The Bees of Kefalonia, Greece

I just returned from an outstanding trip to Greece and a short time in Spain. I was hoping I would spot a few beehives in my travels.... I had no idea that I couldn't throw a rock without hitting a beehive on the island of Kefalonia, Greece. I would wake up every morning and look out over olive groves, lemon trees, ocean views and beehives! I met many wonderful beekeepers on this island, selling honey out of back of moving crates, roadside stands and out of plastic bags. My only problem.... my Greek consists of good morning, thank you and toilet. I had so many questions I wanted to ask these beekeepers, but couldn't ever get past the niceties. As a result, the Kefalonian secret to beekeeping remains a mystery to me.

Instead of writing about the details of Grecian Beekeeping, I can only include a photo album of my travels and outsider observations. My husband James took all the photos that look old fashioned using the hipstamatic setting on his iphone.

I ended my trip in Barcelona, Spain and had to include this fantastic bee mural:

 I see a B!

The map of Kefalonia, the sixth largest island in Greece and some Nescafe. Greece, not known for their great coffee, but known for their amazing beaches.

One amazing beach

This is a view from outside my bedroom window. I was staying in a friend's house, outside of Kaligata. The hives outside my bedroom window sit on concrete pads. Wonder if this is a solution for hive beetles? These hives are nestled between groves of olive trees and citrus fruits. Looks like the rest of the hives have been moved to a different location for the season.

The next photos are of honey sold at a roadside stand/ shipping container by a very pregnant woman who spends her days watching trashy Greek tv and peddling honey (She has a Great Job). I traded this lovely beekeeper honey from my own hives in NM and she gave me honey for my girls in bottles, shaped like Grecian urns.  The main pollinator crop is thyme and the honey tastes like very sweet caramel. 

Stop the car...HONEY!

The next hives overlook the largest city in Kefalonia, Argostoli. They are right along the highway. I am actually standing on the side of very busy road taking this picture. 

This jar is honey I bought from a very rugged looking man in the town of Assos. This man only had 4 jars of honey on display. He was so gnarly and weathered, my first instincts told me that maybe there was something wrong with the honey, maybe it was stolen, or maybe it was too dirty to eat. With trepidation, I handed him my 12 euros. Then, I watched him lovingly polish the fingerprints off the bottle with a stained cloth and tighten the lid to make sure the precious honey wouldn't seep out and I realized.... this is the real deal beekeeper. This honey is precious to me. 

Assos

Proof that I am in Greece. Honey, beach, speedo and greek yogurt. Yum

These are my brand spanking new beekeeping work coveralls I found in Argostoli. These pants have 10,000 pockets, zippers and flaps. Also, I look so euro cool, it hurts.

The following pictures are of a beeyard owned by a man and woman couple outside of Katichori. Again, we couldn't get past the language barrier, but I took some pictures of their photo album of processing honey. Check out the steep and rocky yard they keep bees on. I really like their colorful signs and flags. 

Check out this great "bee bike" for transporting hives.

Another amazing bee yard surrounded buy cypress trees.

What's that in the distance? Oh, more beehives!

These are pictures of the Underground lake of Melissani. One of the stories is that the cave was named in ancient times from the Greek word for bee, "Melissa".  It's been written, that 1000's of years ago this cave was originally dry, and there were swarms of wild bees living underground. The caves were freckled with honey comb hanging like stalagtites, dripping honey and it could be reached through a underground passageway. Since then, many earthquakes, have opened up the cave and made it what it is today... and underground lake.

Yay! Bees! Refrigerator magnet

Special times trapping bees off South Broadway

Against all my good senses, I did a bee trapout today off of Broadway and Southern. Against my good senses, because it takes me a minimum of 5 trips to a trapout to rescue the bees, a ton of work, and usually I have to replace the queen once I have captured the hive (The old queen will never leave the original hive). This trapout business is a TON of work. I guess I have a soft spot for these pollinators and I'm also motivated because the neighborhood boys were harassing the hive and the neighbors were worried someone might get hurt. 

Anyway, here is one of the three entrances to the gnarled tree with a hive in it's hollowed out trunk:

Here is the trap I rigged up using a fine screen. The bees can crawl out of the hole at the tip, but can't figure out how to get back in:

 I used a thick layer of caulk to adhere the trap to the exit hole:

 Ta da. The trap is in place, held with thumb tacks.

 Here is my husband removing an old limb so we can put the hive in the crook of the tree. Did I mention it is our 8th wedding anniversary today? We know how to celebrate these special occasions... by sweating like pigs and having bees dive bomb us, while working 10 feet above the ground!

 Here is the main entrance to the hive that I completely sealed shut. I used a mesh fabric so that the bees can still maintain a good temperature inside the hive.

 The hive is in place with 1 full bar of very young brood, or baby bee larvae and as many nurse bees as were hanging onto the bar. I will check into this hive tomorrow to make sure the bees aren't finding any sneaky ways into the tree trunk.

Scored! A little memento I found at the base of the tree, to remind us of our special times trapping bees off South Broadway.

Honey Labels, Naughty Boys and Bee Rings, oh my

Check out the great logo Karen Hepburn designed for me and I had printed downtown (of course) at Albuquerque Downtown Printing. You know I'm a sucker for supporting downtown businesses. I have 1000 of these puppies. All I have to do is start checking hives and hopefully I can practice sticking these labels semi-straight on some full honey jars!

I'm also about to start a bee trapout on a tree off of Broadway this week. I'm sure this is way too late in the year for something like this but I think I am going to join the bees I pull from this mangled Siberian Elm to the Canale trapout in the heights I'm working on. The neighborhood boys have discovered the hive and I think these bees will be much happier at AMYO farms then getting sticks and flaming newspaper thrown at them for months. Naughty Boys!

Also, check out this dope ring my sister discovered in a store in Oklahoma City. I didn't buy it, but it's memory will live on forever in this blog....

"If you are lucky enough to be Irish, then you are lucky enough..."

or "The Irish ignore anything they can't drink or punch". I now introduce the newest hive in the flock, Ireland. I haven't even labeled this hive yet because they are roudy bunch. They were a swarm a friend and I captured from her back yard. First, they stung me through my skinny jeans 10 times, they stung my friend through 3 layers of clothing, they stung me at night while moving the hive, they got in my veil and stung my head.... and, they stung my poor friend's cat!

Here's a drink, or a keg for you.... Ireland