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A honey bee only has the ability to produce about an 1/8 teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.

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As you read documentation about honey being found unspoiled in King Tut’s tomb as well as findings from other Egyptian archaeological excavations that verifies the honey as being from 5,500 years ago, you can’t help but have a sense of awe. Hieroglyphics show honey being used even long before then.

Honey is known as the super food and it’s really no surprise as to why it is touted as so, to a Beekeeper. We get to see the amazing things that honey bees do, up close and personal. What a privilege it is and it shall never be taken for granted!

This photo is close to what one-eighth of a teaspoon of honey looks like. It looks like a lot in the large picture, but in reality it’s only a few drops. Check your kitchen utensil drawer for your measuring spoons and see what it really looks like. Not likely can you find a set of measuring spoons with an eighth tsp. option. Most start with only one-quarter teaspoon.

Here are a few links to great interesting articles on the subject:

Save the Bees

Smithsoniun Magazine

Planet Bee Foundation

National Library of Medicine

Feeding the Bees in the Winter

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As we are getting another short round of winter-like weather today, I wanted to share a quick post with an activity that is relevant to our honey bee’s winter survival. In the photos above, notice how there are a lot of bees up top. There are even some on the inner cover and there are some inside the zip-lock bag as well where we have provided sugar patties inside the bag. There is a slit cut into the bag from the underside to give the bees access to the sugar. Instinctively, bees will continue to move upward as they eat their way through their food stores inside the two deep boxes. It is typical to have all of the bees in the top box by the end of winter and none in the bottom deep box. We will reverse the boxes in warmer weather as the nectar begins to flow. For more about our seasonal activities, here’s a link to our Seasons page.

Tootles, the little Sapphire Gem is a favorite on our homestead. She likes to help with the bees.

Ginger and Echinacea Tea

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Echinacea Budding
…Thy Medicine

Soothing a Sore Throat or just wanting a warm healthful beverage on a cold winter day…

Echinacea Full Bloom

Ginger and Echinacea Tea

  • Hot water to fill your cup(s)
  • 1 teaspoon echinacea flowers or prepared roots
  • 1 teaspoon ginger root, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • a few drops of Lemon juice, (optional)

Start with a tea kettle of hot, not boiling water. Boiling water will destroy some of the beneficial properties in your herbal blend as well as in your honey.

Prepare your herbal blend and place it in an infuser or tea steeper. If you don’t have a special infuser or steeper, you can use cheesecloth, cotton fabric wrapped and tied with a natural string. Or you can use a small kitchen strainer. I like using the all-natural materials for the pure quality of the flavors. Place your infuser into the cup and pour the hot water over the herbs. Let it “steep” for several minutes. You can stir in the honey at any time. The longer you steep your tea, the stronger the flavor will become. Note: with some herbal blends, less is more, depending on your own tastes.

Mix and match and add additional goodness from various other optional ingredients, like lemon juice, other fruit juices, etc.

At my home, I almost always have a tea kettle with warm to hot water on the stove at all times, in the winter. I never know when the urge is going to strike for a refreshing and uplifting cup of tea, especially on a cold winter day. Plus it adds moisture into the otherwise dry atmosphere from the home heating sources.

Enjoy!

Gardening

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Gardening is something that I have known all of my life. I have very fond memories of my Grandfather, Grandmother, Mother, Myself down to my own Daughter, each with our hands (and toes) in the dirt. There’s something special in the way that a seed can be placed into the soil, the warmth of the sunshine, the sound of a gentle rain, and the huge significance pollinators play within this great circle of life.

A home garden is a form of survival. It’s knowing where your food comes from. It’s the satisfaction of the process. Home gardens are therapeutic and they offer so many healthy benefits; from the exercise all the way to the consumption. It holds the complete meaning of “Life”.

Our lives essentially, exists from the Earth. I believe that it is up to each of us to care for her. Don’t suffocate her with litter and pollution, chemicals and waste. She deserves so much better than what humankind has been doing to her over the industrialized revolution of this past century. I’m aware that culture, demographics and even morals may partly be the cause of lax in how people perceive nature. Some people haven’t had an opportunity to get up-close and personal with her. If you ever get the opportunity, reach out to those who are less than fortunate to experience the natural world.

I feel that it is in my blood to glorify nature as I see it. We get our oxygen from her, our vitamins and minerals, our food and clothing, our homes. That reality, is too often, overlooked. Nature has such an immeasurable amount of positive energy to offer and does so generously, to anyone who seeks it. My experience living as cleanly as I have, is nothing short of a Blessing. So my part in caring, is to share what knowledge I have gained through my extraordinary experiences. Reach out if you have any questions.

Here is a link to a page for Nectar and Pollen Sources that you may find helpful when planting for pollinators.

