summer
2015
WRITTEN BY ANITA BABE
PHOTOGRAPHS BY
CHRIS HENNESSEY
James and Karen recalled their first winter with the bees. “We thought we were doing a good thing to insulate well. But, we found out that if you insulate too much, the moisture condenses and forms ice crystals. That killed off some of our bees,” James said. He then went on to tell us that Varroa mites are another enemy of the bees. These mites, which are tick-like, latch on and suck on the bee’s blood which eventually will
kill them.
With careful attention, James places the frame back into the box. Intrigued by the whole process, we ask about the honey production. “Don’t expect much honey the first year,” James warns. “But after the second year, and those following, you can expect about 50 pounds per hive.” Karen and James have begun to sell their honey, as well as homemade honey lotions and soaps. Their latest endeavor is making Dandelion Honey wine.
Walking back and thanking our hosts, we turn and take one more look at the tranquility of the urban farm before heading to the “city” side of the house.
To find out more about Honey
Badger Family Farms, visit www.honey-badger.net
Photos clockwise: Above - James at the beehive, the Temple's hives, protective gear, Honey Badger Farms Honey, The Temples, R to L: Emma, Karen and James
For most of us, after a long day of work, we dream about snuggling down in the recliner, closing our eyes and letting the world pass us by for a few minutes. But for James and Karen Temple relaxation comes in the form of donning protective veiled headgear, long gloves, tight-rolled pants and heading out to their farm. It’s not far, come along with us as we explore Des Moines’s Honey Badger Family Farm.
As James and Karen lead us through the back porch and out the door, there seems to be a buzz in the air! With each step toward the Langstroth boxes that line their blooming garden, it is evident that much activity is taking place. Soon the buzz takes on more of a humming sound-the sound of thousands of Carniolan bees. “I thought beekeeping might be a fun hobby,” James told us, when asked how he got his start in beekeeping. Wanting to learn as much as he could, he did some research, attended some classes at the local community college, made contacts with some of the Beekeeping Associations and then took the plunge and ordered four pounds of bees. For us non-apiarists, that package included a Queen and about 30,000 bees! The Temples, along with the bees, had their work cut out for them!
Not quite like a scene out of the animated “Bee Movie,” it is obvious that each of these peaceful grey bees has a job to do. Being summer, means the millions of eggs that the Queen Bee laid earlier have hatched. Exhausted from her egg-laying tryst, the Queen is now fed a constant stream of Royal Jelly by some of those lucky worker bees. However, most
of the bees are buzzing from flower to flower collecting pollen and
nectar to be deposited into the honeycomb frames.
Drip, drip, drip…the newly converted honey goes into the Super Box at the bottom of the hive. Anticipation of honey and wax collection begins as the box becomes full. Carefully lifting a bee and honey covered frame out, James told us how spinning is the most common way of extracting the honey. Although they may end up a little dizzy, this is also the least destructive to the bees. The Temples have used the Crush and Strain method, too, but as the name dictates, this also crushes any bees that are in the comb at the time. We’ll leave the destruction of bees to Mother Nature.