I get a call from my sick bed around 10am; Sr Bolivar is on his way to help me with the bees. He has found a way to work out of the Boquete office today and how convenient that means he can come and see me. What a great guy.
So, he arrives on the dot of when he says. I drag myself out of bed and suit up. All goes fairly well except that he has forgotten to bring his smoker. I dropped mine next to the bee hives making a very hasty retreat last week. I had intended to retrieve before he arrived but with just one hours notice, oh well. I had to admit that I had had a little problem the week before. We toyed with the idea of newspaper, pine needles in a coffee bag and a few other things and set off into the farm to find the bees with various strategies for smoke.
Second hitch, he has forgotten his belt. The way his suit works this means bees could make an entrance around where his pants end. Not good. Fortunately, he is a slim man and I lend him one of my hipster jean belts and all is well with the world.
Fortunately, it was easy to retrieve the smoker. Sr Bolivar is much better at lighting the darn things than I am. I learnt a trick or two from him. Off we went down the bank........
The video says it all. This was one of my finest moments in Panama and in bee keeping in general. Unlike my weak little Italian bees in the USA; These ones are well on their way to making me a bumper crop without a single feed. As a reminder - it is winter here, supposedly fewer flowers and sometimes they do have to feed at this time of year. Not us. Frankly, yes these bees are more aggressive, but getting honey is a walk in the park compared to working our more fragile bees.
So, I am now back in bed with a lovely soothing drink of lemon, rum and my own honey.
Can not say I feel great but I am very happy.
So, he arrives on the dot of when he says. I drag myself out of bed and suit up. All goes fairly well except that he has forgotten to bring his smoker. I dropped mine next to the bee hives making a very hasty retreat last week. I had intended to retrieve before he arrived but with just one hours notice, oh well. I had to admit that I had had a little problem the week before. We toyed with the idea of newspaper, pine needles in a coffee bag and a few other things and set off into the farm to find the bees with various strategies for smoke.
Second hitch, he has forgotten his belt. The way his suit works this means bees could make an entrance around where his pants end. Not good. Fortunately, he is a slim man and I lend him one of my hipster jean belts and all is well with the world.
Fortunately, it was easy to retrieve the smoker. Sr Bolivar is much better at lighting the darn things than I am. I learnt a trick or two from him. Off we went down the bank........
The video says it all. This was one of my finest moments in Panama and in bee keeping in general. Unlike my weak little Italian bees in the USA; These ones are well on their way to making me a bumper crop without a single feed. As a reminder - it is winter here, supposedly fewer flowers and sometimes they do have to feed at this time of year. Not us. Frankly, yes these bees are more aggressive, but getting honey is a walk in the park compared to working our more fragile bees.
So, I am now back in bed with a lovely soothing drink of lemon, rum and my own honey.
Can not say I feel great but I am very happy.
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