You Might Bee A Beekeeper’s Spouse if…

1. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if you have discovered that you can get wax off the floor with the plastic lid from a peanut butter jar. Good tip, I know. LOL

2. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if you know how to get bees out of your house by going to the window that they are buzzing at, covering them with a cup, and then sliding a paper underneath them. Then you rush to the nearest door with the cup and paper on top and release the little bee before it flies away.

3. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if your freezer is full of wax that you have collected while doing hive inspections. Keeping it in the freezer keeps the wax moths from contaminating the wax. I’m thinking some day I will pull some wax out of the freezer and try and eat it.

4. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if you can say you know how to hold a frame of bees and not flinch while doing it. The first time I did it I felt like I was living my worst nightmare, and I had to get through it. Now I look at the frame full of bees, and I think “Wow there are some Queen cells on this one. I got to get my hive tool and smash them.”

5. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if you know how to drive a four wheel truck up in the back country of your local parkland filled with tiny trails that are called “fire roads” filled with lots of bumps and crazy turns. You also have to know how to honk a lot to warn the hikers who sometimes wave at you, sometimes give you dirty looks, as you pass by them.

6. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if your whole house has turned into a miniature honey factory. For example, your dining room is stacked high with bee boxes with honey that are ready to bee processed. In your kitchen there is an extractor. In one of your bedroom’s the bed has been removed, and it is filled with honey boxes that are either full or were once full and are sitting empty of honey waiting to go to back up to the apiary.

7. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if part of your “business” financial plan is to keep a float by trying to just by the next year’s equipment and queens. You do your best to try and not give away to much honey, to be a good office manager, and sales person to grow your business. The best thing that has happened since the Corona Virus hit is the fact that I do porch delivery because now people don’t come into my house and see my messy house! Yes! I do miss talking to people, but I did get embarrassed when I was folding laundry, and customers would literally would come ring my door bell to buy some honey. I would open the door, and I would be like “Hi.” And “They would be “Can I buy some honey?” I would be dying inside knowing that they would see the awful mess. I would let them come in and buy the honey. However, half of Simi Valley probably now knows that I am a very messy house keeper. Oops.

8. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if you know how to organize equipment up at your apiary, know how to get a swarm out of equipment, know how to cut the brush around your apiary, and know how to get the cute little creatures out of your equipment with out screaming. There is a pet friendly repellent we used to repel them so they scurry back to their natural surroundings. The couple times we had the problem I was so scared and grossed out. So I used a lot of it!

Instructions on getting a hive out of your equipment: Use your smoker to calm the bees. Then open the lid and spray a small amount of Fischer’s Bee Quick on the lid. We do a cross pattern. This will get the angry bees out of your box. You can use your beekeepers tool to carefully cut the comb. Make sure you get all the brood that is on the comb into the box. When you get a swarm out of your equipment is important to use big rubber bands (purchased at Staples) to hold the comb onto empty frames. Then put the frames in a box. Make sure you get the Queen in the box. Do it close to night so the foragers will return to that box. After about a week requeen the Africanized Queen with a European one.

9. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if you know your Saturdays and maybe part of your Sunday is going to be filled with a lot of beekeeping. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if you just don’t care if people see you driving down the road in a strange white suit all sweaty and gross with bees flying out of your truck because you just finished doing hive inspections. And the best part of this drive is that you are now heading to that glorious place called 7-11 to get a wonderful drink called cold Gatorade!

10. You might bee a beekeeper’s spouse if you at first just kind of laugh at your spouse’s obssession with bees, become sort of interested in bees, and then something about the bees perks your interest so you dive right in and start actively learning all you can about bees until you are right there with your beekeeping, obssessed spouse.

Corona Virus Update

During this difficult time Simi Valley Bees knows it is the public can be easily exposed to the Corona Virus when doing shopping. We are trying to mitigate that risk by doing socially distancing and porch pick up of our honey products. If you wish to order honey please call Linda at 805 404-4955 then make an appointment to come over to our home at 2125 Magnolia St. in Simi Valley.

