Chapter 18

More than Ten Fun Things to Do with Bees

IN THIS CHAPTER

Combining and dividing hives

Building an elevated hive stand

Planting a garden for your bees

Brewing mead: The nectar of the gods

Creating useful gifts from propolis and beeswax

One of the glorious things about keeping bees is that your interests can expand way beyond the business with your smoker and hive tool. Beekeeping opens up entire new worlds of related hobbies and activities — horticulture, carpentry, biology, and crafts, just to name a few. That’s been a good thing for me, because living in Connecticut, as I do, the winters seemed unbearably long when I couldn’t be outside playing with my bees. I really missed them! But now, having gotten drawn into some of these related hobbies, I can hardly find time to sit and think. Here are a few of the bee-related activities whose sirens have beckoned to me over the years.

Making Two Langstroth Hives from One

If you’re like most beekeepers I know, it’s only a matter of time before you start to ask yourself, “Gee, wouldn’t it be twice as much fun to have twice as many hives?” Well, actually it is more fun. And the neat thing is that you can create a second colony from your existing colony. You don’t even have to order another package of bees! Free bees!

Ah, but here’s the dilemma. You’ll need a new queen for your new colony. Strictly speaking, you don’t have to order a new queen. You can let the bees make their own; however, ordering a new queen to start a new colony is simply faster and more foolproof. I discuss the nuances of ordering a new queen later in this chapter. Or if you want to get really adventurous, you can raise your own queen (see Chapter 14).

To make two hives from one, you first need a strong, healthy hive. That’s just what you hope your hive will be like at the start of its second season — boiling with lots and lots of busy bees. The procedure is known as dividing or splitting a hive, or making a divide.

Dividing not only enables you to start a new colony, it’s also considered good bee management — dividing thins out a strong colony and prevents that colony from swarming.

Making two hives from one also helps control varroa mites by hindering mite reproduction. The divide causes a pause in brood production within the new hive. Because varroa mites reproduce by laying eggs on bee brood, with no new brood available, the mites die out. Read more about this chemical-free way of controlling mite populations in Chapter 13.

The best time to make a divide is in the early spring, about a month before the first major nectar flow. Follow these steps:

1. Check your existing colony (colonies) to determine whether you have one that’s strong enough to divide.

   Look for lots of bees and lots of capped brood (six or more frames of capped brood and/or larvae are ideal). The colony should look crowded.

2. Order a new hive setup from your bee supplier.

   You’ll want hive bodies, frames, foundation — the works. You need the elements to build a new home for your new family.

3. Order a new queen from your bee supplier.

   Alternatively, you can allow the new colony to raise its own queen. See Chapter 14.

   Your new queen doesn’t have to be marked, but having a marked queen is a plus, particularly when you’re looking for her because the mark makes her easier to identify. I advise you, a new beekeeper, to let your bee vendor mark your queen. A novice can end up killing a queen by mishandling her.

4. Put your new hive equipment where you plan to locate your new family of bees.

   You’ll need only to put out one deep-hive body at this point — just like when you started your first colony (see Chapter 5). Remove four of the ten foundation frames and set them aside. You’ll need them later.

5. When your new marked queen arrives, it’s time to divide!

   Smoke and open your existing colony as usual.

6. Find the frame with the queen and set it aside in a safe place.

   An extra empty hive body and cover will do just fine. Better yet, use a small “nuc” hive (available from your supplier). These mini-hives contain only five frames.

7. Now remove three frames of capped brood (frames with cells of developing pupae) plus all the bees that are on each of them.

   Place these three brood frames and bees in the center of the new hive. I know, I know — that still leaves one slot open because you removed four frames of foundation. The extra slot, however, provides the space that you need to hang the new queen cage (see Step 8).

8. Using two frame nails, fashion a hanging bracket for the new queen cage (candy side up) and hang the cage between brood frames in the middle of the new hive. Alternatively, if the weather is nice and warm, you can use the bottom-board installation technique (see Chapter 10).

   Make sure you have removed the cork stopper or metal disc, revealing the candy plug. This is the same queen introduction technique that you used when you installed your first package of bees (see Chapter 6).

9. Put a hive-top feeder on your new colony and fill it with sugar syrup.

10. Turn your attention back to the original hive.

    Carefully put the frame containing the queen back into the colony. Add three of the new foundation frames (to replace the three brood frames you removed earlier). Place these frames closest to the outer walls of the hive.

11. Add a hive-top feeder to your original hive and fill it with sugar syrup.

Congratulations, you’re the proud parent of a new colony!

Making One Langstroth Hive from Two

Keep in mind that it’s better to go into the winter with strong colonies — they have a far better chance of making it through the stressful cold months than do weak ones.

If you have a weak hive, you can combine it with a stronger colony. If you have two weak hives, you can combine them to create a robust colony. But you can’t just dump the bees from one hive into another. If you do, all hell will break loose. Two colonies must be combined slowly and systematically so the hive odors merge gradually — little by little. This is best done late in the summer or early in the autumn (it isn’t a good idea to merge two colonies in the middle of the active swarming season).

My favorite method for merging two colonies is the so-called newspaper method. Follow these steps:

1. Identify the stronger of the two colonies.

   Which colony has the largest population of bees? Its hive should become the home of the combined colonies. The stronger colony stays put right where it’s now located.

2. Smoke and open the weaker colony (see Chapter 7 for instructions).

   Manipulate the frames so you wind up with a single deep-hive body containing the best ten frames of bees, brood, and honey. In other words, consolidate the bees and the ten best frames into one single deep. The “best” frames are those with the most capped brood, eggs, and/or honey.

