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2. November 2006

Rainy Week

Today is the second day of November. This week we have begun to feel winter. All Turkey is under heavy floods which there are many deads in South East Anatolia Region. I did not go to apiary within the week. Today also is raining. I hope coming saturday I will visit the bees. Rain has come excessively and I did not finish my some bussiness. Anyway coming days will be some good days may be I can do something.Lessons are going on full-speed. Students are getting me tired.

30. Oktober 2006

Putting The Hives On Stands For Overwintering

Days are passing very rapidly. Since on 12nd October, a few times I visited the apiary and I pulled out screws from hives and covers which I screwed them for safety carrying. I have found some queenless hives and united them with others. When carried the hives first, we have put down them on ground. This could cause to nosema desease, I had to put them on stands first. But there were many jobs should be done. My hives generally with double chambered so bee were filling second chamber with honey and the brood chambers were empty. If the hives stay with this position, that to say, bees, honey in the second chamber and empty combs in the brood chamber cause to get mouldy of the empty combs in the brood chamber, at the same time, coming in and going outs are being difficult for the bees, their way is being long. However, bees prefer upper chamber for overwintering because it is warmer than the first brood chamber. Shortly, I have to change them honey filled combs and the bees to the down and the empty combs, semi-filled combs to the up chamber. Doing so, I have to put a canvas with a hole nearly 5 cm radius just the midst of the canvas beetween brood and the supper. In the spring, bees are going up to eat semi-honey filled frames and I can put there some cake and syrup just upper of brood area. By the way, you can ask me : "Why do I put empty combs in the hive's second chamber over brood chamber?" Because I dont use any chamicals to protect combs against comb worms and I haven't got a proper place to put the empty combs. No sulphurdiocide and no paradiclorobenzen. Bees are protecting their empty combs with natural ways. May be this is giving my honey a special fragrance, clients and friends frequently tell me.
Anyhow this weekend I have finished to prepare them for overwintering. I meant, I put them on stands to protect earth's decaying process the hives and the bees from nosema desease. But some hives need paint, madication and overall covering on stands, coming weekends I have to look at these jobs too.

16. Oktober 2006

Works done for overwintering


At the end, we have carried hives to the owervintering place in Demircihalil Village. So I want to thank especially to my friends who helped me, Mr. Semih Baydemir, My sister's husband Osman Kumit and his nephew Sezgin Tomruk, Mr Ridvan Ulus and our lorry owner Mr. Sakir Kılıcel.Last Thursday I begun the day with some diffuculties, especially TUrkcell my telephone service provider did not give service that day. Organisation is pretty diffucult to connect others come together. Anyhow my moustache eating continued short. But I really got angry with Turkcell GSM operator because it is being two important days carrying the bees and no service. Anyhow our lorry was a little one so we turned two times within the same night. Thanks God weather was cold so bees had entered their hives early. So our job got easy. And last sunday I went to get order the hives, to put them on the stands with a very carefully work. In order to not topple down again. Anyhow, the ground is not so much soft like the plouged field in Kavakli Town. I made a watery system for the bees. There were open and closed cells on the combs. Meanwhile I had taken 6 item tins to the new apiary and opened their lids then all bees come to eat the tins. It was a good view. bye :)

