Hey Guys,
The City of Edmonton has finally updated their Urban Fresh page with instructions on how to apply for a license. Just follow the easy step by step process. Be sure to check out the requirements of the new by-law before jumping in as you do need to have taken a beginner training course and have a mentor if this is your first time ever keeping bees. Although I will suggest that even if you don't plan on getting bees till next season, apply for the Alberta Premises ID # now. From stories I have heard, it can take up to a month. I've been waiting a week now for mine, and I can't apply for my bee license without it. All the other aspects are ready to go.
To apply for a licence, click on the link below!!!
EDMONTON URBAN BEEKEEPING LICENSE
May 21, 2015
May 12, 2015
3 Feet or 3 Miles
So it's been a week and a half since I installed the package and the weather was great for post installation. A few cloudy, cold, and even snowy, days made sure the bees stayed inside where it was warm and really just forced them to call this new box home.
During the sunny days last week I noticed that NE corner of my yard might not be the best place for them. My eastern neighbour has a very large tree which is causing that corner of the yard to be shaded until around 3pm in the afternoon. This is really causing the bees to be quite lethargic, there isn't any active until the sun hits the hive, so I decided I temp fate by moving them across the yard....closer to crazy French lady. This spot is much better suited for a few reasons, firstly the sun hits the hive now at about 10am and the girls love it. Secondly, the large tree provides cover from the elements and causes the bees to fly up over our house when leaving.
Now apparently there's a saying when it comes to moving bees. You either move them 3 feet or 3 miles. I had moved them about 25 feet across the yard thinking there wouldn't be any issues. The next day I was surprised to find that an ever larger group of foragers were flying back to the old hive location. I wasn't really worried at first as they would slowly find the hive by flying in expanding spirals out from the old location, but when they started grouping up on the fence I started thinking I'd have to do something. However, by that night all the bees had apparently found their way home. Day 2 and then Day 3 have seen reduced number of bees returning to the old hive location, with everyone finding home by nightfall. Things have naturally sorted themselves out, but it has been a very interesting experience.
Later this week I'll cover how all our pets have dealt with the new comers, come back soon!
During the sunny days last week I noticed that NE corner of my yard might not be the best place for them. My eastern neighbour has a very large tree which is causing that corner of the yard to be shaded until around 3pm in the afternoon. This is really causing the bees to be quite lethargic, there isn't any active until the sun hits the hive, so I decided I temp fate by moving them across the yard....closer to crazy French lady. This spot is much better suited for a few reasons, firstly the sun hits the hive now at about 10am and the girls love it. Secondly, the large tree provides cover from the elements and causes the bees to fly up over our house when leaving.
Now apparently there's a saying when it comes to moving bees. You either move them 3 feet or 3 miles. I had moved them about 25 feet across the yard thinking there wouldn't be any issues. The next day I was surprised to find that an ever larger group of foragers were flying back to the old hive location. I wasn't really worried at first as they would slowly find the hive by flying in expanding spirals out from the old location, but when they started grouping up on the fence I started thinking I'd have to do something. However, by that night all the bees had apparently found their way home. Day 2 and then Day 3 have seen reduced number of bees returning to the old hive location, with everyone finding home by nightfall. Things have naturally sorted themselves out, but it has been a very interesting experience.
Later this week I'll cover how all our pets have dealt with the new comers, come back soon!
May 1, 2015
The Start of Something Great
So our packages arrived early this year. I was preparing everything for Monday, but Beemaid called to say things were already in. I headed over to my friend place to pick up the package and was shocked to discover that the packages were square this year. I had seen square packages before in my research years ago, but I've only ever seen bees come in tubes. This should be fun, but first things first, I gotta get the hive set-up.
Due to the ever expanding garden my wife is making, I've had to relocate my bees into the far NE corner of our yard. This serves two purposes, first it lets my wife's garden expand and second it keeps it as far away visibly from crazy French lady. I know it's now allowed, but we'll try and keep things low profile as to save By-law's time.
Next on my list is to make sure my neighbour doesn't have his hot tub's filter clogged up with dead bees like my first attempt years ago. We now have a rain barrel that's somewhat in between the hive and hot tub, so I needed something that would allow the bees to access this water easily without drowning. Dollar store pool noodle to the rescue! This is a super easy way to let the bees have little "lily pads" in which to land on, using a kitchen knife I simply cut 1/4" pieces off and threw them into the rain barrel. Will this work? I guess only time, and my neighbour, will tell.
Now it was time to make some feed. As I'm installing a package, the bees will need some serious food to get things rolling especially with the cold weather forecasted for the next few days. Feed is really easy to make, take a pint of sugar and add it to a pint of boiling water. Stir to dissolve. I then put it in my frame feeder, seen here on the left side, and my bees shall be eating like Kings until the dandelions are in full bloom.
With everything set, I retrieve the package from the garage. With the square package you have to first pry out the feeding container, taking care to get the queen cage out. Once you've gotten the queen out safely and ensured she's alive and well, you can then thump the package on the ground to clump the bees and then turn it upside down and pour them all out. I have to admit, the tube packages make this process super easy, but the hole in the middle of the top of a square means you need to tilt the box back and forth and you'll never get all the bees out. After getting as many out as I could, I put the box in front of the hive entrance and hopefully by night fall all the lady's will have found their way inside.
One thing I will need to purchase for future inspections is a long sleeve white shirt. Today I donned the only white shirt I owned which happened to have short sleeves and inevitably it came back to bite me, or should I say sting me, in the ass. While attempting to get all the bees out of the box, one poor girl must have gotten stuck up my sleeve and panicked like most girls do around my armpits. It was an odd feeling, as it's been years since I was last stung, a slow pulsing throb that something has gone awry and at the same time it was comforting and calming. I'm an urban beekeeper again. I went in side to grab a knife and scrape the venom sack off, always scrap never pinch it off with your fingers as that will inject more venom making things a bit worse.
In a few days I'll inspect them to see how they're making out, until then I'll keep you posted as to how our Westie will adjust to having the hive in the backyard.....this could get interesting.
With everything set, I retrieve the package from the garage. With the square package you have to first pry out the feeding container, taking care to get the queen cage out. Once you've gotten the queen out safely and ensured she's alive and well, you can then thump the package on the ground to clump the bees and then turn it upside down and pour them all out. I have to admit, the tube packages make this process super easy, but the hole in the middle of the top of a square means you need to tilt the box back and forth and you'll never get all the bees out. After getting as many out as I could, I put the box in front of the hive entrance and hopefully by night fall all the lady's will have found their way inside.
One thing I will need to purchase for future inspections is a long sleeve white shirt. Today I donned the only white shirt I owned which happened to have short sleeves and inevitably it came back to bite me, or should I say sting me, in the ass. While attempting to get all the bees out of the box, one poor girl must have gotten stuck up my sleeve and panicked like most girls do around my armpits. It was an odd feeling, as it's been years since I was last stung, a slow pulsing throb that something has gone awry and at the same time it was comforting and calming. I'm an urban beekeeper again. I went in side to grab a knife and scrape the venom sack off, always scrap never pinch it off with your fingers as that will inject more venom making things a bit worse.
In a few days I'll inspect them to see how they're making out, until then I'll keep you posted as to how our Westie will adjust to having the hive in the backyard.....this could get interesting.
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