   There can only be one queen to a colony. So you need to find the queen from the weaker colony and remove her before combining the two colonies. Many beekeepers will simply destroy her and be done with it. I prefer to put the weaker queen in a queen cage, with some “candy” and attendents (in case I can use her elsewhere in the near future).

3. Smoke and open the stronger hive.

   Remove the outer and inner covers and put a single sheet of newspaper on the top bars. Make a small slit or poke a few holes in the newspaper with a small nail. This helps hive odors pass back and forth between the strong colony and the weak one that you’re about to place on top.

4. Take the hive body from the weak colony (it now contains ten consolidated frames of bees and brood — but no queen) and place it directly on top of the stronger colony’s hive — which has a queen.

   Only the perforated sheet of newspaper separates the two colonies (see Figure 18-1).

5. Add a hive-top feeder and fill it with sugar syrup.

   The outer cover goes on top of the feeder. No inner cover is used when using a hive-top feeder.

   

   Courtesy of Howland Blackiston

   FIGURE 18-1: A weak colony can be combined with a strong colony by using the newspaper method.

6. Check the hive in a week.

   The newspaper will have been chewed away, and the two colonies will have happily joined into one whacking strong colony.

7. Now you have the task of consolidating the three deeps back into two.

   Go through all the frames, selecting the 20 best frames of honey, pollen, and brood. Arrange these in the lower two deeps. Frames with mostly brood go into the bottom deep, and frames with mostly honey go into the upper deep. Shake the bees off the ten surplus frames into the lower two deeps (save these frames and the third hive body as spares).

Make ceratin you don’t lose track of the queen during this consolidation process. You must have a queen in this new hive setup.

Dividing a Top Bar Hive into Two Colonies

Well in advance of determining the strong colony you want to divide (sometimes referred to as a parent colony) either purchase or build another hive body and top bars. This is a good project for the winter months in preparation for the following season.

With the exception of the length, the hive dimensions — in terms of the width, depth, and side angle — should be the same for all your Top Bar equipment. This way, bars and drawn comb can be exchanged freely between hives. It’s also important to make an additional small Top Bar box that you can use to temporarily hold a few bars during the split or division process. So when you pull a bar and spot the queen, you can safely stow her away and return her when the process is complete.

Then, purchase a new queen that you will use to re-queen the divide.

Next, determine the location of your new colony. You can place it relatively close to the “parent colony” or locate it some distance away.

If you place the new colony close to the parent, vary the compass direction of the entrance by turning it slightly or making it perpendicular to the parent. This will help the returning foraging bees find their colony and avoid their tendency to drift between colonies that are lined up in a row. Painting the colony another color and adding some geometric shapes on the face of the hive near the entrance will also help.

Now select the combs you want to transfer to your new hive. Look over the brood nest in your parent colony and select some combs — one with mostly open brood, one with mostly capped brood, one that is mostly open nectar or honey, and a mostly pollen frame. The idea is to take enough eggs, brood, honey, and pollen to get your new colony started without setting back the parent colony too far.

If the brood frames have a nice band of pollen above the brood, you can rely on that and eliminate the need for a separate pollen frame.

One by one, bring the selected combs over to the new hive, leaving three or four blank bars between the entrance and where you place the first comb. Do not remove the bees on these combs — just bring them over full of bees. Keep a sharp lookout for the old queen. Knowing the location of the parent colony’s queen is critical, and it means that you must fully inspect each bar before moving it over. When you find the queen on a bar, put that bar aside in the small temporary box mentioned earlier and leave the box in a shaded area.

This step provides the option of placing the new queen in the parent colony or the split. But it also ensures that you are absolutely certain where the old queen is. If you were to just leave that bar with the queen in the parent colony, she might decide to walk onto the next bar you pick or you can damage her during the bar moving process.

Before backfilling the parent colony with blank bars, return the old queen or install the new queen in the parent colony. It’s important to place the queen in the brood nest and not isolate her in the open space provided by the new bars — she needs to be in the center of the action.

Install the new queen in the new hive (following the procedure in Chapter 6). Fill the feeder and replace the cover.

A quick inspection a few days after the split will help you determine the queen situation. Assuming that’s okay, you’ve made a successful divide and now are the proud owner of a new Top Bar hive and a new colony of bees.

If you end up with the old queen and the caged queen in the same colony, the colony will kill the new queen as soon as she’s released from the cage. This can be avoided if you don’t allow the bees access to the candy plug on the new queen’s cage. Keep the plug over the candy and wait four full days after installing the new queen and inspect that colony for eggs. There should be no eggs in that colony. At the same time, you should see eggs in the colony with the old queen. If you see new eggs in with the caged queen you can be certain the old queen is in there also. At that point, the parent colony will have started emergency queen cells to raise a new queen and may reject their old queen, so the best option is to move the new caged queen to the parent colony with the candy plug exposed.

Combining Two Top Bar Hive Colonies

In a Top Bar hive, combining two colonies can be accomplished using the newspaper method. First make certain that one of the colonies is queenless by killing the queen in the weaker colony. Then place an empty top bar directly behind the last active comb in the colony where you are adding the weaker colony.

To facilitate installing a blank bar behind your active colony, you can use a follower board. A follower board is anything that can be placed inside a Top Bar hive that will stop bees from entering the unused space behind the last occupied bar (see Figure 18-2). If you have a follower board, place it behind the last bar in the colony so you can stop the bees from interfering during the process of combining.

Drape a few sheets of dampened newspaper over the blank bar and form it to the sidewalls so no bees can get around it. If you used a follower board, remove it and push the bar with newspaper so it joins the last bar of the colony.