30. September 2006

Examining The Experiment Results



Today I waked up early to check my apiary to see bees mood after heavy rains. The plouged field was literally a sea of mud. Toppled down hives and ready to come down hives were as if in a war field. I worked nearly 3 hours rescue and put them on place. I have down loaded some from their stands not to fall down after me. Bees were very stressed. They have stung me many times. Anyway I found some temporary solutions for the hives. Shortly first of all, as soon as possible I have to carry them back to Demircihalil overwintering place and get them ready for winter. However, I can not walk in the field therefore I have to wait a few days fields drying.
In the afternoon I have met with Mr. Tugrul Giray and our collegue Mr Hasan Bali who is a retired teacher and very technical one on beekeeping issues. We went by Mr. Bali's car to his apiary in Urunlu willage which is 20 km far away on Kirklareli - Edirne Road. What a pity, his hives didn't show hygenic behaviour. He was upset a little bit. On the way to Kirklareli we went to Ridvan Ulus' apiary and Mr Giray examined the experiment results which he applied in Ridavan Ulus' apiary a fewdays ago. Some were good some were not. Later we met with Mr Ulus in kirklareli who had gone to Istanbul because of his little son Alperen's treatment. Then we drived to Kofcaz district of Kirklareli to check the experiment results in Huseyin Ugurlu's apiary. His hives had worked well than others'. Apiary is also well positioned. We gathered some berries for Assoc.Prof.Mr. Giray And Prof. Mr. Aykut Gence as a reminder of Kirklareli beekeepers. We have come to Kirklareli and we met together with Mr. Giray again after dinner and took him to the bus terminal to say bye bye. Really he was a modesty and funy one and we are waiting him visit us again.... Thanks Mr. Giray for everything.

An Academician From Porto Rico


Last Thursday an academician came to visit our province for giving a lecture and make some experiments to find out our bees' hygenic behaviours and struggling capacity against varroa. The first day I did not take part his lecture but my vife was there. Because I was in school. When I went to take my vife back after the lecture she told me that our hive was ressistant developed against varroa and showed hygenic behaviour which we had sent that hive nearly 3 months ago to Ankara, Middle East Technical University that Assoc. Prof. Mr. Tugrul Giray made experiments on it and other nine beekeepers' hives too. That was happied me. On thursday, later Mr. Ulus introduce me to Mr. Giray in Kirklareli and we went to Edirne together. Edirne Bee Breeders Union had invited Mr. Giray and Mr Ridvan Ulus for dinner. We have gone there by my car. We met with Edirne colegues and Turkey Bekeepers Central Union president in Kervansaray Hotel loby. We talked about the beekeepers problems and possible solutions till dinner time. Then we went to the dinner together, kebaps were wonderful. Later we visited world-famous masterpiece Selimiye Mosque which was built in 1575 by Grand Turkish Architect Sinan. The weather was rainy and we have come back after mosque visit.

26. September 2006

What Happened On The First Day of The Ramadan?


It has been long time I had not write on my blog. Last Sunday was Ramadan's first day. I had gone to apiary and ı supposed some negative results after a heavy rain. I talked you before I had lived bad things about toppled down hives from their stands. It has gotten reality this time too. Two stands were toppled down and 8 item hives had been downloaded too. After 2 hours hard working I put them on place again. I have taken some precautions for others to support them. However, bees have stung me many times especially from my right hand. I had wanted to take some pictures but I could not find a chance because of heavy bee assaults. Anyway, field was muddy and when I came back I had washed the car and wanted to polish the car a litle bit. I have done it too. And a friend had ordered me a tin of honey which is about 25 kg. When I put this tin back of the car ant it toppled down there and opened its lid. When I saw this situation I wanted to slap my face maybe I had seen wrong but it was a reality. The filled tin poured on the cars back floor. We have washed two days the car's back but honey coming down from everyhole, in addition to this because of scarsity of honey, all bees and yellow jackets (wasp) gathered around the car when we were washing it. Meanwhile, a picture bees and yellow jackets on a spot which honey stemming from a water hole of the car. It will be good idea if someone gives me an advice what to do. Maybe I have to call service...

16. September 2006

An Inaugration

Today, I couldn't visit my bees. I have slept well and later I have taken part in an inaugration of Fiat Kirklareli branch. New cars were wonderful and a model was singing songs. Meanwhile we melted some combs in the garden, it was difficult because of heavy wind.

