Reflections

A little over a week has passed since I welcomed my son home. He has his own place now. Is driving his wheels. Has been visited by the woman he loves and plans to marry. I’m sure almost everything seems normal. And that’s great.

But one thing still haunts me. As I slowly walked through those troops toward my son, there were some who had no one to personally welcome them home.

I’d see them out of the corner of my eye, standing next to their gear. Occasionally, several would be standing together starring quietly into the crowd. Sometimes a guy would be standing by himself. And as the crowd thinned. Some were still standing there wondering what to do. That’s what sticks with me now.

And I’m sorry that I didn’t take the time to personally welcome them home. I could have, and should have taken the time. My wife was with my son. My slow feet could have tarried a little more. Jon wouldn’t have even noticed the delay. Maybe he would even have understood.

Slow Feet – Slow Mind

Why were my feet moving so slow? Was it the conflict going on between my head and my heart? Was I dragging an emotion anchor? Or maybe packing some national guilt? Selfishness? Embarrassment? It’s hard to say. But I did experienced a kind of mental gridlock. Have you been there?

My mind said rush off to your son. My heart, my spirit wanted to tarry and hug them all. Would they have understood? Would they have cared? Would it matter?

When I was young, my mind ruled. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that’s not always the best course to take. And I’ve learned that the hard way. Ouch!

Priorities?…Priorities!

On that parade field, I could have made a difference. But…..

Ouch! Another lesson learned. And I’ve screw it up again. I’ve got the equivalent of a PhD this way.

Something missed. Not All Is Lost.

I missed my chance. I lost out! It’s not the pictures taken of my wife and son. It’s not that our whole family was joyously together again. But it’s that haunting  image that sticks with me now.

I know it was only a moment in time. That those young men and women weren’t depending upon me.

I know those young men and women celebrated their return, in their own way as everyone must. And I’m sure they are in much the same state as my son. They’re back to living their lives. And that’s great!

But I’d do it different today.

Regards-Dennis

Here’s a neat TED talk about quorum sensing. It gives some insight into the basic processes and complex relationships all those good and bad bacteria form with the creatures they support as they fight it out for our life and health.

The implications of this research are profound. Wonder why CCD might be so hard to define. Or why virulent bee diseases disappear for awhile and then ravage the bees later. It might be more than just bee genetics and susceptibility. Or why the loss of probiotic critters can be so devastating?

This talk should give everyone something to think about.

Enjoy-Dennis

The Situation

Early morning welcome back from Iraq for my son and his comrades.

I’m back again after a week away from home.

You see, my son has just returned from Iraq. He’s in the Army and has spent the last year in and around Baghdad. I’d been there to personally see him off. And I just couldn’t let him return home without personally greeting him. Ecstatic joy filled my being.

In typical Army fashion, he was scheduled to return about mid-week but didn’t get there until early morning on the weekend. So, I had a little time to burn before he eventually arrived.

My son was at West Point when the terrorist brought down the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and the hijacked plane. I would have gone to Afghanistan to capture Bin Laden. Get him, if he survived and get out fast. But my military days are far behind me.

Iraq was a different situation. I never supported the decision to go into Iraq. Not before, during or now.

The justification and rush put on by the Bush administration, the debate in Congress, the coverage by the press, and the almost paranoid reaction by us Americans, made me often wonder just what it means to support the troops.

Early on, I would seen those magnetic car stickers and ponder if the driver really supported the troops? And that’s with the proper planning, material support, justification, followup and prayer. Or did those stickers represent a weak sentimental emotion that would leave those young boys ill prepared, poorly supported and abandoned by bureaucratic bungling when they returned home and needed this country’s help. History now shows us it was mostly the latter, at least by those that started the war. It made me very angry!

What do you say to your son when he and all those young men are departing? What about their return?

The Memorial

Arriving troops are welcomed on a parade field next to their battalion headquarters. The Fort is large. So, I decided to scout out the site during the day, and not wonder around lost at 2 am. It was easy to find. The day was warm. There’s time to walk around.

Next to battalion headquarters is a monument area. I wondered over. A circle of black obelisks surrounded a bronze sculpture of a solder helping a child. I sat down  and looked around. Columns of names and dates covered both sides of most of the obelisks. A scattered rose here or there. A battalion patch carefully set down by a returning comrade.

