Some basic information

Jacob and I don't really consider that beekeeping "how-to" is within the scope of this blog, on the whole, partly because it's just an unreasonable amount to cover, and partly because we have no damn clue what we're doing anyway. However, it is reasonable, I think, that we provide links to some basic information so that those who just want to understand what the heck we're talking about and picture the scenes we describe can do so. Besides, Mamma asked, and I always do what Mamma tells me to. Right, Mamma? ;-)

Besides, I'd already found a nifty breakaway diagram of a Langstroth hive that I was going to post a link to, and that's specifically what she requested. A Langstroth hive, simply, is a modern hive, named after the guy who came up with the basic design in the mid-1800's. It has removable frames to let you manipulate and examine the hive easily, and it takes advantage of the concept of "bee-space", that being, roughly, the amount of space you give the bees to move in so that they will be able to move, but won't build comb where you don't want it (too much). A couple of things, though: First off, section supers are also optional, though they're not labeled as such. Basically, they're shaped frames so that you get neat little rounds or rectangles or whatever of comb for sale intact. Also, I think there's more visual difference between mediums and shallows. Shallows are really shallow, in my opinion.

I'm not thrilled with any of the glossaries I've come across yet, but this one seems fairly good. For quick reference, some of the terms Jacob used in the last post that might be unfamiliar:

Foundation: The thin sheet of beeswax, or sometimes plastic, that is printed with the hexagonal-cell shape and put in frames to encourage the bees to build the way you want them to. You can also buy all-plastic frames, complete with "foundation". There are various supposed advantages to plastic, but Jacob and I just generally don't like plastic for anything where something else will do, and anyway, we've noticed the bees aren't too fond of it either. There are some frames in the existing hives that have plastic foundation, and in many cases, they are partially or completely bald of comb. We'll be phasing those out, yeah.

Supers: In my opinion, a somewhat confusingly used word, as it refers both generically to the boxes that make up the hive and more specifically to the boxes that go above the queen excluder and are meant to contain only honey. "Supers" in which the queen is laying brood are also referred to as brood chambers, but then, too, people usually refer to all of the supers in which brood is laid as the "brood chamber". Sigh...anyway, they're all the same wooden box, in three basic sizes, with an inner rim to hold the frames.

Queen Excluder: Just a plastic or metal screen that you stick between supers to keep the queen from going into the upper boxes and laying brood where you want only honey. The spacing of the screen is such that workers can get through, but the queen, with her larger abdomen, cannot.

Brood: Eggs, larvae, or pupae in various stages of development.

Propolis: "Bee glue" that the bees make from gathered tree and plant resins combined with wax and whatever else is around, and use to seal up gaps in the hive and generally gum everything together. It makes moving things around in the hive more difficult, but it supposedly has a wide array of medicinal properties (mostly it's antimicrobial) and uses in varnish and whatnot, so you can sell it, and some beekeepers even install propolis traps (screens, basically) to collect it. We already have quite a collection, because some of our used equpiment was thoroughly junked up. I'm thinking it might be cool to try to make propolis soap--good for acne, maybe. I think propolis smells just wonderful, actually. Smells like honey and resin and beeswax...mmmm.

Nectar Flow: When a given plant or set of plants that provide a major source of nectar to the bees (around here, clover, black locust, maple, various other things) is in bloom, you have a nectar flow, and you want to do your best not to interrupt the bees. Bees hit up only one type of flower per run, which is part of why they're such affective pollinators, and a hive, as I understand it, pretty much concentrates on one plant source until they've run it dry.

Okay, I think that's more than enough for now. We'll try to put up more educational links as we find them, but there's a good one over there right now, if you must know more. ;-)