Building Up

I started out with only 2 hives in April.  Now I am up to 5 hives!  This is so cool!  I got 2 hives from my Uncles farm and one from a trap out from a wild hive.  Now lets get these girls built so they will survive winter.  

Now its time to build boxes for these hives for future nectar flows.

Free bees can bee hard work!

So I went to my uncles farm today and got a few frames of comb with some brood. This hive has been around for about 40 some years or longer. With the help from my dad we got about 60lb. out in about 2 hours.

This had to be one of the craziest things I have ever done. Sticking my arm in a hive up to my elbow in bees.

I transported them home and added the comb to my frames and put them in their boxes. There was so much honey that it was oozing out and dripping out of my truck bed.

Now it's time to wait and let them rare a queen! This is what I have been waiting for all year! These bees have a survival rate that is almost unheard of and it's breed in to the queen. Now I will have to wait about 24 days before I have a laying queen.

Checked out hive #1 and we have a queen! I also added another super to it.

I know I haven't posted anything in awhile. But things have been crazy here. Just an update in my hives.

Hive #1 had decided to make a new queen. Not sure why, could have been several things. One is she got chilled, wasn't lay a good pattern or I had killed her while inspecting it. Out of those I think she got chilled when benign transported.
I added two frames of brood from the other hive so that there would be some new bees while they are queenless.

Hive #2 is doing great! I added another super and they are drawing it out nicely.
I am hoping to split this hive within a few weeks.

On another note. I went to my uncles house today and be has a top bar hive that is multiplying before my eyes. This hive is crazy happy! He just got a swarm this season and almost has his 48" long hive filled to the gills!

Benefits of Pollen

Since bee pollen derives from plant origin its chemical composition will vary somewhat depending on plant source, season and geographic location. Approximately 50% of its structure comprises polysaccharides (carbohydrates), followed by 35% amino acids and proteins, 2% fatty acids and 3% minerals and vitamins.

Bee pollen is denser in protein than any source from animals. This can provide a much safer source of protein without the worry of high intakes of saturated fats (not to mention the numerous established links between animal proteins and cancer).

Bee pollen is a concentrated source of the B vitamin complex – this provides energy. This is why bee pollen products are usually marketed as energy supplements or ‘energizers’.

The vitamin B complex, along with vitamins A, C, D, E, selenium, lecithin and powerful phytochemicals (carotenoids and bioflavonoids) make bee pollen a potent source of antioxidants.

Besides being most well known as a natural energy booster, bee pollen supplements are also popular as weight loss products. The pollen acts on the hypothalamus in the brain which controls dietary drive and this leads to a feeling of fullness. Appetite is naturally suppressed! Additionally, bee pollen contains lecithin which both stimulates and normalizes poor metabolism, and aids in dissolution of body fats.

Bee pollen is popular with athletes because it is believed to positively impact on endurance, strength, and speed. A common belief is that bee pollen enhances recovery from a training load and improves endurance for repeat exertion.