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I've been keeping this blog for all of my beekeeping years and I am beginning my 19th year of beekeeping in April 2024. Now there are more than 1300 posts on this blog. Please use the search bar below to search the blog for other posts on a subject in which you are interested. You can also click on the "label" at the end of a post and all posts with that label will show up. At the very bottom of this page is a list of all the labels I've used.

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I began this blog to chronicle my beekeeping experiences. I have read lots of beekeeping books, but nothing takes the place of either hands-on experience with an experienced beekeeper or good pictures of the process. I want people to have a clearer picture of what to expect in their beekeeping so I post pictures and write about my beekeeping saga here.Master Beekeeper Enjoy with me as I learn and grow as a beekeeper.

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Monday, December 01, 2008

How Does Martha Stewart Keep Her Beehives So White and Clean?

As winter is in full swing in Atlanta, I look at my aging beehives and wonder how Martha Stewart keeps her hives so clean and beautiful. One of my friends on Beemaster took the picture above of Martha's hives herself (so this picture is not doctored up for the magazine)! It was in April, but even in April, my bottom box is dingy from the year before.

Here's a video of a Martha Stewart show on harvesting honey. She uses an extractor and makes it sound as if that is the only way to harvest, but I don't use the extractor and get great (prize winning) honey. In the video she says she gives her bees all new homes for the winter. Even if mine go through the winter in new boxes, they would look a little done in by spring from the vestiges of the weather.

My bees, if they live through the winter, are in an old box at the beginning of spring. I wonder if it's worth giving them a new box? My bees are on my deck in full view of anyone who visits my house and a new box would certainly be more attractive. But would it be worth it to disturb the hive just for beauty? HMMMMMM.....

4 comments:

  1. i think the important thing is the good harvest

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  2. I like your blog. I just found out about it. It's pretty cool...

    ReplyDelete
  3. She did not refer to putting her bees in the new English hive just for the sake of making it look nice. (The main difference between Langstroth and English is the peaked outer cover) She was saying how she wanted to clean and repaint her old equipment. She also said she plans to get more bees next year, logically she'll use the hives she's fixing up during the winter. English hives have a peak that can allow burr comb if not screened, and are less stackable so they take up more space in storage when not in use. You can feel free to move your bees to a different box as long as they have not clustered for the winter. I would do it before it gets under 50deg. Otherwise wait for spring. Equipment should get repainted every few years or the wood will rot. Only paint the outside, never the inside walls. Use exterior paint or deck stain with weather protectant.
    www.freewebs.com/douglasfarm
    www.freewebs.com/4hbeekeeping

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  4. The hives in the picture are not English garden hives - the ones in the picture are the ones I am curious about. Even when I repaint my old equipment, it doesn't look this good - Martha is simply a wonder!

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