Mouse Nest in Hives

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I had recently spent some time talking with and going over some of the negatives of beekeeping with a future beekeeper. I’m an honest soul, so I let people truthfully know that it’s not always about honey and sweetness. If you’ve been a beekeeper, you know exactly what I mean when I say that there is nothing more sticky than propolis on your kitchen floor, on your gloves, or in your hair. You know what it means to pray for the rain to stop so a decent nectar flow can finally begin. You also know that ants can find any spilled drips of honey. You know that you should do a split, but before you know it, your best hive swarms and lands too high up in a tree for you to be able to capture them. You know that wearing a full suit while doing any apiary work in the summer heat, can get pretty miserable. You also, unfortunately know how devastating and discouraging it is to lose hives in the wintertime.

There’s a lot to beekeeping that isn’t always taught in beginning beekeeper’s classes. For “new-bees”, aka “new-beeks”, you should always be willing to learn, because you will, whether you want to or not. (Most new-bees we’ve met are usually receptive to learning and are just as inquisitive as we were when we first stepped into this amazing venture).

Pests are a real obstacle, and can include quite a number of species. Hive beetles, varroa mites, ants, and yes mice! Here is a photo of the remainder of a mouse nest that we pulled out from the bottom of a hive this spring. She obviously tried to over winter and rear her young inside the warmth of the hive. We have found dead mice completely mummified with propolis before and other times, just a skeleton.

Above this mouse nest were 2 frames that the bees didn’t draw any wax out or use at all. They hate mice as much as we do. After cleaning it out, we replaced the old frames with fresh new frames and we could tell almost immediately that they were happier.

Honey bees are super smart. They will chase pests into corners, sting them, carry them out and dispose of them and guard their hives with their lives against them. We, as beekeepers, work very hard to help protect the hives and offer as much assistance as we are capable to make certain that our honey bees stay healthy, happy, and strong.

No Raw Honey for Infants

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We get asked quite often, why babies under the age of one year are not suppose to eat raw honey, so I’d like to include some important information on this subject.

First: Honey in it’s raw state is un-pasteurized and has not been dissolved of its all-natural properties. In most cases, these otherwise beneficial properties include vitamins, minerals, good carbs, and antioxidants. Not to mention it is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and the list goes on. As we grow and develop, our bodies become more resilient or immune to certain invaders that have the potential to harm us. Infants, especially under the age of one year, do not have the ability in their digestive tracts to combat any of the hazards found in raw foods. Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) spores are what is found in honey.

Second: Please always do your own research on any matters pertaining to yours or your family’s health. Let your research involve your children so that they can learn as well. Make being healthy, fun!

Here are a few links for you to check out…

Mayo Clinic

Healthline

KidsHealth

Honey Bee Stings

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Why they Sting, Prevention, Allergies and Potential Anecdotes, Remedies & Relief.

As Beekeepers, we feel that educating others, is imperative to our attempt of helping to keep our beneficial pollinators thriving. Teaching is a huge part of what Friends Hill Apiary does, and some of the not-so-pleasant realities have to be explained as well.

None of what you are about to read is ever meant to diagnose, treat or cure any health condition, and as ALWAYS, discuss your own health concerns with your primary provider or professional medical personnel before trying anything that may have worked for others. Never assume what works for one person, will work for you or yours.

QUICK TIP: a honey bee’s stinger has a venom sac attached to it. The venom will continue to pump into the sting-sight. Both the venom sac and the stinger NEEDS TO BE REMOVED ASAP. Take your fingernail, hive tool, credit card or something to scrape across your skin and remove that stinger. Then you can treat the sight if you are near any of your choice remedies.

In the Defense of the Honey Bees: A honey bee will die if she stings you, so we do not believe it is something that they necessarily want to do! Her barbed stinger is inserted into your flesh and when she pulls away or is swatted away, her stinger stays put. Attached to the stinger and venom sac, are her guts. Hence, pulling her insides, out. Photo at the bottom of this page.

            A few reasons why a honey bee might sting:

  • Defending its colony and/or the queen
  • Dearth (the season when there is short supply of nectar & pollen available) they will be more defensive and on guard
  • They feel threatened, such as you stepping on them or picking a flower that they were on.
  • They crawled inside your suit and can’t get out

Preventative Measures

WEAR PROTECTION: if you are a fellow beekeeper, don’t get all cocky and think that you are immune to developing an allergy. That is exactly why I am writing about this! In 16 years, we’ve met a lot of fellow beekeepers and have heard the stories of some who previously had just that attitude, only to learn a very humbling lesson. Some kind of veil, long sleeves, light-colored clothing, binder-twine around your pants at the ankles and a pair of gloves are easily attainable and doesn’t have to be elaborate nor costly. There are a lot of great bee-suits out there though and it will save your “good clothes” from getting propolis, wax, smoker scent and many other indescribable filth on them. Our advice is; if you’re planning on keeping more than two or three hives, invest in a complete suit.

