Beekeeping

My intentions are good, have been good, yet I haven’t been able to bring myself to sit down and write for several months. Life can get messy and foul up the best of intentions. Would you agree? The post that went up this week I have been working on for months, or not. I’m embarrassed […]

I’m excited to introduce you to my newest queen bee and her colony today. It is always compelling to install a new queen and her hive. This is precisely what I did just over a week ago at the Greensboro Science Center. I picked up a NUC – a nucleus of bees with a queen, […]

Spring is definitely here even though last night our temps dropped into the 30’s once again. I began checking on my bees on a warm day in February – a rare warm day. It was warm enough to open the hives and investigate. I didn’t want to keep the hive open for long, so made […]

Now that cooler temps have finally decided to stick around the bees needed one last check up. In an attempt to find thriving hives come March when the temperatures begin to warm again I’m doing my best to ensure the girls are set for winter. Inspection day saw the sun out good and strong with […]

Life happens, doesn’t it? Sometimes it’s smooth sailing but at times it’s a rough and rocky road. One thing I can always count on is the respite from day to day life when I step into the bee yard. The focus and concentration necessary when inspecting my bee hives leaves no room for straying thoughts. […]

If you’ve been following my beekeeping adventure posts you know that once again the bees at the Greensboro Science Center where I am volunteer beekeeper, disappeared. I am not capable of expressing how much this situation saddens me. What I can express is the passion I have for these sweet, valuable little creatures by starting […]

Have you ever wondered exactly how beekeepers get honey from the hive to the jar? I hadn’t given it much thought until, of course, I became a beekeeper. This past weekend I extracted honey from my lost hive as well as some from the “Miracle” hive. Don’t worry – I left plenty of honey inside […]

I had quite a surprise when I went out to disassemble my bee hives at the Greensboro Science Center last week. After discovering that the hives were gone I decided to take apart the hive components and start with new ones this spring. When I’d checked and found that the bees were gone I had […]

Bee keeping ain’t nothin’ but problem solving. Boy ain’t that the truth?!? I’ve lost my bee hives at the GSC again. To say I am baffled, puzzled, perplexed and disconcerted might be an understatement. Sad too! Look at them! They seemed perfectly fine when I closed up the hives in late October, knowing winter was […]

These are the cutest Orange Almond Sugar Cookies you’ve ever seen – they are shaped like bees, flowers and pigs! I had to do something to make myself feel better as I had an unfortunate encounter with my bees on Friday and by Sunday I needed a lift. I’ll be sharing the bee story with […]

Fall is here and winter around the corner. It’s that time of year when I must be certain my bees are ready for old man winter. Earlier this year when I went to observe and check on the hives I discovered all 3 hives at the Greensboro Science Center were no more, I was traumatized. […]

The Greensboro Science Center has new bees! I have been holding off telling the story about how the hives were invaded by the nasty varroa mite and met their demise, until now. I made the discovery in February and it was one sad day for me and still disturbs me. On a happier note – I […]

The Yountville Food Tour took me to an establishment I’ve fancied going to for quite some time. Ever been to the French Laundry? I have a great story about the wine from Thomas Keller’s 3*** Michelin restaurant in Yountville, California. It’s about that time when someone stole 76 bottles of wine – valued at around 3-5 […]

It is always nice to be recognized. It’s even nicer to be recognized in your own community – within your tribe. I was honored to be showcased on the N.C. Blogger Network this week and wanted to share the article with you. I’m not usually one to toot my own horn but hey….check it out! […]

Oil & Honey Edition – I’ve got several new bee adventures to share with you in the coming weeks but today I want to share something I found regarding the many beneficial uses of beeswax. Compliments of the dreamy Dr. Axe. I often peruse his articles regarding the uses of essential oils and stumbled across this […]

Herb infused honey is a pairing of goodness on two levels.. The medicinal value found in herbs as well as the healing benefits of honey. I love honey straight out of the jar but infused honeys certainly have their place in my kitchen. Imagine fresh pear slices drizzled with rosemary infused honey. How about lavender honey spooned […]

OIL & HONEY EDITION While working with the bee hives at the science center I meet many school kids, parents, grandparents and teachers. Often times I hear comments such as, “OH, look a beekeeper!”, or “look there’s bees, they make honey” or “NO, don’t go over there, they’ll sting you!”. The latter phrase is often shouted […]

When I discovered that B Cellars keeps beehives on their property I knew visiting this vineyard would be highly anticipated, not only to see the hives, but I’d arranged a food and wine pairing…my favorite way to go wine tasting! My childhood friend The Wine Wrangling Woman, and I were scheduled for a mid-morning visit at the winery in […]

OIL & HONEY EDITION Bees are interesting creatures. They live peacefully together, thousands to a home. They work together to protect the queen, raise brood, clean the hive, build comb, produce honey, forage for nectar and pollen, control the temperature inside and guard the hive. It’s a process that begins upon hatching, when the newly […]

Oil & Honey Edition It’s honey harvest time. Does the sight of this beautiful, golden nectar make your mouth water? It makes me want to open the jar, stick my finger in and relish the sweet honey inside. While extracting honey I usually end up overdosing on the pure, ambrosial liquid running out of the honey gates. […]