Deep penetrating sorrow soaked my being. Tears filled my eyes as they wandered up and down, putting together the totality of this human loss through time.

Joy and sorrowing, like oil and water sloshed around inside my being. Neither fully mixing with the other. Yet somehow both became emulsified by the intense emotional energy of this place. I wanted to get up and run away. But I did not.  I could not! I had to stay and let this place, these people,  have their way with my soul.

Political prevarication?  Bungling bureaucracy? Self serving generals? Blind idiotic patriotism? My anger? Now, in this time and place, all of them are irrelevant!

After a time, I look up and see my wife standing off a ways. She is sensitive and has felt the power of this place. It’s too much for her. She patiently waits for me.  It is time for me to go.

The Welcome

It’s 12:30 am. In the 30’s with a stiff wind. It’s dark and cold!

Two big screen TVs  illuminate the steps of battalion headquarters. A small group of people huddle in the entrance way, out of the wind, as an airplane icon crawls across the map. That’s the plane they’re on. And they’re getting closer to home.

Army personnel setup cameras, power up amplifiers, light up the field and provide security. Everything must be ready. And they’ve done this before. They know their duty and the routine.

It’s 1:30 now. Cheering. Lots of cheering and crying and praising God. They’re safe on the ground. They’re almost home.

People  sheltering in their cars fill the bleachers surrounding the field. Banners. Posters. Balloons. Old gray headed parents like myself. Young wives looking their best, tend to tired, cold, confused but excited kids. Friends. Bothers. Sisters.  All wait excitedly.

A rock beat floods the parade grounds. Then feet tap and heads sway to the warm beat of a Latin rhythm. It’s too much. The emotion. The song. The wait. People are on the field. They are dancing with joy, with expectation, with celebration.

Our boys are home. Our boys are home. They’re back on American soil.

An Army DJ takes to the microphone and begins to call out dance moves in the Texas way. The dancing crowd moves in unison to the calls. It’s hypnotic. It’s magnetic. Old and young, male and female, rich and poor, black and white dance rthymically communicating in a common spiritual way that is rooted in our ancient past. It’s the proper way. It’s the only way to really fully express one’s self until the buses arrive.

My wife didn't waste any time! Welcome home Jon.

As the buses pull away, every eye stains into the darkness. Then like lightning, they burst into the light marching with their colors and our flag. There are so many of them. They are so young. Where is my son. I see him. I see him!

A few words of welcome. A prayer. Then the crowd rushed the disciplined troops standing at attention. They appeared stunned.

My feet rush with the crowd until they got next to the troops. Then they stopped. My hands got lost while  covering my eyes momentarily. I found them again. They were on my checks as I looked at these young men and women. I’m as stunned as they are.

Then my feet walked through the crowd as I locate my son. Initially, he barely looks at us. The welcome home sign is barely acknowledged. I see much the same happening with other soldiers.

Is he still in a state of shock? What is he thinking? Is it extreme fatigue. I don’t know what my son and these young men have been through.

But I know what you tell your son when he leaves. And it’s what you live when he returns. It’s how you handle your responsibilities to those around you. Watching after each other. Doing your best for them. Caring for them. And doing what’s right even when the situation you find yourself in is not of your choosing and is the pits.

And that’s what these young men and women have done. They have put their lives on the line. They have made a difference. Welcome home guys. Welcome home Jon. You are my heroes.

The drafting is done and the plans are ready.

My next top bar hive is a really good hive. It is completely compatible with conventional beekeeping equipment. It can be run in various configurations. And it’s easy to build. It’s a conventional long hive with top bar hive functionality.

But it has one major drawback common to all long hives using top hanging frames: Empty space is either below or beyond the frames.

If more height is needed for an optimum top bar hive. Or a beekeeper is transitioning away from frames to top bars. Top hanging frames are less than ideal. With a taller hive, all new comb is initially built below the frames. It is wasted when the frames are removed from the hive.

And if the self spacing frames are incorporated into the hive’s natural comb, they make for a messy junction with the thicker and longer top bars.

So, if you need a taller top bar hive with more top bar hive flexibility and some conventional frame capability, check out my ultimate top bar hive.

Regards-Dennis

Well, I’ve gone and done it.

Enough pondering! It's time for some answers.