Courtesy of William Hesbach

FIGURE 18-2: A follower board stops bees from entering unused space.

You can now proceed to install the weaker colony into the stronger one by removing each comb from the weaker colony and placing it behind the newspaper-draped bar. The bees from both colonies will eat through the newspaper and, during the time it takes bees to join, they will have acquired a similar scent, thus minimizing fighting. After three or four days you can remove the bar with the newspaper, and you are done.

Building an Elevated Hive Stand

An elevated hive stand is exactly what it sounds like: an item you use to hold a beehive off the ground. I put all of my hives on this kind of stand. The advantages of using an elevated hive stand are listed in Chapter 5.

If you’re reasonably good at woodworking, you can build your own hives, hive stands, and accessories from scratch. My book Building Beehives For Dummies (Wiley) includes detailed plans for building six different kinds of hives, plus seven nifty beekeeping accessories.

Figure 18-3 shows plans to help you build your own elevated hive stand. The dimensions of this stand are ideal for a Langstroth hive (eight or ten frame), or to hold a couple of five-frame nuc hives. The generous top surface not only accommodates the hive, but there’s some extra surface area to place your smoker, tools, and the frames you remove for inspection.

© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

FIGURE 18-3: These blueprints serve as a guide for building your own elevated hive stand.

Building materials list

Table 18-1 lists what you need to build this elevated hive stand.

Cut list

This section breaks down the elevated hive stand into its individual components, and Table 18-2 provides instructions on how to cut and assemble those components.

TABLE 18-1 Building Materials for Elevated Hive Stand

Lumber	Hardware	Fasteners
2–8’ lengths of 1” x 6” cedar or pine lumber	Optional: weatherproof wood glue	30–6” x 2” deck screws, galvanized flat-head Phillips with coarse thread and sharp point
1–8’ length of 4” x 4” cedar posts	Optional: a pint of exterior latex or oil paint, exterior polyurethane, or marine varnish to protect the wood from the weather

TABLE 18-2 Hive Stand Cut-and-Assemble Instructions

Quantity	Material	Dimensions	Notes
4	4” x 4” cedar posts	12¼” x 3½” x 3½”	These are the leg posts of the stand. Rabbet 5½” by ¾” deep along one end of the post (this rabbet accommodates the narrow sides of the stand).
4	1” x 6” of cedar or pine	24” x 5½” x ¾”	These are the long sides of the stand and wide struts for the top.
2	1” x 6” of cedar or pine	24” x 2” x ¾”	These are the narrow struts for the top.
2	1” x 6” of cedar or pine	22½” x 5½” x ¾”	These are the short sides of the stand.

You can adjust the stand’s height to suit your needs by adjusting the length of the 4-x-4-inch cedar posts. Longer legs result in less bending over during inspections. But keep in mind that the higher the stand, the higher your honey supers will be, potentially making it more difficult to lift the heavy, honey-laden supers off the hive. I find the 13-inch height of this design just right for me.

Planting Flowers for Your Bees

This section was prepared by my friend Ellen Zampino, an avid gardener and a honey of a beekeeper.

Researchers have made it clear how important good nutrition is to the overall well-being of bees. But as the availability of diverse natural food sources becomes increasingly limited, we can help our girls by planting an array of flowers to help our bees stay strong and healthy.

Flowers and bees are a perfect match. Honey bees gather nectar and pollen, enabling plants to reproduce. In turn, pollen feeds baby bees, and nectar is turned into honey to be enjoyed by the bees and you. Everyone’s happy.

Each source of nectar has its own flavor. A combination of nectars produces great-tasting honey. Not all varieties of the flowers described in the sections that follow produce the same quality or quantity of pollen and nectar, but the ones that I list here work well, provide a diverse source of nutrition, and bees simply love them.

While many kinds of trees and shrubs are bees’ prime source of pollen and nectar, a wide range of flowers contribute to bee development and a bumper crop of honey. You can help in this process by adding some of these plants to your garden or by not removing those that are already there. Did you know that many weeds actually are great bee plants, including the pesky dandelion, clover, goldenrod, and purple vetch?

You can grow annuals such as zinnias, cleome, cosmos, open face dahlias, and snapdragons by planting seeds and tubers directly into the ground or starting them indoors a few weeks before spring. Perennials like ajuga, crane’s bill (geranium), campanula, Russian sage, speedwell, and foxglove, as well as many others purchased from local nurseries, will provide a good source of pollen and nectar for your bees. A variety of bulbs, including winter aconite, spring and fall crocus, alliums, and gladiolus, are good additions to your garden that will provide additional beauty and bee food. Lavender, borage, comfrey, thyme, basil, oregano, chives, and garlic chives are just a few of the herbs that provide a great source of nectar and pollen for the bees while spicing up your summer menu. These plants and bulbs can be found in local nurseries or through mail-order catalogs. I use Fedco, Jonny’s, and Baker Creek to purchase GMO-free seeds. Check the USDA plant hardiness zone chart to help you pick the correct plants for your zone. Visiting a local nursery will help you determine the correct plants for your locations and give you other ideas for the correct plants for your location. Blooming time and hardiness vary, depending on your location and climate. Note: Although comfrey is a long-blooming bee plant, it is considered invasive because it is almost impossible to keep its locations contained. Bee warned.

All the plant families listed in the following sections are both a good source of pollen and nectar.

