Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Solar Wax Melter? Not without the sun!

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted. I'm nearing the end of my summer classes for my MAT, and the papers have been EXCRUCIATING! I haven't checked on the bees since July 4th! I was able to pull a fully capped shallow super of comb honey back then, and have bottled it. I was able to get a couple of frames of sourwood! It amazes me that we have any down this far south in Georgia.
The picture above is of my homemade solar wax melter. I got the idea from Linda, although I haven't painted it black. But isn't it my luck that as soon as I put this thing together, we start getting rain every afternoon here!! We're in the middle of a drought, and as soon as I need the heat and sun, it gets cloudy for three weeks! This is the second filtering of this wax, and it's been in there for two weeks, due to the rain cooling it off! You can see in the picture above that I have two Venus Flytraps, one that is going through rehab right now. I rescued it from Lowe's, where it was stuck in the darkest part of the plant section. In our part of Georgia, these plants can be grown outside. Remember, they come from swampy North Carolina, lots of heat and humidity, but they also go through a dormant winter period, and can survive low temperatures in the winter.
Anyway, back on subject (aren't I strange? I keep bees, and I keep plants that can eat bees!).
This solar wax melter has been pretty low maintenance, but the lack of sun has made the going S-L-O-W! I know, we need the rain....


Here are three different honeys that have been pulled by me this summer. What kind do you think they are?

7 comments:

Linda T said...

When did you get the dark one? My bees are making the dark honey right now. I got the lightest from the early spring; then the medium from June and now they are putting up dark honey. At Metro Beeks meeting I was lucky to get picked to be one of the people to bring honey so an expert can tell us what the pollen is in the honey. I can't wait to find out.
Your honey is BEAUTIFUL.

I completely sympathize about the wax melter. I made mine in October last year and it never worked until the hot summer this year...have to have sun and at least a 79 degree day.

Steve J. said...

Thanks Linda!

The dark honey is poplar, and I pulled it in June. The stuff on the left I pulled in May, and I'm not sure what it is.... The stuff on the right is sourwood that was pulled about the 4th of July.
Speaking of sourwood, I just got back from camping up near Blairsville. The sourwood is still blooming hard, but I don't know for how much longer. I would like to have somewhere up there to put a hive next year.

Jim Wood said...

Hi Steve,
I live in Mountain City, GA about an hour east of Blairsville. I may be willing to host a hive or 2 for you.

Steve J. said...

Thanks Jim!

I may have to take a rain check on that for next year. Since all of my hives died, I am starting over. So I won't be moving any bees this year. Contact me again in the fall!

Jim Wood said...

Hi Steve,
Sorry about your bees, but I'll extend that offer for next year if your interested.
Jim

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