2Nd Bee Robbing Of The Season!

We got to rob our bees on Dominicus for the instant robbing of the flavor ... two weeks before than usual!!

Why am I thence excited close this? Because it agency that nosotros may last able to brand it a 3rd robbing this season, which is extremely rare. Mark's cut-off appointment for robbing each yr is July 15. He absolutely volition non rob the bees later on this, to brand certain they possess got plenty fourth dimension left inwards the summertime to brand their stash of love for nutrient through the winter. Typically, nosotros rob inwards like shooting fish in a barrel May together with and thence i time to a greater extent than erstwhile betwixt July fourth together with July 15th. This year, the bees had replenished the love render super speedily later on the rootage robbing, thence nosotros were able to rob them i time to a greater extent than hither inwards mid-June.

Another argue I'm thence excited is that I made my debut every bit the cap-cutter. Yes, a novel responsibleness has been added to my Assistant Beekeeper role. I'm honored to last possess got been deemed worthy to wield the knife!

Keep working, petty bees!! Mark together with I would love to ~~steal~~ part inwards your love i to a greater extent than fourth dimension this summer!

Here is a sampling of pictures from Sunday's robbing - views I didn't capture inwards our previous robbing. If you'd similar to banking firm gibe out pictures of the whole process, click here to read my post service from our May robbing. Oh, together with on a side banknote ... I'm working on a recipe for Honey Cheesecake. I'll post service that recipe every bit presently every bit I experience it's blog-worthy. Enjoy the pictures!

That's Mark scraping (cleaning) the excluder. The excluder is the wire "rack" y'all come across ... the wires are closed plenty together to prevent the queen from getting through (the queen is only a fight bigger than all the other bees). The box from which nosotros rob our love is placed on overstep inwards a higher house the excluder. The result? All eggs are lay inwards the box below the excluder together with nosotros rob from frames that are egg-free inwards a box inwards a higher house the excluder. Oh, together with Mark's beingness all virile together with non wearing gloves, or his bee keeper suit ... I wishing he wouldn't produce that. WEAR YOUR SUIT AND GLOVES, Mark! Join me inwards "yelling" at him, volition ya?

This is the box that was inwards a higher house the excluder, together with Mark's only taken it off the hive to select it within for us to rob. This box is called a "super." See all those bees nonetheless hanging approximately on it? We don't desire to select those inside. So, how produce nosotros larn them off? ...

1. Smoke 'em ...

2. ... brush 'em (gently!), together with ...

3. ... leafage blower 'em. Yes, leafage blower. That definitely gets whatever of the tough hanger-around'ers to depart. This 3-step method seems to operate actually well. This robbing, nosotros brought zip bees inside, together with final fourth dimension nosotros entirely brought inwards three. Pretty good, I'd say!

This is Mark taking a frame out of the super. There are nine frames inwards there.

This is a close-up of the love comb inwards the frame. I cry back it's beautiful! That white-ish materials is the caps. We'll cutting that off to publish the honey.