Asters (aster/callistephus)

The aster family has more than 100 different species. The aster is one of the most common wildflowers, ranging in color from white and pink to light and dark purple. Asters differ in height from 6 inches to 4 feet and can be fairly bushy. Asters are mostly perennials, and blooming times vary from early spring to late fall; however, like all perennials, their blooming period lasts only a few weeks. Several varieties can be purchased as seeds, but you can also find some aster plants offered for sale at nurseries.

Callistephus are annual China asters, which run the same range of colors but produce varied styles of flowers. These pincushions-to-peony-style flowers start blooming late in summer and continue their displays until frost.

Bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea)

Annual and perennial selections of bachelor’s buttons are available. The annuals (Centaurea cyanus, C. imperialis), found in shades of white, pink, yellow, purple, and blue, are also referred to as cornflowers.

The perennial version is a shade of blue or white that blooms in June and sometimes again in late fall. Some gardeners refer to these as mountain blue buttons.

Bee balm (Monarda)

Bee balm (Monarda didyma) is a perennial herb that provides a long-lasting display of pink, red, red-purple, and crimson flowers in midsummer. They start flowering when they reach about 18 inches and continue to grow to 3 or 4 feet in height. Deadheading them encourages more growth, which can prolong their flowering period. Bee balm is susceptible to powdery mildew, but the Panorama type does a good job of fending off this problem. Bee balm is a good source of nectar for bees as well as for butterflies and hummingbirds. This family also includes horsemint (Monarda punctata) and lemon mint (Monarda citriodora). The fragrant leaves of most of these plants are used in herbal teas.

Hyssop (Agastache)

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) has a licorice fragrance when you bruise its leaves. The most common form produces tall spikes of purple flowers from midsummer to late fall. There’s also a white variety of this plant. Hyssop flowers from seed the first year you plant it, and although not a true perennial, it easily reseeds itself. Spring seedlings that naturally shed from the plant may become established a distance from where the mother plant was located, so be careful when you start your spring weeding. Another common hyssop is found in the wild — Agastache nepetoides. It has a light yellowish flower and is found in wooded areas. While hyssop is a good source of pollen, it’s a better source of nectar.

Malva (Malvaceae)

Malva is a cousin to the hollyhock. I planted zebrina or zebra mallow (Malva sylvestris) several years ago and have been a fan ever since. It produces purple flowers that the bees love. It does well in poor weather and produces a wealth of flowers that the bees visit all day long. While not a perennial, it reseeds itself readily and is hardy to zone 5. There are 26 to 30 species in this family, all easily grown from seed.

Mint (Mentha)

Chocolate, spearmint, apple mint, peppermint, and orange mint are only a few of the types of mints available. Mint flowers are high in nectar. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, fragrances, and appearances, but when they produce a flower, bees are there. Most mints bloom late in the year. Several can be easily grown from seed, while other varieties are obtained from root cuttings. Many gardeners are more than happy to share cuttings because mint is a rapid spreader and extremely hardy. If you don’t want it all over your yard, you can contain its growth by planting it in a pot. During the summer, freeze a few leaves along with some honey water and add to your iced tea. Yummy!

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum minus)

These are annuals grown easily from seed or purchased as plants. These lovely plants come in a wide variety of colors. Many are two-toned. In addition to having beautiful flowers, the Alaska nasturtium has two-tone white and green leaves. These plants range from bushy to trailing and are used at the edges of raised beds, in flower boxes, and hanging baskets. They will bloom until a frost kills them. Note: They don’t flower well in shade, but can grow to over 4 feet in rich soil. The flowers are edible and a surprising and yummy addition to any salad. They have a slight peppery taste.

Poppy (Papaver/Eschscholzia)

Danish flag (Papaver somniferum), corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas), and Iceland poppies (Papaver nudicaule) are easily grown from seed. Although they can be transplanted, they prefer to be directly seeded. Their colors range from deep scarlet or crimson to various pastel shades. All bloom freely from early summer to fall, need full sun, and grow 2 to 4 feet tall. Some people claim that poppies are valuable mostly for the pollen, but I’m sure my bees also are gathering a fair amount of nectar from poppies.

California poppies (Eschscholzia) are golden orange and easily grown. They are a good pollen source for honey bees. California poppies self-seed in warmer climates.

Salvia (Salvia/farinacea-strata/ splendens/officinalis)

The Salvia family, with more than 500 varieties, includes the herb (Salvia officinalis), several native varieties, and many bedding plants. The sages are good nectar providers. When in bloom, they’re covered with bees all day long. The variety of colors and sizes of the farinacea and splendens covers the entire gambit from white, apricot, all shades of red, and purple to blues with bi-colors and tri-colors. Annual seeds need to be started 6 to 8 weeks before planting.

Sunflowers (Helianthus/Tithonia)

Sunflowers are made up of two families, and they provide the bees with both pollen and nectar. Each family is readily grown from seed, but you may find some nurseries that carry them as potted plants. When you start sunflowers by seed, get them started early in the season, a couple of weeks before you plan to put them in the garden. Sunflowers are rapid growers that transplant better when you leave their roots undisturbed by planting the entire pot. Helianthus annuus include the well-known giant sunflower as well as many varieties of dwarf and multi-branched types. Sunflowers no longer are only tall and yellow. They come in a wide assortment of sizes (from 2 to 12 feet) as well as a range of colors (from white to rust). There are a number of varieties with a mixture of colors. Several varieties will easily self-seed, even in the cold Northeast. Note that some single-stem varieties, including the Sunrich and ProCut series, are pollenless hybrids, therefore of little use to bees (although they do produce nectar). Be aware that bees will have difficulty getting pollen from the PomPom type of sunflower. So best to avoid that variety.

