Another Beautiful Day on Sasserfrass Hill

I have been going to the local flea market to sell honey on the weekends. I am going to try the Friday Brickyard Market in North Augusta this week. Mr Charlie and I are going to see if it will be worth our while to try this new venue.

I have sold almost half of my first 109 pound harvest. Mr Charlie has three times the honey and hives that I have, so he has a lot more to sell. We enjoy talking to people and educating them about the bees. We encourage anyone interested in keeping bees to jump in and help save this incredible creatures.

Bees are in trouble from loss of habit, starvation and all the chemicals we are pouring into the environment. It is really scary to think... what if the bees go away ? ..... What will happen to our food supply??? Every third bite you take is due to a bee. Did you know that? The only thing not pollinated by a bee is corn and wheat (They are wind pollinated). So if you like gruel you should be fine but if you like fruits and vegetables you are going to bee in big trouble. So.... Help protect the bees and remember to plant wildflowers and don't use chemicals in your yard.

North Augusta girls cross the mighty Savannah

CCD ?? I am still puzzled. My green hive disappeared. I really don't know what happened to it. It was a very strong hive. The bees could have swarmed while I was away, I am not sure , but I wish I knew. Rick and I took the entire green hive out of the bee yard. It had been robbed of all honey and most of the pollen and hive beetle larva had moved in. I put the frames into the freezer to kill all the bugs...

Mr Charlie had four hives at his sons house in North Augusta. A brush fire had killed all but one hive. He brought over one super with lots of brood to replaced my green hive. The North Augusta girls were hungry and feisty. He said I should feed them for a few weeks. I took them fresh sugar water and one of the pugnacious guards stung me on the finger. I guess no one told her of the old saying "don't sting the hand that feeds you". Mr Charlie has a queen cell he is going to transfer into this hive. We hope the new queen will make it a more gentle hive and we hope it will bounce back and become even stronger than before. To welcome the North Augusta girls to the Georgia side of the river, I mixed up a enormous supply of sugar water with Honey B Healthy feeding stimulant . . . Who's slogan is "Helps your Hives to Thrive! I will keep the feeders full and hope they love it here on Sasserfrass Hill and flourish.

Time is flying by. Only 182 days left till 2010. It is extremely hot and extremely dry. We have had no rain in two weeks. With little chance of any moisture for many more days. My girls are hot and a little cranky. Mr. Charlie and I went through the hives July 1 and I had three more hives with no queen and no brood. I am exasperated. We found one capped off queen cell in the pumpkin hive. Mr Charlie shook most of the bee off the frame and put the entire frame into the lime green hive that had no brood or queen. The green and the aqua hives are struggling and have no queens or brood again.

I have one giant sunflower. It is beautiful. It opened up fully yesterday. Some bug is munching down on the petals. All the bees seem to love it. I have taken a few great shots of this glowing beauty.
I am posting a few of my favorite shots.
Everyone at Sasserfrass Hill hopes you have a happy and safe 4th of July.

Bee Safe,

Deborah