Dear Amazon Beekeepers,

This Thursday several neighbors checked each other's beehives, inspecting, and where advisable, harvesting.

Present were: Dan, Annie, Peter, Erik, Sherry, and, later, Robert.

Most hives appeared robust and harvest was generous at some.

NOTE: We plan to use our community press on Sunday, September 4, at 2pm, parked at Dan's or Rachael's on 25th Avenue/alley. Bring comb so we can got lots pressed without multiple set-ups and cleanings. If you cannot make it, others can press for you. Let's have adequate jars and lids.

So here's a review of today:

We started at 10, ended at 1; then Robert & I worked at 3.

Dan & Lise: We opened one of the two there. Dan provided most of the bee handling tools and some of the protective clothing. Thank you, Dan! (Yes, there were stings, but amazingly few considering the hubbub of bees circling us as we intruded on their tenements!) Previously, Dan had placed comb in this one from other hives, so there were some unattached combs up top. We harvested from the second highest super, replaced the top one and put back assorted comb.


Sherry's Kenyan hive was next, on the same easy-to -move-on platform of D & L's hives. From the start these bees have built comb on the bias, making it difficult to lift top bars without breaking cross-the-bars comb. The three or so last bars placed in the hive had no or little comb; we looked further in to see bees at work on fuller comb with honey. We closed the hive and did not harvest. Sherry is considering fitting the top bars with frames to encourage more in-line comb building.

Annie's 4-super hive was fine; we harvested the top super and removed comb away from the hive. Since the top bars on the Warrre do not always stay with the comb as they are lifted, we used a big knife to cut the sides of the comb and dropped through the super quite large pieces. Plastic bags proved awkward to handle, so we used tubs later on-easier to fill, top, carry. Working away from the alarmed bees, away from the top of the opened hive, was a good move-more space, fewer agitated citizens, calmer harvesters.

Peter's 4-deck hive, like Annie's, provided a harvestable super near the top. By this time the comb removal and storage were improved! Peter worked this hive, though he was a constantly reliable smoker throughout the exercise!

Erik's hive was a 4-piece hive, but new supers had been placed on top of the others not at the lowest level. The topmost super was lighter than the third, so we harvested the third. Dan thought adding to the top was working, but wondered about wax buildup in second-year hives if we continued to add on top.

The Reach Kenyan hive was somewhat like Sherry's but with straighter comb building and with about the same honey production: not adequate for harvest. There is a lot to learn about these hives, though it is clear that their parts are easy to lift and harvesting can be very selective without major disruption. They are easier and cheaper to build than Warre hives, yet, in my opinion, hardly as handsome in the yard!

Robert's two-tier hive has perked up with the warm weather. The top box was almost full, but for some reason the bottom was still empty. We decided to reverse them and check in a couple of weeks to see if the new top box was being filled. We are concerned about there being enough honey stores for the winter.

Thanks for the excitement and contentment of an accomplished mission. Next, the press! Sunday at 2.

Erik