Brewing Mead: The Nectar of the Gods

I get restless every winter when I can’t tend to my bees. So a number of years ago I looked around for a related hobby that would keep me occupied until spring. I thought, “Why not brew mead?” Mead is a wine made from honey instead of grapes. It was the liquor of the Greek gods and is thought by scholars to be the oldest form of alcoholic beverage. In early England and until about 1600, mead was regarded as the national drink. In fact, the wine that Robin Hood took from Prince John had honey as its base.

When mead is made right, the resulting product is simply delicious! And like a fine red wine, it gets better and better with age. Many bee supply vendors supply basic wine- and mead-making equipment to hobbyists (see Figure 18-4). All you need is a little space to set up shop and some honey to ferment. The key to success is keeping everything sanitary — sterile laboratory conditions!

Courtesy of Howland Blackiston

FIGURE 18-4: Here’s a typical kit for brewing mead (honey wine).

The following recipe produces an extraordinary mead. Technically, this is a Metheglin, the term given to mead that is spiced. The recipe yields about 40 750-ml bottles of finished product. Adjust the amounts to suit your needs.

Ideally, keep the room’s temperature between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 20 degrees Celsius; a cool basement is a good place to brew mead). If the temperature is higher than 75 degrees (24 degrees Celsius), the yeast may die; if it’s lower than 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius), fermentation ceases. Note that a portable space heater with a thermostat helps control basement temperatures during winter.

1. The initial honey and water mixture is called the must. My recipe calls for the following:
   • 32 pounds of dark wildflower honey
   • 5 gallons of well water (nonchlorinated water)
   • 5 sticks of cinnamon
   • 1 tablespoon cloves
2. Add the following to the must:
   • 4¼ tablespoons of wine yeast nutrient (available at wine-making supply stores)

3. Pour the mixture into a large (16.5-gallon) initial fermentation tank.

   Top off with water so the tank contains a total of 13 gallons of must. Stir vigorously to blend and introduce oxygen (splashing permitted).

4. Add the following ingredients to the tank of must:
   • 13 potassium metabisulfite tablets (available at wine-making supply stores) to hinder the growth of undesirable bacteria
   • A few drops of antifoam agent (available at wine-making supply stores)
5. Wait 24 hours and then add the following to the must in the fermentation tank:
   • 2½ packets of white wine yeast (stir to blend)

6. Cover loosely and let the must ferment for three to four weeks before performing the first racking (when the bubbling and fizzing has stopped, it’s time to rack).

   Racking is the process of siphoning off the liquid and leaving the dead yeast cells behind.

7. After the initial three to four weeks, rack liquid into glass carboys (large glass vessels). You’ll need two or three 5-gallon carboys for this recipe.

   Fill right up to the neck of the carboy (you want to minimize air space). Add one potassium metabisulfite tablet for each gallon of liquid to maintain 50 parts per million (ppm). Place a fermentation valve on each. The valve keeps air and bacteria from entering the carboy.

8. Rack a total of two or three more times at one- to two-month intervals.

   Each racking further clears the mead. I know you’re eager to drink your mead, but your patience will pay off in a product that tastes great and has great eye appeal. After the final racking, transfer the mead to sterilized wine bottles and cork tightly. Store bottles on their sides in a cool, dark place. Remember, the longer the mead is aged, the more improved the flavor. Salute!

You can get your wine sparkling clear by using a special filtering device available from beer- and wine-making suppliers.

For more information on making mead, see Making Mead Honey Wine: History, Recipes, Methods and Equipment, by Roger A. Morse (Wicwas Press).

Create Cool Stuff with Propolis

Propolis (sometimes called “bee glue”) is the super-sticky, gooey material gathered by the bees from trees and plants. The bees use this brown goop to fill drafty cracks in the hive, strengthen comb, and sterilize their home.

Propolis has remarkable antimicrobial qualities that guard against bacteria and fungi. Its use by bees makes the hive one of the most hygienic domiciles found in nature. This remarkable property has not gone unnoticed over the centuries. The Chinese have used it in medicine for thousands of years. Even Hippocrates touted the value of propolis for healing wounds. In addition, propolis has been used for centuries as the basis for fine wood varnishes.

When cold, propolis is hard and brittle. But in warm weather, propolis is gummier than words can express. When you inspect your hives at the end of the summer and early autumn (the height of propolis production), you’ll discover that the bees have coated just about everything with propolis. The frames, inner cover, and outer cover will be firmly glued together, and they’ll require considerable coaxing to pry loose. You’ll get propolis all over your hands and clothes, where it will remain for a long, long time. It’s a nuisance for most beekeepers. But be sure to take the time to scrape it off, or you’ll never get things apart next season. Be sure to save the propolis you scrape off with your hive tool! It’s precious stuff. I keep an old coffee can in my toolbox and fill it with the propolis I remove from the hive. And I keep another can for the beeswax (burr comb) I remove.

Keep a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol in your supply box. Alcohol works pretty well at removing sticky propolis from your hands. But, for goodness’ sake, keep propolis off your clothes because it’s nearly impossible to remove.

Many beekeepers encourage the bees to make lots of propolis. Special propolis traps are designed just for this purpose. The traps usually consist of a perforated screen that is laid across the top bars — similar to a queen excluder, but the spaces are too narrow for bees to pass through (see Figure 18-5). Instinctively, bees fill all these little holes with propolis. Eventually, the entire trap becomes thickly coated with the sticky, gummy stuff. Remove the trap from the hive (gloves help keep hands clean) and place it in the freezer overnight so the propolis becomes hard and brittle. Like chilled Turkish Taffy, a good whack shatters the cold propolis, crumbling it free from the trap. It then can be used to make a variety of nifty products. I’ve included some recipes to get you started.

