Anyone who reads our blog with regularity quickly realise how vital of a role beloved plays in our life at the farm . Honey is a primary fixings in our strawberry and blackberry jams , homemade granola crunch cereal , granola bars , whole wheat dinero – and many other recipes we squander on a regular foundation .
The bee cater us with awful honey
We prefer using raw honey over work on dinero to ply an all instinctive form of sugariness – not to mention – it ’s really good ! ( We include links to those favorite formula number above at the conclusion of the post ) .
The bees provide us with amazing honey
It ’s also the perfect sugar substitute for cockcrow coffee and tea – not to mention that Mary and many other converts in our protracted family now imprecate by its ability to inhibit or eliminate seasonal allergic reaction when taken day by day in the outpouring !
Strawberry Honey Jam – just 4 natural component include of course , honey !
The benefit of keeping bees however goes far beyond just the amazing honey we get back from our beehive . They also play an important part in our farm ’s succeeding success by helping to pollinate all of our yield trees , grapeshot , blackberry , strawberries , flowers , and of form , our veggie garden ! Let ’s face it – without bee – our world would be a pretty barren place !
Strawberry Honey Jam – just 4 natural ingredients including of course, honey!
So , with that in mind – we decided to increase our beehive from just one to three this year . In fact , if I had to give any advice to someone who is consider raising bees for the first meter – it would be to start with at least two rightfield from the get-go .
A nail bee beehive assembled and ready for paint
Why ? For one , establishing a new beehive can be knavish – and if you commence with only one and it does not survive – you are back to foursquare one ! Even the best and most experient bee keepers lose hives – some to cuss , some to disease , and others still to a poor queen or a legion of other possible reasons . Keeping multiple hives not only protects you from losing your bees all , but gives you neat reference points to compare activity from one beehive to another – making you a more informed and thus better apiculturist .
A completed bee hive assembled and ready for paint
Besides – if everything goes well – you have a second more honey to spread to all those family members asking for a jar :) .
Our packaged bees going into the hive last bound
We have spent the last few week set new hives and regularise frames for our raw guests that will go far this leap .
Our packaged bees going into the hive last spring
We purchased our first bee hive structure as a complete “ build - it - yourself ” kit on - line . This time around – we are purchasing the frames and insert , and building the box ourselves to save a little on the toll . As a point of reference – a distinctive two boxwood hive with bottom board , framing , cover and bottom will consort around $ 100 to $ 125 dollars as a outfit – and software system of bees will run anywhere from $ 80 to $ 120 depending on your supplier .
play back pollen to the hive … if you appear close you could see the scandalmongering pollen on the incoming bee
Weather permitting , our software package of bees will make it sometime around the end of April . Bees are usually sent through the mail service – however , we are lucky enough to have our supplier within driving space – so we simply peck them up .
Bringing back pollen to the hive…if you look closely you can see the yellow pollen on the incoming bee
Over the course of the next few week – we will finish off building the two additional beehive , and hopefully have our new appendage of the farm kin in their habitation by the first of May !
In the meanwhile – here are some of our pet honey recipes we speak about in the beginning in the berth ! Just snap on the tie-in to see the recipe :
Strawberry - Honey Jam Recipe
Blackberry - Honey Jam Recipe
Home Made Granola Crunch Cereal Recipe
Home Made Granola Bar Recipe
Whole Wheat Bread
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Happy Gardening And Beekeeping – Mary and Jim
