Dilan's Apiary

March 8, is International Women's Day.
Eminent Women in Beekeeping
Lucinda Harrison (1831 - 1904)
Please Like: Historical Honeybee Articles - Beekeeping History

circa. 1882 - Lucinda Harrison and her Assistant in the Apiary

Mrs. Harrison's Bee-Dress

Here we are, dressed cap-a-pie for work in the apiary. There is one thing lacking in the picture, which we wear when bees are very cross, and we did not put it on; for if we had, you could not have seen bow the cape is made. We put on a linen sack, or a gent's vest is buttoned on, and we then have a perfect head-gear, as no bees can gain access by creeping under the cape or around the arms. Our assistant will wear a long-sleeved apron, fastened around the bottom of the hat, and, if bees are very cross, wear leggins or a long skirt.

The hat is made of green wire gauze, such as screens are made of; the top of pasteboard, and bottom of calico. In making, we are careful to leave no wires to stick our hands or head when we put it on. We first roll up a hem; and if the wires stick through, hammer it upon a flatiron. When all sticking wires are disposed of, it is bound top and bottom, joined at the back, the top and cape sewed on. At the bottom of the cape is a wide hem, through which a string is run; under one arm is left open, and the other is joined with a string, thus forming an arm-hole. We put our arm through this bole, slip on the hat, and tie it at the open side. When we are stooping over a hive, the wire cloth rests upon the back of the bead; and, to prevent bees stinging through there, a postal card is sewed on the under side. Our hands are covered with buckskin gloves, which have doming sewed on to the gauntlets, kept in place by elastic. The apron has capacious pockets, which are always handy for a screw-driver, handkerchief, etc. We never succeeded very well with a veil. If we only wanted to walk around the apiary, it was all right; but when we worked, getting in all sorts of positions, It was sure to get close to our face or neck, and stings were the result.

We see by your letters, children, that you almost all say, that you would like bees better if they "didn't sting." For our part, we like bees that can fight their own battles; they have driven off thievish boys from our apiary several times, when they were trying to steal honey, and they protect our fruit and vineyard better than a dog. Before the busy time comes for work in the apiary, rig up a hat and gloves, so you will be of use there. If you are afraid all the time, you are of no account to work with bees. The expense is trifling — the gauze for the little girl's hat cost only ten cents, and a top was cut from a paper box.
- Mrs. L. HARRISON. Peoria, III., Jan., 1882.

Read Article in Full Here:
https://books.google.com/books?id=aXQeAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA123 =onepage&q&f=false

Source:
circa. 1882. Gleanings in Bee Culture. March. Page 123

https://archive.org/details/gleaningsinbeecu101882medi/page/123/mode/1up

Our first intake for this year is happening on March 2-3! 🐝

Contact Cebu Plant Company to reserve your slot. ✏️

Hello guys I am currently working in Australia as a beekeeper. Please still do support our local beekeepers in Cebu. God bless...

MERRY CHRISTMAS !
(Left) circa. 15,000 B.C. ~ Prehistoric rock painting depicting honey hunters climbing a rope ladder to harvest honey comb, Cueva de la Araña, Valencia, Spain

(Bottom Right) circa. 8,000 B.C. ~ Prehistoric rock painting depicting honey hunter using smoke to harvest honey comb, Toghwana Dam, Zimbabwe, Africa

(Top Right) ~ circa. (date unknown) ~ Rock painting appearing to depict reindeer pulling a sleigh.

Quote by Eva Crane (Commenting on the prehistoric rock painting depicting honey hunting (Left), located in the Cuevas de la Araña, Valencia, Spain.) "At the nest, there is one human figure with a bag, into which presumably the honey comb is being put. And low down on the rope, there is another human figure. Now, you could describe this as two honey hunters helping each other. But some people, without any right I think, say that this must have been the woman at the nest, and the husband below, telling her what to do." (2001 BBC Interview)

circa. 1898 - 'The Pretty Bee'
by 11 year old Lulu Connor. ~ Follow:
Historical Honeybee Articles - Beekeeping History

Source:
Gleanings in Bee Culture 1898 Feb Page 134

Langstroth - How A Revolution in Beekeeping Began.

Via: Historical Honeybee Articles - Beekeeping History

Image: Plaque to Langstroth dedicated by the Massachusetts Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations. Located on the north wall of the South Church sanctuary, Andover, Mass.

On Jan. 18, 1836, Mr. Lorenzo L. Langstroth was unanimously invited by South Church, Andover, Massachusetts to assume the pastoral charge. This invitation was, with the same unanimity, confirmed by the Parish with a salary of $900.00 Mr. L. was ordained May 11, 1836.