Courtesy of Howland Blackiston

FIGURE 18-5: A propolis trap can be placed where the inner cover usually goes. In no time, bees will coat the entire trap with precious propolis.

Propolis tincture

Here’s a homemade and all-natural alternative to iodine. Note: Like iodine, it stains. Use it on minor cuts, rashes, and abrasions. Some folks even use a few drops in a glass of drinking water to relieve sore throats.

1. Measure the crumbled propolis and add an equal measure of 100-proof vodka or grain alcohol (for example, 1 cup propolis and 1 cup alcohol). Place in an ovenproof bottle with a lid.
2. Heat the closed bottle in a 200-degree (Fahrenheit) oven. Shake the bottle every 30 minutes. Continue until the propolis has completely dissolved in the alcohol.
3. Strain the mixture through a paper coffee filter or a nylon stocking.
4. Bottle the tincture into dropper bottles, which you may be able to get from your pharmacist, or you can order from an online supplier of specialty bottles (such as www.sks-bottle.com).

Propolis ointment

This ointment can be applied to minor cuts, bruises, and abrasions.

1. Melt the ingredients in a microwave or in a double boiler.
   • 1 teaspoon of beeswax
   • 4 teaspoons of liquid paraffin
   • 1 teaspoon of finely chopped propolis granules
   • 1 teaspoon of honey
2. Remove from heat and stir continuously until it cools and thickens.
3. Pour into suitable jars.

Propolis varnish

If you happen to have a multimillion-dollar violin made by Stradivarius, you already know that the finest string instruments ever made had a varnish made from propolis. But this superior lacquer need not be reserved for such exclusive uses. Propolis varnish provides a warm, durable finish for any wood project. Here’s a recipe from a friend of mine who refinishes museum-quality violins.

1. Combine all ingredients in the following list in a glass jar at room temperature. Cover the jar with a lid. Allow mixture to stand for a week or more while shaking once or twice a day.
   • 4 parts blond shellac
   • 1 part manila copal (a soft resin)
   • 1 part propolis
2. Filter solution through a few layers of cheesecloth or a nylon stocking before using.

Note: The manila copal resin is available from specialty varnish suppliers, such as Hammerl GmbH & Co. KG, Hauptstrasse 18, 8523 Baiersdorf, Germany.

Making Gifts from Beeswax

Your annual harvest doesn’t begin and end with honey. You’ll also be collecting plenty of beautiful, sweet-smelling beeswax, which can be cleaned and used for all kinds of artsy projects (see Chapter 15 for instructions on how to clean your wax). You can make candles, furniture polish, and cosmetics for all your friends and neighbors (see Figure 18-6). Better yet, why not sell these goodies at the local farmers’ market? Here’s some useful information to get you started.

Courtesy of Howland Blackiston

FIGURE 18-6: Here’s a sample of the wonderful products you can make from beeswax.

Beeswax candles

Beeswax candles are desirable; unlike paraffin, they don’t drip, don’t sputter, and don’t smoke, but they do burn a long time. You can make three basic types of candles from beeswax: rolled, dipped, and molded. Buy them in a gift store, and they’re fantastically expensive. But not when you make them yourself!

Dipped candles

This is a time-consuming process, but the end result is beautiful.

1. Melt beeswax in a tall container (the container can be placed in a hot water bath to keep the wax melted).

   Never melt beeswax directly over a heat source; always use a water bath when melting beeswax. At temperatures higher than 200 degrees (93 degrees Celsius), beeswax can vaporize and ignite.

2. Tie a lead fishing weight to one end of wicking (to make it hang straight) and begin dipping.
3. Let each coat of wax cool before dipping again. The more you dip, the thicker the candle becomes.

With a little finesse, you can create an attractive taper to your dipped candles. You can even add color and scent (your candle-making supplier sells what you need, including wicks, coloring dyes, and scents). Elegant!

Molded candles

Candle-making suppliers offer a huge variety of rubber or plastic molds for candle making — from conventional tapers to complex figurines. Just melt your beeswax and pour it into the mold (add color and scent if you want). Don’t forget the wick. Let it cool and remove the mold. Easy!

Beeswax furniture polish

My good friend Peter Duncan makes simply beautiful wood furniture. He says that my beeswax wood polish is the finest he’s ever used. Smooth enough to apply evenly, beeswax polish feeds and preserves the wood and provides a hard protective finish. Here’s my “secret” recipe:

1. Gather the following ingredients:
   • 4 ounces beeswax (by weight)
   • 2 tablespoons of carnauba wax flakes
   • 2½ cups odorless turpentine or mineral spirits
2. Melt the waxes in a double boiler.
3. Remove the waxes from the heat and stir in the turpentine or mineral spirits.
4. Pour into containers (something that looks like a tin of shoe polish is ideal) and let the mixture cool.
5. Cover tightly with a lid.

Apply the polish with a clean cloth and rub in small circles. Turn the cloth as it becomes dirty. Allow the polish to dry, then buff with a clean cloth. If more than one coat is desired, wait two days between applications. This stuff is simply fantastic!

Beauty and the Bees

Special thanks to my friend and fellow beekeeper Patty Pulliam for putting together these great recipes.

