Buzz from Weird Apiary - 84 Mar 08, 2011

Here are photos of my rather strange apiary. I am sure it will only get stranger as time goes on. I've seen some hives that have carved faces and such attached. Who knows what all I will end up with. The barrel in the photos was removed from property of a grandfather who was afraid his grandkids would go poking into the hole and get stung. I have a strong hive from those bees and had some great white wax from inside. The yellow hive is my most productive. It is called a D.E. Hive manufactured by Dave Emery of Canada. It has a ventilation chamber on top that causes air to rise throught he hive much as the attic of a house does. In so doing it draws fresh air in from the bottom and exhaust the moist air at the top. Instead of 2/3 of the bees fanning and working the honey while a third are gathering, the roles reverse. 2/3 are gathering and it only takes 1/3 to process the honey and maintain a proper temperature. The hive is actually most efficient when set right out in the sun. The others are regular hives, although one, my first ever, has a copper roof on it. Enjoy and feel free to use the photos as you desire. All of my hives are operating without chemicals.