A revolution in beekeeping began during the Summer of 1838. While visiting one of his parishioners, Langstroth noticed a large glass globe filled with beautiful comb honey on the parlor table. He was so fascinated by the beautiful sight that he went with his friend to visit his bees which were kept in an apiary in the attic chamber (it was sometimes promoted in those days to keep bees in an Attic, Garrett or Watchtower of the house). "In a moment," Langstroth remembered, "the enthusiasm of my boyish days seemed, like a pent-up fire, to burst out in full flame. Before I went home I bought two stocks of bees in common box hives, and thus my apiarian career began. Unfortunately, Langstroth does not tell us the name of that beekeeper.

What Exactly Did Langstroth See?

The use of glass globes for depriving honeybees of their honey was probably first described by Thomas Wildman (England) in 1768, and made popular by Thomas Nutt (England) who brought the collateral system of keeping bees prominently forward in his work "Humanity to bees." Published in 1832. Nutt advocated for the use of glass jars, or 'bell glass,' which were to be positioned over a hole in the top of a bee box or skep for the bees to build comb and deposit their honey. Thomas Nutt wrote the most renowned literature on bees since Edward Bevan's work in 1827, and his writings quickly spread from England to America, and thus, using glass globes to deprive honeybees of their honey became popular in America, particularly the North East during the 1830's.

After the bees had filled the globe with honey, the globe would be removed by use of a thin wire sliced between the jar and the hive to loosen the jar which was often secured in place by the bees. The honeycombed jar would then be removed to another location, placed on its side and the bees encouraged to leave by use of smoke, or perhaps placed on the kitchen windowsill with window open, and the bees allowed to fly back to their colonies at their leisure.

Beautiful descriptions of Bell Glass honeycomb can be found in the farmers manuals during the period. The honeycombs built by the bees inside these glass globes was said to produce honey as 'water white as the driven snow', and the honeycomb creation inside the glass globe described as 'peculiarly elegant'. The artisanal creations by these industrious creatures was said to produce such feeling of wonderment and beauty, that they were often displayed as a centerpiece in the home for some time before the honey was actually used. When honey was needed, the globe was simply turned upright and the desired portions of comb removed.

In 1951, 100 years after Langstroths discovery of bee space and invention of the 'bee space removable frame', The Massachusetts Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations donated a plaque to South Church in Langstroth’s memory. The plaque hangs on the north wall of the South Church sanctuary.

Correction on the plaque: Langstroth was not the inventor of the movable frame. The movable frame was first invented by the Russian beekeeper Prokopovich around 1814. But Langstroth did invent the first 'movable frame having bee space'.

References:

Special thanks to my friends at 'South Church' Andover, Massachusetts for the kind assistance. Southchurch.com
http://southchurch.com/langstroth-and-the-honey-bee/

Historical manual of the South church in Andover, Mass
By South Church (Andover, Mass.), George Mooar 1859

LANGSTROTH, THE "BEE MAN" OF OXFORD by OPHIA D. SMITH
http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohj/browse/displaypages.php?display%5B0%5D=0057&display%5B1%5D=147&display%5B2%5D=164

Bee World, Volume 42 1961

Morris Arboretum Bulletin, Volumes 4-10 Morris Arboretum, 1942

The Genesee Farmer, Volume 4 July 5 1834 page 217

The Farmer's Magazine - Volume 3 - 1839 Page

Assisting a fellow beekeeper somewhere in Lapu-Lapu City

Eric a beekeeper from New Zealand visits the Apiary...

The Taylors of AQBE

The Abbreviation "AQBE" means Australian Queen Bee Exporters Pty. Ltd. which is owned by the Taylors, i was on a 3 day trip to meet them at Ilo-Ilo City, i was fetched by a fellow beekeeper Jonji De Jesus at the airport whose apiary is near the river in ilo-Ilo City, one of the few beekeepers who know the Artificial Insemination Method, it was my first time at Ilo-Ilo City and there I met the Taylors at Hotel Del Rio somewhere in Molo, Ilo-Ilo City, Rose and Warren Taylor, Rose had 38 years of experience on beekeeping and still keeping on until now, Warren is a calm gentleman together they own and managed the Australian Queen Bee Exporters Pty. Ltd., located in Central West NSW, Warren and Rose Taylor run an apiary whose market is primarily breeding and selling queen bees, package bees, honey and more! I am humbled to have met them and was eager to learn more on beekeeping. picture shown is at Hotel Del Rio at Molo, Ilo-Ilo City having breakfast with them.