There is nothing more satisfying than making your own creams, salves, and balms with beeswax from your hives. It’s been said that Cleopatra’s beauty regime included a cream made with beeswax and olive oil, and some of my favorite recipes use both of these ingredients. Talk about enduring the test of time! Honestly, the best thing about making your own body products is that you know what is in them. No need to worry about parabens or endocrine-disrupting chemicals or ingredients that you can’t even pronounce. The beauty products that you can make on your own are far better and fresher than any product out there and are more emollient and hydrating than anything you can buy.

Use your cappings

In making beauty products, I suggest you only use cappings wax. This is the wax that the bees produce to cover the honey in the hive and is saved during extraction. Because it is brand-new, the wax is light in color, aromatic, and clean. And because you already know that no chemicals should be used while the honey supers are on the hive, you’re guaranteed that your wax is also chemical-free.

Equipment

I use a good quality kitchen scale that measures in ounces for the dry weight of beeswax; for the liquid measurements, I use standard baking spoon measurements and measuring cups. To break up the beeswax, use a screwdriver and a hammer on a cutting board to chisel the wax into pieces — never use a knife!

Cleaning any container that has been used to melt beeswax can be a lot of work, so I use empty metal coffee cans (well washed and dried, naturally) with chopsticks or the wooden paint stirrers from a hardware store as my mixers. If you don’t have a metal coffee can, go to your favorite pizza restaurant and ask for an empty tomato sauce can. Melting wax in a can works very well using a double boiler approach — you simply place the can in a pot of warm water to melt the wax and blend in the oil; bend the lip of the can with a pair of pliers to make a pouring spout. Clean up by wiping the can with paper towels or recycle the can. For a thermometer, I employ a digital-display probe type.

Working with melted beeswax is like working with hot cooking oil — use common sense! Never melt beeswax directly over a heat source; always use a water bath when melting beeswax. Wax melts at between 143 and 148 degrees (62 and 64 degrees Celsius). It’s fairly stable below 200 degrees (93 degrees Celsius), but at higher temps beeswax can vaporize (flash point) and ignite.

Keep a fire extinguisher handy when melting beeswax. You may also want to cover your countertop with newspaper to absorb any spilled beeswax. This is especially helpful when filling lip balm tubes.

As wax overheats, it begins to smoke and give off an acrid smell. If this happens, remove it immediately from heat.

The recipes

The recipes here use extra virgin olive oil, sweet almond oil, and coconut oil — all of which are edible. I figure that I don’t want to put anything on my body that I would not put in it. There are so many other wonderful oils, each with its own unique quality, such as shea nut butter, jojoba oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, and wheat germ oil, that I encourage you to try. You can substitute any oil here for another; however, I do not suggest that you use mineral or baby oils because they produce a heavy product and are by-products of petroleum production.

When essential oils are called for in the recipes, I encourage you to use one that is pleasing to you. An essential oil is a liquid that’s generally distilled (most frequently by steam or water) from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant. Essential oils contain the true essence of the plant from which it was derived. Essential oils are highly concentrated, and a little goes a long way. Essential oils can vary greatly in quality and price; the reasons are generally the rarity of the plant and where it’s grown, and the method of production. Essential oil is not the same as perfume or fragrance oils.

Essential oils should be added after the beeswax and oil are melted and off of the heat; they are volatile, and you do not want them to evaporate! One of my favorite uses of essential oils is in the Beeswax and Olive Oil Salve (recipe to follow), which uses different essential oils to make a variety of salves for different purposes. But the ultimate is to use my favorite essential oils in this salve to make layering scents. I make a batch of the salve and then divide it into four (or more, however many you want) batches; then I put a single essential oil in each one. When I apply them as perfume, I can choose to create my own personal scent, depending on my mood.

I encourage you to use these formulas as guides and experiment. If you want a softer balm/salve add more oil; conversely, if you want a firmer one then add more beeswax.

Because these are fresh and natural cosmetic recipes, they don’t contain any preservatives. I encourage you to mark them with the date of manufacture and to use them within a six-month period — but I don’t think that will be a problem. Using essential oils of rosemary or lavender in your products is a great shelf life extender as they both have polyphenols that are natural preservatives.

Be certain that you use chemically pure borax when making cosmetics (it can be ordered from beekeeping equipment suppliers). Never use laundry-grade borax for cosmetics. Borax is a complex borate mineral salt, which occurs naturally and is mined in the Mojave Desert in Boron, California. In these recipes, it acts as an emulsifier and has some minor preservative properties.

Ultra-rich skin cream

This cream contains lanolin, which comes from wool of domestic sheep breeds and is used in many dermatological products for compromised skin conditions. It is very emollient and great for dry, scaling, cracked skin.

1. Gather the following ingredients:
   • 2½ ounces (weight) beeswax
   • 4 ounces (liquid) lanolin
   • 2⁄3 cup sweet almond oil
   • ¾ cup distilled water
   • 1 teaspoon borax (sodium borate, chemically pure)
   • A few drops essential oil (your choice — I like rose or citrus)
2. In a double boiler, melt the oil, lanolin, and beeswax to 160 degrees.
3. Heat the borax and water in a separate container to 160 degrees. Make sure the borax is dissolved.
4. Add the water mixture to the oil mixture while stirring briskly.
5. When white cream forms, stir slowly until the mixture cools to 100 degrees.
6. Pour into containers, label, and date recipe (use product within six months).

Rich body balm

1. Gather the following ingredients:
   • 5 ounces beeswax (weight)
   • 11⁄3 cups distilled water
   • 2 teaspoons borax
   • 2 cups (16 ounces) olive oil
   • A few drops of essential oil (your choice — geranium is nice!)
2. In a double boiler, melt the beeswax and stir in the oils. Heat the water and borax in a separate container to 160 degrees.
3. Add the water to the oil mixture very slowly, stirring constantly.
4. When mixture is emulsified, pour into containers, label, and date the recipe. Use product within six months.