I’ve settled on an equipment plan and ordered the stuff. So, did I choose a traditional top bar hive for its simplicity and cost effectiveness? Or Warre’s for their modularity and minimal management? Or my next top bar hive/long hive for it’s flexibility? Or stick with conventional equipment run with natural comb and managed in a natural way?

I’ve often hoped that someday, I could standardize on one kind of bee equipment. I really suspected that I’d rally around a top bar hive or my next top bar hive, in particular. They’re:

• flexible
• functional
• minimizes heavy lifting
• maximized production
• easily moved with a hand truck
• ideal for a trailer
• cost-effective
• natural comb friendly

But this is the deal breaker. Neither the top bar hive, nor my next hive, can be paraffin dipped without considerable effort and cost. The size of the tank and amount of paraffin needed are well beyond my capabilities or desires.

While making my living as a commercial beekeeper, I’ve painted tens of thousands of hives, multiple times throughout the previous decades and I just hate it! I no longer keep bees for a living. And I’m not going to revive one of the worst parts of it.

So, that leaves the Warre’ or conventional equipment. And having no real experience with the Warre’, conventional equipment wins out. Last week I ordered a pallet of conventional 10 frame Langstroth hives to replace my crumbling wooden ware.

The Results

Oh my gosh! I’m going to trouble myself with all those frames? Lift those deeps? Use a hand truck to move top heavy, toppling hives that split apart on a whim? Yep!

My beekeeping will look much like it did before. Three story deep Langstroth hives will make up the engine of my beekeeping. They will be complimented by a menagerie of other hives I find interesting.

Frame widths will be reduced to 1 1/4″. I’ll run them without foundation. And manage them in a natural way.

I’ll paraffin dip those boxes! I might use beeswax rather than parafin. And maybe they will even look almost as good as those Warre’ hives!

And I’ll keep scouting around for a good used trailer. But until I find one, I can move my hives by breaking them apart and carrying one box at a time if necessary.

Emotion or Reason?

I find it interesting to ponder my decision-making process. With all the testing, the trials, the research and experience, one would think that such a decision would be based more on reason than emotion. But emotion wins! After all, once the minimal needs of the bees are met, a hive is all about the beekeeper’s needs.

And maybe there is more emotion involved to the art of beekeeping, and the beekeeper’s needs, than many beekeepers would admit. At least for this beekeeper there is anyway.

Remember, just bee natural.

Regards-Dennis

Rotten Luck

The subzero weather and hurricane winds have abated. So, I checked my beeyard. It’s been months since I’ve been there. The hives are all alive. But it’s a good thing I stopped by or they might not of made it through the winter. Not all rotten luck is bad!

At the end of last summer, I culled all boxes with rotten corners and reduced my hive count. Those left had tight corners that would protect the bees from Wyoming’s winter winds. A corner, especially high on the hive and facing the prevailing wind, will doom a hive over our long winter.

Rotten open corners. A death sentence for an overwintered hive in Wyoming.

But the wooden ware has deteriorated faster than I expected. Every hive has at least one corner that is open to the wind. Paint concealed those rotten corners at summer’s end.

I lost a strong hive to these same circumstances last season. It had an open corner. I thought I had patched it sufficiently to withstand the winter wind. But the corner disintegrated over the winter. And the wind killed the bees.

What to do?

I wasn’t ready for this problem. As a worst case, I was prepared to set up any hives that cows or wild game had knocked over. Or maybe retrieve a lid that had blown off. I really didn’t expect any trouble.

So, I found a sharp stick. Retrieved some latex gloves from the truck. And stuffed them into the open corners. Talk about a band-aid fix. I’m afraid it’s a very temporary solution as the bright colors, any flapping, and maybe even differences in odor will attract critters who will investigate them by pulling them out.

More frequent yard visits are now on the list.

‘Winter thinking’ about future equipment is now a  top priority. And a gradual transition into alternative equipment is no longer an option.

That’s All Folks

Wood

I bought most of this wooden ware in 1996 for my experimental yard. And I bought a few more in 2000 for my small cell tests. So, they’re somewhere between 10 and 14 years old. These boxes have lived a long life. But next spring is their last. I will replace all of them.