Avoid wearing perfumes; some perfumes irritate them or can attracted honey bees to you.

Let your loved ones know when and where you will be working near or with your hives.

Have your cell phone charged and with you when working near or with your hives.

Learn and discuss with your loved ones how to use your Epi pen if you have one.

A smoker as well as peppermint essential oil can be used to help mask the defense pheromone dispersed with the sting.

A Few Types of Reactions to Honey Bee Stings:

The following may be just some of the reactions a person may experience. There may be other reactions, and every individual may even experience various reactions at different times in their lives, as well as different levels of severities. NEVER assume you will react the same way every time you get stung by a honey bee. ALWAYS use caution when you are near honey bee hives and apiaries.

            Mild Reaction, Normal Reaction, Localized Reaction, Moderate Reaction:

                        May include, but not limited to:

                        Pain

                        Redness

                        Swelling

                        Itching

                        Feels Hot        

            *Anaphylactic Shock Reaction – SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL TREATMENT!

                        Considered a “Severe Reaction”

                        Difficulty Breathing

                        Trouble Swallowing

                        Swelling of Face, Throat, Tongue or Mouth

                        Hives or Itchy Rash

                        Rapid Pulse

                        Paleness

                        Dizziness or Drop in Blood Pressure

                        Nausea, Stomach Cramps or Diarrhea

                        Loss of Consciousness

*Seeking medical treatment immediately is top priority if you or someone you know has any of these or other severe reactions to a honey bee sting! Call 911

Treatments: Here are just a few of the treatments or products that are used, today. Not all will work for everyone or may not be available to everyone. Talk with your primary physician if you believe you have any questionable reactions to honey bee stings. There are many more options than is listed here to choose from.

Prescriptions needed for:

Epinephrine aka Epi Pen (pay attention to the expiration dates)

Immunotherapy (Allergist monitored injections to build up a tolerance)

Over the Counter:

Hydrocortisone

Calamine Lotion

Antihistamines

Herbal & Home Remedies:

There are a super abundance of herbal and home remedies for mild to moderate reactions and some of us do have complete confidence in some of them. With that said, I still want to express that what works for us, does not mean that it will also work for you! You MUST do your own research, skin patch-tests, and use good judgment!

Our All-Natural Methods:

  • Honey (Yes, honey for honey bee stings) many beneficial properties.
  • Some of our favorite herbs are; Plantain, Dandelion, Calendula, Comfrey, Jewelweed, Lavender, Thyme, Peppermint… (herbs each have their own benefits so do your research), we use fresh herbs by picking, then crushing to extract some of the oils and then placing directly onto the sight.
  • We’ve also use particular purchased essential oils with great results. Ex: Tea Tree is a good one.
  • A thick paste of Baking Soda & water
  • Apply a wet tea bag
  • Vinegar; it helps neutralize the venom
  • Ice; mostly for the swelling and if there’s any heat at the sight.

Usually, these herbal & home remedies need to be reapplied several times a day until our comfort level has been reached. Listed is only a few options for those who may choose alternative comfort for topical relief other than what is mass produced by companies who we don’t even know what goes into or where they get their ingredients.

There are millions of remedies, methods and information about alternative treatments for honey bee stings for you to find, but for this, I just wanted to mention at least a few. Also, most of these are readily available to zones 5-6, and should be sought to establish around the homestead for various reasons as well as for honey bee stings.

We hope this article helps give comfort to those, who like us, want to continue in your beekeeping or homesteading endeavors. They are such sweet creatures who fill our world with nourishment, abundance, and color! Without them, we would not have our health.

Thank you for supporting all of your local Beekeepers! They truly need it.

MVBA/ISBA 2023 Summer Conference

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Both, the Mississippi Valley Beekeepers Assoc., Inc. (our Local Organization), and the Illinois State Beekeepers Association, (our State Organization) has kept both Tim & I busy with the planning and development of the 2023 ISBA Summer Conference. It is being held July 14th & 15th in Quincy, IL.

It is not often that we have the opportunity to have such experienced and knowledgable Beekeepers from all over the country come together in such close proximity to our hometown!

We have a wonderful Speaker line-up, Delicious Locally Catered Foods, Live Bluegrass Music all the way from Tennessee, Numerous Vendors, (Including Friends Hill Apiary), Contests & Giveaways and so much more! For more information, you can visit Mvbees.com.

Here is also a Direct Link to Purchase Tickets.

We hope to see you there!