Being a Mascot

I never thought I would be a star at a preschool at age fifty two, but apparently that is one of my job descriptions as a beekeeper. I went recently to the Justin Early Learning Academy in Simi Valley, CA, and they had the bees as their school animal/mascot. Consequently, when I was honored to teach these adorable preschooler (some with Special Needs) about bees they were pretty impressed by everything I did. They really liked doing the bee dance where we threw our arms in the air and went one way and then another. They really liked it when I impersonated the queen bee, but when I put on my beekeeper suit some of them where really impressed. And sadly some of them were a little scared. It was the best experience I have had as a beekeeper. It was also amazing to see how well the staff handled all of these kids. Some of them where a bit more challenging to manage than others, and especially when tantrums happened. What would preschool be without a good tantrum from a child now and then? Pretty boring. The kids were also really great at asking me questions, which I was pretty blown away by because I thought they were very well educated about bees. None of them liked being stung by bees that is for sure. The staff was very amazing, and so accommodating to my needs. When I left they all said to me, “Bye Beekeeper!” It was so precious seeing their big eyes and enthusiasm for all things bees. I would go back and do this service any time! 🙂

The Wisdom Of Using the Right Equipment

I got a call by a guy named Richard.  He said,  “I have a hive that I need to have removed, but no money.”  I was like “I charge $80 for hive removal.”  He then told me how it was in his neighbor’s yard, and how the hive was sitting there on the wall.  He said it was from a larger hive in a bush.  I told him I could spray the bees on the wall with some bee removal spray  for free, but the bees in the bush would cost him some money.  I imagined it would be a pain in the neck to get a hive out a bush.

Then a flash of brilliance hit me.  I had a friend, who needed a beehive.  He wanted some bees, and here I could get him some for free.  I called my friend and asked him if he could help me, and then he said yes.  He was really excited to be getting free bees.  So I called Richard back, and I told him it was his lucky day.

We arrived at Richard’s house on Galena Street, and I discovered I forgot to get some equipment.  Yep I was spacey about getting all my beekeeping stuff.   I had to go back to my house and get two bee boxes (large deeps), etc, and I had to get some empty bee frames that went in the deeps (18).

When I returned I got into my bee suit, and I realized that my bee gloves were not matched.  I gave the extra suit to Richard and he got the matching gloves.  Not a real big deal. I also realized I wasn’t wearing a hat.  I knew I was in trouble, that I was going to get some bee stings.  This realization made me sick in my stomach. Yet I couldn’t run home again.  I felt the need to supervise my friend, who is 72 and is very new to bee keeping.  Also there was Richard, the neighbor that I lent the bee suit to.  He was a willing helper, but he had never worked with bees before. How could I leave them alone to face a dangerous African bees?  I got my smoker started.  Then we proceeded to smoke the bees on the wall.   My friend and I  tossed the bees into the nuke box. That was the easy job.  They quickly went into my friend’s nuke box and marched in.  Just like you see it in the videos.

The hard job came up next.  The huge beehive that stretched about three feet long dangling vertically in the bushes.  The bees were in some bushes that had some thorns on them, we had to sit and cut the branches down with hedge clippers while the bees buzzed around us. Fortunately, they ignored us for the most part.  However, the more we cut down, the more agitated they become.  Let me just say during the time we were cutting down the branches and the bees were stinging us, and we were alternately running away and then coming back to attack the bush with the awful bee hive that some choice words were said.  Richard had his veil compromised and got some holes in it from branches poking holes in it.  He got 4 bee stings which made me feel awful.  My friend unfortunately did not have bee gloves on.  He wore leather gloves made for yard work.   According to my friend, the bees stung his gloves about forty times.    Fortunately, my friend did not have much of a reaction to all of his bee stings.  I was very worried about him.

When we finally got the hive down we had to separate some of it to fit into a large deep box.  I realized my friend had not brought any large elastic bands to preserve the beautiful wax brood of the beehive.  I got into my car with $5 from Richard and zoomed off to Staples.  I still had my bee suit on.  I took off my hood to  drive, which is good because you can’t see to good.   I then ran into Staples with my suit, and breathlessly asked the clerk where they kept the rubber bands.  They kindly told me.  I could tell I was getting some funny looks.  I then went to check  out, and my words tumbled out about how I was trying to save the baby brood in the beehive.  The clerk was very sympathetic and kind.

