Beekeeping with The Keeper's Hive can be incredibly enjoyable. With minimal lifting required for routine hive management, you still enjoy all the benefits of a traditional vertically-oriented Langstroth hive. Harvesting the products of the hive that bees produce can enhance your beekeeping experience even further.
The Keeper's Hive simplifies the process of reaping the rewards of being a responsible beekeeper. Share the joys of the harvest with your family, friends, and coworkers!
Honey:
The five-frame supers used on the One Queen Keeper enable you to harvest honey more frequently, which allows you to easily bottle seasonal varieties. Additionally, the smaller-sized supers are perfect for producing comb honey. Utilizing less space with more bees sets the foundation for creating comb honey. With ample bees in a tighter space, I've witnessed bees producing completely capped comb honey in just under three weeks, even outside of the peak nectar flow.
Beeswax:
Easy access to the brood frames enables you to scrape burr comb from the top and bottom bars, which can be saved to make beeswax candles. It's astounding how quickly you can accumulate burr comb! The sweet scent of a canary yellow candle is a very special experience. Or, experiment with making you own lip balm, hand cream or even furniture polish with your beeswax.
Pollen:
The Keeper's Hive utilizes a standard 10-frame bottom board, making it compatible with any standard pollen trap. If your bees don’t swarm, they will forage more honey and pollen. Pollen is packed with essential amino acids and healthy fats. A spoonful on your morning yogurt is a pretty healthy way to start the day.
Propolis:
Collecting propolis for its medicinal value is straightforward with The Keeper's Hive. Instead of using the observation window that comes with the hive, place a propolis mat there instead. By late summer or early fall, it will be filled with propolis in just a few weeks.
Royal Jelly:
Experiment with our Two Queen Keeper by utilizing a Cloake board. Presto! In just two days, you can collect 45 cups full of this incredible substance!
For many, harvesting products from the hive is secondary to the enjoyment of learning about this most fascinating insect. Keeping a healthy hive is the top priority since unhealthy, diseased, and dead colonies produce next to no honey. Don’t forget to make sure the bees have enough to survive and thrive after you are done harvesting – remember, they are not foraging with you in mind! We will be producing more videos highlighting how to use The Keeper’s Hive to make hive products, so stay tuned.
Happy beekeeping!
