Bees at work...

We ended the winter of 2017-18 with all four hives! The first hive was a package installed in March of 2015, and the second a package installed in May of 2016. The first hive swarmed 4 times in the spring of '17, 2 of which we caught and hived. Lexi's beekeeping approach was learned from Gunther Hauk of Spikenard Farm & Honeybee Sanctuary. It informed our choice of a Warre hive as it more closely imitates the bee's natural inclination to build comb from the top down, as in a tree trunk. Conventional Langstroth hives differ in that the boxes, or supers, are added to the top, requiring the hive to expand upwards. Warres also do not use frames, allowing the bees to build comb from topbars in a natural shape. We do not use foundation, allowing the bees to decide how to draw the comb, in the sizes for what they need. We use no synthetic substances in the hive (or foundation tainted with chemicals, plastic). The exterior of the hive is treated with 100% natural tung oil. We interfere with the bees little, but hope to expand the apiary with a Langstroth for educational purposes.