The Backyard Beekeeper, 4th Edition - Making Comb Honey from Top Bar Comb Remove a comb that is fully capped, or nearly so. With your bee brush, nudge the bees back into the opening made when removing the frame and put the frame in a bee-tight container, carefully so you don’t damage the cappings and let honey leak. Gently lay your comb and top bar on a tray or pan to contain the leaking honey and cut the comb off the top bar. Depending on the container you are going to use to put your pieces of comb into, cut the large piece of comb into smaller pieces and lay these on a grill that sits over your pan so the honey from the cut edges can be captured. Drain overnight at least, and cover with a dishtowel—or better—wax paper so dust and other foreign matter stay off. Containers for cut comb honey include large or smaller clear plastic boxes that show off your and your bees’ handiwork, or, you can put smaller pieces in a honey jar and fill the jar with your liquid honey to produce what is called Chunk Honey, a delectable treat. Water is crucial to honey bee survival. Foragers collect water where they find it, when they need it. Water is crucial to honey bee survival. Nectar, which is mostly water, provides some of the needed moisture in a colony, but not nearly all of it, and certainly not enough. Foragers will collect water when there is a need in a colony. Water is used to dissolve crystallized honey, to dilute honey when producing larval food, for evaporative cooling during warm weather, and for a cool drink on a hot day. A full-size colony at the height of the season on a warm day will use, on average, a half gallon (2 L) to a gallon (4 L) of water in excess of the nectar collected, daily. Water isn’t stored, like nectar or pollen, but rather is added to honey, or placed in cells or on top bars so it evaporates, cooling the colony in the process. Foragers seem to seek water sources that are scented, and one of the greatest scented water sources in an urban or suburban neighborhood is a chlorinated swimming pool. The rising aroma is like a neon sign that says 'Free Water Here—All You Can Drink.' Stagnant pools of water and swamp land are also attractive because of the scent, as are roadside ditches with rain runoff, storm drains, and farm animal yards. The latter are especially attractive because of the minerals and nutrients that are dissolved in the water. Foragers will mark unscented sources of water with their Nasonov pheromone so others can locate the source, too. Once bees learn of a close, accessible, and reliable water source they will remain loyal to it. If that source dries up, they will find another source and visit that until it, too, goes dry. It is in your best interests to keep their daily drink in your backyard. Try the following techniques: Set an outside faucet to slowly drip constantly on a slanted board. Install a water garden or a bird bath that automatically fills when water falls below a preset level. Invest in an automatic pet- or livestock-watering device that refills itself when the container falls below a certain level. Fill several pails of water at a time to make sure they don’t run out. Have rain catchers available to take advantage of rainfall, and provide floats or edges to containers to accommodate the bees. If you provide a standing pool of water, scent the water with syrup additives made from essential oils so it is initially easy for bees to find. Put in your own swimming pool (admittedly, a significant investment). If none of these are possible, you can provide water on a regular basis using a Boardman feeder in the front door of the colony.
✔ Author(s): Kim Flottum
✔ Title: The Backyard Beekeeper, 4th Edition: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden
✔ Rating : 4.7 out of 5 base on (1571 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1631593323
✔ ISBN-13: 9781631593321
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about The Backyard Beekeeper, 4th Edition by Kim Flottum
Jillian Neel
The plot twists were executed masterfully. I was left gasping at every unexpected turn, and the suspense kept me on edge throughout. Bravo to the author for keeping me guessing.
Thea Bell
I couldn't stop raving about this book to my friends and family. It's a literary gem that deserves all the praise. I can't wait to dive into more works by this talented author.
Rosa Bax
This book is a work of art. The language, the imagery, the symbolism - everything came together beautifully to create a memorable reading experience.