9. September 2006

A Windy Day



I have gotten up late because last night I had come late from Edirne which we had gone there for my niece's wedding. Wedding place (Hanedan Restaurant) was very good, its performance was wonderful. In the morning, Selim Acun who is my ex neighboor and retired from provincial agriculture directorate as vineyard expert called me for some bussiness. Later I rested. Meanwile I arrived to Kavakli Town at 4 o'clock. Kavakli's park and cafe is wonderful. If you sit there you can really rest, find peace of mind. But you can't pursue your bussiness, you should put a side all jobs to do because your soul doesn't want to go bussiness after shadow sitting. Anyway, as a conscious one I left there with these thoughts. Like all saturdays, today also I went to check the apiary. Weather was very windy, first I have afraid of open the hives but I did not overcome my curiosity and I have looked at 4 or 5 hives which I was waiting their queens' laying eggs. Oh Bravo, Wonderful! All of them were laying down eggs. A nuc and the other 3 hives. Afterwards, I counted new mated hives, took their notes to my agenda. I compared summer and sprint new mated queens. I suppose that it can reach 45 item hives for this year that' s to say, nearly half of the hives changed their queens. However, some hives' queens should be changed soon, may be I have to order some new queens to TKV.

6. September 2006

After Sunflower Field


After sunflower field visit, I have come to the apiary. I have to check some hives. First, I have to look at a hive that my wife and me lost it's queen during inspection. Anyhow, today I have seen it's new mated queen on a frame and there were daily eggs in the cells. I have taken some photos of that important moment. Even she was going on laying eggs when I check it. This moment was wonderful for me. Later I have looked at other three hives which is seperated nearly twenty or more days ago, nowadays they should begin to lay eggs, however I did not see yet. That's enough today.

Inspecting Some Hives


Today I went to Kavakli Town in afternoon at 4 o' clock I met there my friend Mr. Mutluer and his friend Mr. Ali Teber who is a real estate agent. He ordered for us tea, we drunk together. Afterwards we went together to DegirmencikWillage which is 6 km's away from Kavakli Town. We stayed there nearly half an hour. We turned and I went on to my way to apiary. First I went to a sunflower field that it was newly blossomed and was full of bees. I have taken some pictures and field was new watered and my feet sank to the mud. I regretted to enter the field, anyway...

3. September 2006

Putting Hives On Stands II


Me and my wife worked hard nearly two hours to put them on stands. Meanwhile I repeared some stands. Even I looked some hives during breaks, got laying workers.
A few days ago I wanted to unite two colonies that a strong one was queenless and other one was weak and new queened. I had put newly mated queen to the second chamber with 5 frames and the other one to the brood chamber. I seperated both with a sieve matter not disturb each other. 3 days later I have taken sieve matter between both in order to unite them. Today I inspected it, there were not daily eggs inside the cells. I could not see the queen. I supposed that they killed the newly mated queen and there were queen cells on the frame sides. I put them back I will think what to do later. After 6 years beekeeping I have lived such a bad experiment. This one upsetting mood. Menawhile an hive had been inspecting by me nearly 20 or more days ago, mated, laying queen flew away. I had not seen before that it was upsetting. Today that hive's newly mated queen is laying down eggs. That's wonderful view really happied me after some negative events. Later I looked that time is consumed and all the apiary is full of mosquitoes because of irrigation channels, even inside of the car is filled with mosquitoes. I took photographe some stands and apiary was good looking.

Putting Hives On Stands

Before putting on stands
Firstly, this summer, I didn't put hives on stands and I waited until rain, since last year hive stands damaged and colapsed after heavy rain. Three hives toppled down and one of them died and others didn't give honey. Secondly, some hives were changing their queens and when hives stand side by side so queens went out for mating, then they turn to home hives could lose their way to their own one and killed by other foreign hives' bees. I had lived theese kind events frequently therefore I postponed to put them on stands, however I feared hives' bottom side to be decayed from humidity.

2. September 2006

First Day At School


Today new educational year has begun. We were a little bit confused. School and classrooms very dirty after summer modifications on surface shining. Our classroom's bookcase was out of the classroom and TV was nearly 50 meters away. I have brought it back to the new class. I have to make an announce on our internet web site to the parents to find a proper solution and invite some interested parents. On picture, My fruit producer friend Muammer mutluer and his wife Asuman are very bussy trying to save a phone number.

31. August 2006

Its High Time To Convert Honey To Money


Weather is geting colder, I hope September honey sells will be good.Today a little bit cold I have gone to the apiary with two Agricultural Directorate officers ( Ridvan Bey and Savas Bey) to count the hives. I suppose no problem . I madicated my hives against varroa jakobseni then we dropped by Farmer Protection unit in Kavakli borough. Three rural guards are working in this unit. I have given each of them a bottle of honey, Aydın is except. Because they accostumed to my gestures which is being tradition for three years staying during summer times.

