Chicago Bee Blog

Rarin’ to go

Liam — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:49:29 +0000

Took a quick look at the hives today. Too chilly to do a full check, but they were all out flying, so I peeked in. Saw brood in one, (South1), good numbers of bees in 2 others. Although North2 looks good, its numbers are a little low–although there could have been more in the lower hive body. They’re all stil wrapped, will take that off when weather improves a little, so because of that and for fear of chilling them and only looked at one or two frames in each hive.
– Slim

Lots of bee news

Liam — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:11:01 +0000

As our bees have started venturing out, the wider world has lots of bee news.

The Washington Post had a good piece about commercial beekeepers and Colony Collapse Disorder.

And New York City has decided to rescind its longtime, insane beekeeping ban.

Closer to home, and even more exciting to me personally, is that Oak Park, Illinois, is reconsidering a similar ban.

– Slim

Back to It

Liam — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:12:11 +0000

Well, didn’t blog in the fall because I had a book coming out, and was discouraged about the bee situation.
But all four beehives have survived the winter so far, so I am going to get back to it.
I feel very lucky; the hives seem strong, and still have some stores, although we have started feeding them. Tonight, a friend who with his wife has a summer place in Michigan said a friend of their who has 50 hives lost all of them; he described the symptoms and they match colony collapse disorder. More soon.
– Slim

Great bees

Liam — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:38:32 +0000

Did a check of all four hives this afternoon, although only two thoroughly. They are all doing great. Given all the uncertainties this year, I’m happy with where they are. Will add a super on one this week, then probably on two more next week. More this evening.
–Slim

Good bees

Liam — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:41:59 +0000

Quickly: installed a new queen in the queenless hive a couple weeks ago. She’s doing great. Helen has been checking a couple of the hives, I’ve been checking the newly queened one and another. They all are doing well, and the new queen–a Carniolan–is laying well. She’s still new, so I don’t want to disturb her or the bees, but each of three frames I checked before coming upon her was full of eggs and brood. More on this topic in the next couple days.

– Slim

Bees here and elsewhere

Liam — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:35:46 +0000

Helen has moved the hives that were at her house back to the restaurant, and they’re doing well; she may check them tomorrow, or I may over the weekend.

Meanwhile, a friend from work sent me a story about a swarm delaying the San Diego Padres-vs-Houston Astros game this afternoon. Here’s a link to the Associated press story. A couple photos from the Union-Tribune are HERE.

– Slim

Up and down

Liam — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:30:10 +0000

So while South2 is doing very well, South1′s self-raised queen has disappeared without being productive. Once I consult with Helen, I’m going to order a replacement queen and see if we can’t salvage the hive. We’ll see. The hives Helen has at her house–our splits–are doing well, and they should be back on the rooftop soon. South2′s queen has been busy, and has five-plus frames of brood ready to hatch, plus new eggs and larva wherever she can fit them. I’m expecting to add a second brood chamber on next week or the week after.

I’ll augment this post tomorrow, and add some photos in another post. In the meantime, I ran across an interesting story–albeit likely from a military press release originally–on U.S. military efforts to help revive beekeeping in Afghanistan. A link is HERE.

– Slim

Scottish cops, newsies get bees wrong

Liam — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:41:15 +0000

Another example, I’m afraid, of a reporter getting the tone wrong in a swarm story, this time in Glasgow, Scotland. In this case, I think it’s more the fault of city officials, specifically police, getting it wrong and “warning” people to stay away from the harmless swarm. A story is here.

More on hives and new photos in the next few days.

– Slim

Chicago bees lecture

Liam — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:43:15 +0000

Although I missed their lecture, here’s a link to what sounds like a comprehensive and interesting presentation by Michael Thompson of the Chicago Honey Co-Op and a University of Illinois at Chicago lecturer about urban beekeeping in Chicago.

And here’s a slight update on the New York beekeeping situation from the New York Daily News. Looks like the Manhattan Borough president is in the bees’ corner.

All they are saying, is give bees a chance

Liam — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:45:37 +0000

Beekeepers in New York are protesting the Giuliani-era ban on beekeeping in New York. A story here. The New York Times has had a couple good pieces in the last few days, one a general piece on beekeeping in the city, another a blog post about a beekeepers’ ball.

While I’ve been singled out a few times over the years as a reporter inclined to look askance at Chicago’s Mayor Richard M. Daley, I note that his administration issues press releases touting his support for them, instead of issuing ridiculous bans on them.

–Slim