The photo below was sent to me by Erik Brown in Virginia. Eric wrote, “I was inspired to make your no-cook candy boards for my three Langstroth hives this year, but I was dismayed to find that Brushy Mountain doesn’t carry 8-frame ekes. I was on the way to my father’s, who is a woodworker, […] Read more
Well . . . not exactly. But mention moisture quilts to a beekeeper and his creativity takes flight. Although our “quilt show” wouldn’t feature bright cotton fabrics meticulously cut and sewn, I’m sure it would be equally inspiring. The post I wrote last year about making moisture quilts for a Langstroth hive garnered more comments […] Read more
In spite of all the winter alterations I’ve made to my Langstroth hives, I’ve never done anything to my top-bar hive. Previously, when the temperature dipped into the 20s for more than a day or two, I’ve moved it into the garden shed, a space I keep in the 40s so things don’t freeze. I […] Read more
Summer is coming to a close even though it was nearly a “non-summer” here on the Pacific Northwest coast. The corn hasn’t tasseled; the peaches look like walnuts. Nevertheless, my bees are healthy and I had a good honey harvest—much better than expected. My honey was capped and my hives are dry inside. What more […] Read more
Okay, I admit it. I’m enthralled with the word “eke.” But even though I called them “spacer rims” until recently, I’ve been a fan of ekes for a long time. An eke in the Langstroth world is just a very shallow super. Most are between two and three inches deep, but there are no rules. […] Read more