Paint

And it’s the end of painting bee equipment for me. I painted this equipment four times. Paint protected the wood somewhat. But it concealed and exacerbated the dry rot that is now threatening my bees survival.

Paint traps water generated inside the hive. To be effective, the inside of the hive should be painted to keep interior hive moisture out of the wood. But I don’t want paint inside the hive. It wouldn’t be durable. A hive tool would make short work of it. And it might introduce contamination.

As a commercial beekeeper, I’ve painted thousands of covers, boxes and bottoms. And I’ve watched most of them go through the same process. Most of it’s gone in less than seven years. A small amount of them last forever. Don’t know what the difference is. But it’s not the paint. I won’t miss painting at all.

Alternatives

Wood

I haven’t found a good alternative to wood in my climate. It’s natural and  the bees are accustomed to it. If I were in another climate and not migratory, I’d probably choose another substance.

Paint

So, what’s the alternative? I think paraffin dipping is a quick, cheap, reliable and much more durable solution. Paraffin dipping is much like deep fat frying . It involves heating a large quantity of paraffin in a large tank. Then bee equipment is submerged in the tank for 10 minutes to boil out the moisture and replace it with paraffin. It’s a great solution for someone who has lots of bee equipment and somewhere safe to fry it.

But for me, with a small amount of bee equipment and a residential backyard, traditional paraffin dipping is out of the question.

If I can’t come up with another paraffin dipping method or find a good alternative, I’ll just leave them unpainted.

Those Thoughts

It seems like much of beekeeping is like that. A beekeeper can make the best plans. Take all the right stuff. And be ready for any conceivable circumstance. Yet, when the beekeeper and the bees intersect, it’s a whole new ball game.

I often sort through my equipment during the winter. And I stack it according to anticipated spring needs. Now, I’m not a novice at this. I’ve been keeping bees in this kind of climate for decades. Yet, I always find that the very items I need most, are invariable at the bottom or towards the back of the stack!

That’s how most beekeepers end up with a vast assortment of ill fitting equipment. They often are forced to take action and it’s often not on their own terms. It’s not what they had planned or would choose to do in other circumstances. But it’s the best solution at the time.

Commercial beekeepers are especially vulnerable as they often have little time or cash for less than expedient solutions.

Anyway, just bee natural.

Regard-Dennis

Probiotics

Guttation is the process plants use to handle excess water pressure developed when the leave’s stomata are closed or they aren’t transpiring. Xylem sap moves directly from the roots, depositing water droplets directly on the leaves or other plant structures.

Here's a neat Wikipedia photo of guttation water on a strawberry plant.

Guttation water normally carries some sugars, a few minerals, and salts found in uncontaminated soil. But when man mistreats the soil, plant roots are exposed to much more than is naturally found there. Fungicides, herbicides, soil pesticides, systemic pesticides, environmental contaminates, and degradation products of all the above are concentrated there.

It was thought that these kinds of contaminates were locked up in the soil. If dust exposure was abated and water runoff water controlled, bees would be minimally exposed to these kinds of chemicals.

Check out this video. It shows just what can happen to bees who forage for guttation water on systemically treated corn seed.

I wonder what else is sucked up and in what concentrations under actual field conditions? What kind of synergistic poisons await a bee looking to cool the hive, quench a colony’s thirst, or to dilute honey to feed young bee larva?

Under the video’s test conditions the bees died. That’s the good news! And that’s what most researchers look for when evaluating guttation impacts.

But under what conditions would the bees live and contaminate the hive? What happens to a colony’s beneficial bacteria when such contaminates are passed, in sub-lethal doses from worker to worker? Is their immune system compromised?

So far, my discussion on probiotics has focus on probiotic bacteria. But what about the other beneficial organisms likes yeasts and fungi? What happens when they are exposed to a chemical soup from guttation?

Oh my gosh! What have we done to ourselves with modern agriculture and the bee! I think of Sam Comfort’s short answer.

Maybe the bees need an external probiotic source now more than ever!

Clean Water Source

And maybe it’s way past time to routinely provide a clean water source for our bees.

What kind of water to use? What effect might water treated with chloramines have on the bee’s gut? That’s something I will have to think about and research. It will make a good topic for a future post.

Regards-Dennis

More From Sweden And The ARS

Probiotic research will be the greatest advancement in beekeeping since beekeepers figured out how to harvest honey without killing the bees and destroying the nest. Through it, the importance of environment, bee biology and proper management will be united. The focus will be on bee and human health and nutrition.

