Tag Archives: Pat Ray

An Idea for Practicing Grafting Honeybee Larvae

Posted on July 27, 2011 by brookfieldfarmhoney

A recap of our group’s queen bee grafting endeavors, and an idea on how to practice grafting honeybee larvae without a cell builder to test one’s grafts Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 5 Queens and Queen Rearing | Tagged 1 Beekeeping, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees, bee, bees, Brookfield, Brookfield Farm, cells, graft, grafting, hives, honeybees, how to, ideas, Karen Bean, larvae, Maple Falls, Mt. Vernon, nucleus, nucs, Pat Ray, practice, queens, Washington | 1 Comment

Grafting Honeybee Larvae to Make Queen Cells

Posted on July 19, 2011 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Grafting honeybee larvae to create queen cells. Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 5 Queens and Queen Rearing | Tagged 1 Beekeeping, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees, bee, bees, board, Brookfield, Brookfield Farm, cells, cloake, cloake board, cloke, graft, grafting, hives, honeybees, how to, Karen Bean, larva, larvae, Maple Falls, Pat Ray, queen, Queen cells, queen rearing, queens, rearing, Sue Cobey, Washington | 12 Comments

Loading Honeybees for Almond Pollination

Posted on February 8, 2011 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Loading 818 honeybee hives onto three trucks which then transported the bees to the California almonds for pollination. Bruce Bowen’s bees, Mount Vernon, Washington. Photos by Karen E. Bean, Brookfield Farm, Maple Falls, Washington. More photos than words on this posting. Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping | Tagged 1 Beekeeping, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees, almonds, bee net, bee trucks, bees, Brookfield, Brookfield Farm, Bruce Bowen, California, hives, honeybees, loading, Maple Falls, net, Pat Ray, pollination, trucks, Washington | 10 Comments

Success With Bee Hive Smokers

Posted on December 28, 2010 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Beekeeper Pat Ray’s method of keeping a bee hive smoker lit – as taught to Bean of Brookfield Farm, Maple Falls, Washington (and a kitty picture) Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping | Tagged bee, bee smoker, Brookfield Farm, brulap, fuel, hive, hive smoker, Pat Ray, smoker, Washington | 18 Comments

Preparing Honeybees to pollinate California almonds

Posted on December 23, 2010 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Beekeeper Karen Bean helps Bruce Bowen and Pat Ray prepare honeybees which will go to California for almond pollination. How hives are moved, by forklift and hand dolly; how honey bound hives are corrected; how pallets are cleaned; and just how much wool Bean can get under a bee suit are covered. Continue reading →