! I think you must live in Paradise!

I pay anything up to $15.00 for a litre of good quality honey, so I am seriously coveting yours ight now.

Anonymous said...

Oh yum! A beekeeper for a hubby...you lucky girl!