Natural beekeepers work with these concepts intuitively. But science can clarify and often simplify what we’ve known and have experienced with our bees.

Page 1169 in the December 2009 American Bee Journal describes more research concerning those beneficial critters in a bee’s stomach. From it, I gathered the following:

• 13 species of lactic acid bacteria were found in the bee’s stomach
• the bacteria are unique to the bee
• the bacteria don’t originate in flowers or pollen
• they kill food spoiling bacteria
• they kill honey bee pathogens
• completely suppress foulbrood in bee larva
• compliment the bee’s immune system
• they kill bacteria commonly found in infected human wounds
• are viable in fresh, uncapped honey less than two weeks old
• ferment bee bread
• preserve honey
• fresh unheated honey is a great probiotic
• results have been replicated in Sweden and by the ARS

The implications of this research are profound, both for the bee and for us.  And it confirms what many natural beekeepers have known for years:

• anything internal or external that messes with the bees internal bacteria wrecks bee health
• fresh unprocessed honey is best
• heating/processing honey destroys its healthful qualities

Probiotics For Bees

The latest research shows that the beneficial bacteria found inside a bee’s stomach persist, for a time,  in both honey and bee bread. Like always, the bees do it best for themselves. A comb of fresh, uncontaminated bee bread and honey is the ideal source of bee probiotics. But there are problems:

• seasonally scarce
• difficult to maintain
• viability difficult to access

Pollen Patty

Another option might be to use fresh honey and bee bread to inoculate a pollen patty mixture. The reduced sugar concentration of a pollen patty might allow the bacteria to live longer.

Kombucha

A liquid mixture is cheaper, easier to maintain, and apply than a pollen patty based probiotic. And it reduces the risk of introducing diseases and contaminates if the pollen is purchased and not trapped.

Nothing is known about kombucha and bee lacto bacteria. But using fresh honey, instead of sugar, and bee bread added to the mix would be a good start. My own experience with kombucha indicates that the bacteria involved survive in a range of temperatures for months. Let’s hope it’s the same for the bee’s bacteria.

A kombucha based fresh honey/bee bread mixture could produce a kombucha mushroom inoculated with bee lacto bacteria. Multiple and continuous batches could be produced using the kombucha mushroom.

Sugar Syrup

Maybe it’s the ultimate solution. But my personal experience indicates it lacks the stability and consistency found in a kombucha based culture.

Moving forward with the Backwards Beekeepers.

About a decade ago, Charles Martin Simons publish several articles in the American bee press. At the time, his ideas were revolutionary.

Backward Beekeeping Blog

Today, with his ideas more appropriate than ever, a Backward Beekeeper Club has been organized around them. They are active. Have a blog. And they make extensive use of Youtube.

They’re  primarily oriented toward getting new urban beekeepers started in a natural way. And it looks like they’re having lots of fun long after the rest of us are buried in snow.

Check them out. And just bee natural.

Regards–Dennis

And The Florida Beeman

I’ve just returned from a quick visit to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. While there, I thought of Sam Comfort, a beekeeper I met while living at Boynton Beach. Back then, Sam  invited me out for lunch. He’s a young beekeeper with a real passion for natural beekeeping. And he was a breath of fresh air after a rather unusual encounter with the local bee club.

Sam’s footloose and he follows his beekeeping passion where ever it takes him. I was fortunate enough to spend a little time with him while living in Florida.What a neat guy.

Sam Comfort's Anarchy Apiaries

Barry Birkey, the Beesource guy and I spent a little time with Sam while he was rearing queens for a large, commercial east coast migratory beekeeper. You can read about it and see a few photos here.

Sam has a commercial beekeeping background, so he understands what American beekeeping really is and how it got there. He switched to a natural approach and has never looked back. Sam writes:

WHY THE HONEY BEE IS DECLINING

To put the qualms of anthropomorphizing aside, the short answer (for the folks making chit chat): Bees are fed up with the way we treat the dirt and not gonna take it anymore! They are pissed!

That’s his short answer. For his long answer and some great natural beekeeping videos, check out his website. It’s a great place to see what’s happening with the northeast’s natural beekeeping scene.