Beeswax lip balm

Here’s a recipe to make lip balm that’ll keep your lips soft and healthy, even in the harshest weather. A bit of honey added to the recipe for added sweetness is nice. You can add color to tint the balm; the tint can be purchased from many of the Internet beauty links listed at the end of this section.

1. Gather the following ingredients:
   • 1 ounce (weight) beeswax
   • 4 ounces (volume) sweet almond oil
   • A few drops essential oil (I recommend peppermint or wintergreen)
2. In a double boiler, melt the beeswax and stir in the sweet almond oil.
3. Remove from heat, add a few drops of essential oil, and pour into lip balm containers.
4. Let lip balm cool and solidify before placing caps on containers.

Beeswax and olive oil salve

This recipe is a favorite for making specialty salves. By changing the essential oil, you can come up with many different products. Add eucalyptus oil and you have a chest cold remedy. Add comfrey and you have a cut and wound healer. Add propolis and you have a first-aid antibiotic ointment. Add chamomile for a soothing foot-rub salve.

1. Gather the following ingredients:
   • 1 part beeswax
   • 6 parts olive oil

   • Fresh or dried herbs (optional) or essential oil of your choice

     If using herbs, clean and dry thoroughly, place in glass jar, cover with olive oil, and allow everything to steep for one week. Strain herbs from olive oil and proceed.

2. In the top of a double boiler set over medium heat, warm olive oil and add beeswax; stir until beeswax is dissolved. Add the optional dried herbs or essential oils, and stir for a minute or two.
3. While still warm, pour into small jars; when cool, cover with lids.

Beeswax lotion bar

These bars are great to keep handy when you need to refresh your skin. I like to use silicone baking molds, which are available in cookware departments and come in a variety of shapes. Soap-making forms also work nicely.

1. Gather the following ingredients:
   • 2 ounces (weight) beeswax
   • 2 ounces (weight) sweet almond oil
   • 2½ ounces (weight) coconut oil or cocoa butter or combination
   • ¼ teaspoon vitamin E oil
   • A few drops of essential oil (your choice — lavender is lovely!)
2. Melt all ingredients (except essential oil) in double boiler.
3. Remove from heat and add the essential oil.
4. Pour into molds, let cool, and place in cellophane wrapper or reusable container.

Natural bug repellent bar

This recipe is based on the convenience of a lotion bar, but with the addition of arrowroot starch/flour which makes it silky smooth to rub on. It uses lemon eucalyptus essential oil, which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as a safer alternative to DEET, as well as Citronella essential oil.

1. Gather the following ingredients:
   • 2 ounces (weight) beeswax
   • 4 1⁄2 (weight) ounces sweet almond oil
2. Melt all ingredients (except essential oil) in double boiler.
3. Off heat whisk in 1⁄4 cup of Arrowroot starch/flour, and when smooth add
   • 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon eucalyptus essential oil
   • 1⁄4 teaspoon citronella essential oil
   • 1⁄4 teaspoon lemon essential oil
4. Pour into molds, let cool, and place in cellophane wrapper or reusable container.

Natural homemade sunscreen

This one is unlike the other finished recipes in that the final product looks more stirred or whipped rather than flat and finished. The zinc oxide is heavier than the other ingredients. To ensure the emulsion is suspended, you need to continue stirring until cool.

Use as you would regular sunscreen. The product is best when used within six months.

1. Gather the following ingredients:
   • ½ cup almond or olive oil (you can infuse with herbs first if desired)
   • ¼ cup coconut oil (natural SPF 4)
   • 2 ounces beeswax
   • 2 tablespoons zinc oxide (available in the pharmacy section of your grocery or a drugstore)
   • Optional: 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
   • Optional: 2 tablespoons shea butter (natural SPF 4–5)
   • Optional: Essential oil of your choice
2. Melt all ingredients (except zinc oxide and essential oil if using) in double boiler until melted.
3. Remove from heat and add zinc oxide and essential oil; stir until blended.
4. Pour into container, stir a few times as it cools to make sure zinc oxide is remaining in suspension.

Natural deodorant

This is a creamy and effective natural deodorant and you can scent it with your favorite essential oil.

1. Gather the following ingredients:
   • 3⁄4 ounce beeswax
   • 2 ounces (weight) coconut oil
   • 1 ounce (weight) sheer butter
2. Melt beeswax and oils in double boiler.

3. Off heat whisk in:

   • 2 tablespoons baking soda
   • 1⁄4 cup arrowroot starch/flour
   • 1 tablespoon calcium bentonite clay (available at drug or health food stores)

   When smooth add:

   • 1 teaspoon of essential oil of your choice
4. Pour into a “push up stick” container for easy application, or into a reusable container if you do not mind applying with your fingertips.

Packaging and labeling

There are many online sites for packaging and labeling products. Think up a clever name for the item you have prepared. Make sure you list all the ingredients on the label (in descending order of quantity) along with the net weight of the product and some sort of contact information. We know that all the products from the hive are amazing and health-giving; just remember that you should not make any guarantees about the benefits of what your creams, salves, and balms will provide. Just include anecdotal testimonials.

I make sure the containers I order are food-grade quality; metal tins are very cute, but some essential oils can react with them and corrode the metal.

Here are some sources for containers, labels, and ingredients:

• www.sks-bottle.com/
• www.glorybee.com
• www.thesage.com
• www.bulkapothecary.com
• www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com
• www.labelsonline.com