Then I zoomed back to our work site on Galena Street.  my friend had most of the brood in the first box, and we managed to get the clump of bees into the box cut down enough so we could put a lid on it, and shut the box up.  Then we put another lid on the bees with the brood in it.  We cleaned up the site, and I went and talked to Richard who thanked me and gave me $25 for my work.  It wasn’t much, and I wanted to donate it to the bee club, but Matt says I have to pay for the  suit to get repaired.  my friend took both hives home, and the box with the brood in it probably died because it wasn’t put with the main hive.  I was pretty sad about that.   The bees needed to be kept warm by the main hive.

The main thing that I wish I could convey to people is how important it is to wear the right gear and to wear it correctly.  If you don’t you don’t “The bees will learn you.” This is what Matt always says.   I got stung four times because I didn’t have the right hat.  My friend got stung repeatedly through his leather gloves because they were not beekeeping  gloves.  Richard was stung because he had a hole in his suit.   They sure learn you the hard way.  Owie!!!

Beware of the Intoxicating Smell of Wax

I am confessing my true sin of being  addicted to wax and candle making.

I have a  full craft container in my office; in it are candle making supplies.  This has cost me hundreds of dollars.  I have figured out how to make candles with the essential oils and the manufactured fragrances.  And I’ve ignored this craft container for a while.  Yet it’s been there like a fun old friend; that I have had in my office cluttering up another work space.  I love it so much.  I can’t give it up, and yet I know it could be a really bad problem if I became too obsessive about it.  For  example, for one whole year I spent all my time and money making candles.   I feel proud of myself for figuring out a  difficult craft.  I keep these supplies because I might get back into some day.  And so happily today I am doing it today.  Don’t telly anyone, but I am ignoring my dishes in order to make my home made wax candles.

In order to have enough wax you have to purchase it, or you can collect it from your bees in your  apiary.  I do both.  However, it can be a bad distraction to the important work you are supposed to beekeeping.  When we were out in our apiary I would smell it.  The smell of the beautiful beeswax  fills the air around our apiary.  It is so intoxicating and sweet.  I love it.   When we first started beekeeping I would get it in my head that I would have to collect it.  I needed it to make candles.  So instead of assisting my husband with his bees I had find ways to collect it.  Matt would scrape off a lid and throw the wax on the ground.  I would be appalled! I would have important discussions with him to please not throw the wax on the ground.  Sometimes he listens to me.    I used to scrape it off everything.  Matt finally has convinced me to stop doing this.   Matt was annoyed I was not helping him.  Plus I get in his way when I am trying to scrape off burr comb and he is trying to shut the lid of his medium bee box.  Plus the bees get really mad when you scrape off their burr comb.  They don’t like it.  But I had to have their wax.  After many months of  being a beekeeper I finally started to be good.  I quit scraping off the burr comb when doing hive inspections. 😦

Sometimes I do get to collect wax it is really bad burr comb and making the boxes stick.  This caused the worst thing of all to happen to me one day.  Matt asked me to remove some burr comb.  I did as I was told.  I put a nice large yellow wax ball top of a bee hive. Later, when I cleaning up to go home, I did not notice it has a couple of bees in it.  Plus, I was very stupid and did not have my long bee gloves on.  I want all you readers to know I am always paranoid and have my gloves on with lots of duct tape to secure it so no bees can enter my bee suit.  Why I did not have them on is beyond reason.  This is a very dangerous  combination.  Yep. I paid the price. My bees stings hurt for a couple of days.  My left hand was like a balloon.  The horrible stings, itched for a couple of days, and I was miserable.

Now I have collected enough wax to fill a crock pot.  Now I am melting my wax in my kitchen with a crock pot.  My dishes are all piled up, and I am sooo excited.  My love for making candles is back.  Guess what? You too can be a wax addict.  I do not offer any therapy for this kind of addiction.