29. August 2006

Queen Exluders Gathered

I visited apiary today. There were many queen excluders around the hives. Many of them cleansed by bees for their combs on. I have put them inside a hive which is unused. Meanwhile when I went to apiary thought might virgin queens were out for nuptual flights, because bees were buzzing well. Then the sound got down gradually. There were some seperated hives which their own made queens could got out from their cells. According to out inspection their mood was cheerful. By the way, I have looked two nucs but I have not seen mated or unmated queens. A big hive was settled down and did not react me aggressively. In a frame I have seen eggs laid down disorderly. Maybe there is a laying worker inside the hive. A few days later I will inspect it again.
As a second important job, I have come across my old colleque in Mosque garden. He was Mr Alişan Koru, retired teacher from Vali Faik Ustun Primary school which is burned last year that it was built by American-Greek orthodox missioners in 1905. It was an historical place which I had a chance work there 6 months as an English teacher for 6th class students in 1999. With Mr Koru went to 3 km far away south of Kirklareli to find a proper field for overwintering bees there. We found a good place but I think it will be more efficent for summer sun-flower nectar flow. When we are coming back stopped by a garden which is well done. Its owner was Ismail Capraz retired Tv repairman. Grapes, peppers, peaches, tomatoes, strawberries also around 20 item hives. There were perfect strawberries. But he did not offer us. Anyhow I tasted a few without his offer.Then we visited Mr. Koru's walnut trees field and ate there some almonds. Later we came back to the city.

Hiveclean, A new Product Against Varoa

Today, I have gone to Agriculture Ministry Provincial Directorate, l have had some works should be done. Our bee expert Mr. Ridvan Ulus offered me to try a new production (Hiveclean) during the varoa treatment. They took 84 Turkish Liras. I haven't got enough money to get them. I promised to give their money later, Mr. Ulus has given them to me. Actually I don't like to try first sometihing new. But this time I decided to try it first. Last night I had researched this product on internet, reports were positive. Anyway we will try and see the results.
However, Province Special Local Directorate had given us money to buy nucs as support, last year. It's first back payment should be paid today. I have gone to Ziraat Bankasi to pay it, a bank employee sent me to the Directorate to take a paper which is explain the Account number and the amount. It was a big money 708 Turkish Liras. Other 3 installments will be paid coming years 07, 08, 2009. Anyway That's enough today.

12. August 2006

Harvesting Time Is Ending

Today I will go to centrifuge honey. My elder daughter Nurefsan also will come with us to help. A little bit, she is afraid of bee stings. She should be accustomed to bee stings because her school life depends on bee sitings and their honey incomes. Anyway, later I have to prepare my bad queened hives to change their queen bees. 4 or 5 days later I'll order new queens to TKV Kazan /Ankara ( Turkey Development Foundation Integrated Beekeeping Establishment in Kazan district of Ankara Province.)

1. August 2006

Harvesting Honey

Bugün 1 Ağustos 2006 Arılara gitmedim, dinlendim.Yarın bal süzmeye gitmek zorundayım. Kalemim kuruduğu için bazı notlarımı alamamıştım. Umarım unutmadığım kadarıyla 55 nolu kovanımın arılarını 51 nolu kovana koydum. I have seen Queen and settled down to the 1st flat. 1st and 2nd combs are brought from the 78 numbered hive. Number 78 have one brood chamber. I have not seen its queen bee. All combs are harvested. İts queen should be changed soon. Tomorrow, first of all, l will harvest number 68 and later l will look the others mood to harvest. 68 have good combs to sell , my firends mr. Egeli and mrs e. yilmaz are seeking for combed honey.
Merhaba, Ben Hayreddin Şakar Kırklareli Hamdi Helvacioğlu İlköğretim okulu öğretmeniyim.
Hi, My name is Hareddin Sakar, a classroom teacher, from Kirklareli province of Turkey.