Bees make honey

Well look what we brought home yesterday!

I can’t explain how excited we were. The bees are beavering away (or should that be bee-ing away?) at filling all the frames. Once the honey is at the right consistency for their taste, the bees cap off the frames (they seal them up with a wax covering). If nature took its course this would be the bees’ food for the winter – however – we want that honey so once they are capped we take them home, slice away the wax and drain the honey off for our own consumption and replace it with a sugar solution for them to eat.

Curly Boy is absolutely fearless around the hive and stands next to his father whilst they check each frame to see whether it is ready for us. Just one so far – but more to come. I think Christmas presents will include honey this year.

I have threatened to make presents this year in an effort to keep the costs of the festive season to an affordable level. Not sure how we’d make a Wii – but I know that honey will be gratefully received by many of our friends and family. I recall our poor old relatives were given dish cloths knitted from string when I was a child. I wonder how that would go down these days?

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