Monthly Archives: March 2014

This is a short clip of a fresh honey bee full timber frame being decapped with an electric hot knife. Rather a slow process, especially where the wax and comb have not been built up by the honey bees over and above the timber top and bottom bars. Those areas we decap with a decapping fork. We find the electric hot knife sufficient, but perhaps a steam hot knife would be better. Also a larger version would be nice. This one is cooled too quickly and does not reheat fast enough, so its slow and your hands get ratehr sore after a while. Before running the hot knife just under the wax cappings, we use a blunt knife to clean the frames and have them ready for use in the hives. This frame is a very light coloured but absolutely delicious tasing raw honey.

I may do a video later showing the entire process and the setup we have. Beekeeping is a great hobby, and we are only just learning so any feedback or suggestions are very welcome.

This very short clip shows the freshly collected raw propolis we scraped off the frames and boxes after honey collection. It is not clean nor purified, just as is from the hive. Below are some definitions and uses of propolis. Let us know if you are interested in more detailed videos of propolis uses and we will create them as required. Propolis is one of the most powerful natural shields to be found in nature: anti-infective, antibiotic, antiviral, fungicidal, powerful antioxidant, help to prevent cancer. Its effects are more powerful in combination with other medicinal plants such as Echinacea and Garlic for stimulating the immune system and protecting the body from infection.

Propolis is a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive. Propolis is used for small gaps (approximately 6 millimeters (0.24 in) or less), while larger spaces are usually filled with beeswax. Its color varies depending on its botanical source, the most common being dark brown. Propolis is sticky at and above room temperature, 20 °C (68 °F). At lower temperatures, it becomes hard and very brittle. For centuries, beekeepers assumed[1] that bees sealed the beehive with propolis to protect the colony from the elements, such as rain and cold winter drafts. However, 20th century research has revealed that bees not only survive, but also thrive, with increased ventilation during the winter months throughout most temperate regions of the world.

Propolis is now believed to:[2]
– reinforce the structural stability of the hive;
– reduce vibration;
– make the hive more defensible by sealing alternate entrances;
– prevent diseases and parasites from entering the hive, and
– to inhibit fungal and bacterial growth;[3]
– prevent putrefaction within the hive. Bees usually carry waste out of and away from the hive. However, if a small lizard or mouse, for example, finds its way into the hive and dies there, bees may be unable to carry it out through the hive entrance. In that case, they would attempt instead to seal the carcass in propolis, essentially mummifying it and making it odorless and harmless. (Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propolis)

Also a good source of information is: http://en.mr-ginseng.com/propolis/

MahakoBees

This is a short clip of a 4 year old boy training how to be a beekeeper and how to handle a honeybee frame… ahhh, the smell or real honeybee wax foundation. Loves working with honeybees (with a suit and gloves off course! just for now…), going to the apiary hives, processing honey, wax, maintaining beehives, building frames, painting the boxes and so on. Always helpful and fantastic little helper. Started beekeeping at the age of three. Beekeeping is one of many fun activities you can do with your kids. Teach them about the world around us. The natural world. Beats Gameboy, Playstation or the Xbox shoot’em up games for sure. Not to mention the endless hours spent in front of television where the big corporations indoctrinate their little minds with consumerism. Anyway, enough of my rant. Beekeeping is fun. Give it a go with your kids.

MahakoBees

See a bee sting pump venom from its stinger sack furiously. This is what happens when you get stung by a bee.

In this short video, I setup a macro lens and magnifying glasses and pulled out a stinger from a dying Honey Bee from our apiary. It was almost dead, and I made sure she does not suffer off course. However, as you can see, the stinger continues to spasm and pump the bee poison for more than 5 minutes after it has been removed from the bee. The more venom / poison is released into your skin the more painful and more swollen it can get. Remove the bee sting with a nail by scraping it away. Never squeeze the venom sack to pull it out. Hope you find this video interesting.

MahakoBees