Edna Mae Culinary LLC

Edna Mae Culinary LLC Edna Mae Culinary LLC unique extracts and infused honey

Uh oh... This isn't our photo, but we are also not immune. It happens to us too. Nothing causes more alarm during an ins...
06/02/2026

Uh oh... This isn't our photo, but we are also not immune. It happens to us too. Nothing causes more alarm during an inspection than discovering queen cells. Once a colony runs out of space, the queen’s pheromones get harder to sense due to overpopulation. In turn, the bees think there isn't a queen present and create multiple queen cells to increase the chances of colony survival. It's natural for feral colonies to swarm and an opportunity for beekeepers. But when the shoes on the other foot, it's a nightmare for beekeepers. A new queen will result in the old queen and half the bee population and resources leaving the colony. Half of the colonies manpower is gone. This can significantly affect honey production. Queen bees are also vicious. Younger queens will hunt and fight established queens for dominance. They're also known to sting and attack other queen cells before new queens get a chance to emerge. Prevention? Keep an eye on your colonies. When 8 out of 10 frames are full, add another box. This relieves pressure by adding space for more colony growth. The silver lining in all of this is a new colony can easily be created by cutting out one cell and adding it to two frames of brood in a separate hive. It's a nightmare if you don't catch it but a blessing if you do.

05/28/2026

So I call myself slick and take their honey in between rainstorms. They clearly weren't too enthused with my plan, as you can see.

05/28/2026

Guess who just happened to pass through??... I'm always happy to see Geri one of several resident coyotes at Oxmoor. Geri and her family all have a target on their back. They are not welcomed outside of their home at Oxmoor Farm for good reason. Geri and her family have been terrorizing the surrounding neighborhoods and then running back to the safety of the farm. It's only a matter of time, in fact I haven't seen her parents since January.

05/26/2026

It's a bit early early and unreasonably cold for harvest, but it's happening anyway. There's a method behind the madness. This is totally against the laws of beekeeping. We placed 7 frames evenly spaced in a 10 frame large honey box. The rule is no less than 9. Being rebellious resulted in much fatter frames holding more honey per frame. The same day they're pulled, the frames are extracted and placed back into the same hives "wet." This causes the bees to begin repairing and refilling the frames immediately. Within two to three weeks, the frames should be repaired and filled again, resulting in a double sometimes triple harvest.

05/23/2026

This is the large colony collected last week in PRP (Pleasure Ridge Park). New swarms require reprogramming once they’ve reached their host location. This is done by isolating the entire colony for 1 day. This step resets their internal GPS. If the bees were released immediately upon arrival, there's a possibility that they could swarm back to the original location where they were captured if within 5 miles. After reprogramming, the bees are fed and left alone to settle down in their new environment. This was the first inspection since their arrival. Huge shout out to for notification, directing us to this colony. and thank you immensely.

05/20/2026

- Washboarding motion — Bees stand on their middle and hind legs, rocking their bodies while scraping the surface with their front legs and sometimes their mandibles.
- Organized rows — Dozens or hundreds line up facing the entrance, moving in near‑synchrony.
Young worker bees — Typically 10–25 days old, the “house bee” age range before they become foragers.
- Warm‑weather behavior — Most common on warm afternoons and evenings, especially during nectar dearths.

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🧭 Why bees do it (best‑supported theories)
Scientists haven’t pinned down a single purpose, but several strong hypotheses exist:

- Surface cleaning — The rhythmic scraping may remove debris, polish surfaces, or reduce pathogen load at the entrance.
- Scent distribution — Bees may be spreading colony pheromones to help foragers orient home.
- Idle worker activity — During nectar shortages, young bees may have fewer tasks and engage in washboarding.
- Genetic tendency — Some colonies show it more than others, suggesting a heritable component.

None of these theories fully explain the behavior, and researchers still consider washboarding one of honey bees’ unsolved mysteries.

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🐝 How to tell washboarding from other behaviors
- Not bearding — Bearding is clustering outside to cool the hive; washboarding is rhythmic and surface‑focused.
Not robbing — Robbing involves frantic flight and fighting; washboarding is calm and orderly.
- Not fanning — Fanning bees raise their abdomens and beat wings; washboarding bees rock and scrape.

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🧪 What does it mean for your hive
Washboarding is normal, common, and usually seen in strong, healthy colonies. It doesn’t indicate disease or stress. If it appears during a nectar dearth, it can be a cue to inspect stores or consider feeding.

05/19/2026

Getting close to harvest time. The bees must have heard also because they cut me off...lol

I was hot and irritated, and bees were too, but they're worst to deal with, in my opinion. Bees beat the heatwithatechni...
05/19/2026

I was hot and irritated, and bees were too, but they're worst to deal with, in my opinion. Bees beat the heatwithatechnique called "fanning." This activity is critical to hive health and heat management. Here's why.

-Temperature control — Bees fan to pull cool air into the hive and push hot air out, keeping brood at the critical ~95°F range. This is especially common on hot Kentucky summer days.
- Humidity reduction — Nectar contains excess water. Fanning evaporates moisture so nectar can ripen into honey. You’ll see heavy fanning during strong nectar flows.
- Ventilation — Fanning refreshes stale air, reduces CO₂, and clears odors (including smoke or mite-treatment smells).
- Pheromone broadcasting — When bees raise their abdomens and expose the Nasonov gland, they fan to spread orientation scent. This helps returning foragers, newly installed packages, or swarms find home.
- Alarm signaling — Guard bees may fan to disperse alarm pheromone during threats, coordinating colony defense.

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🧠 Why fanning matters for colony health
Fanning is a core environmental management behavior. A colony that can regulate heat, humidity, and airflow stays healthier, raises brood successfully, and ripens honey efficiently. Consistent, calm fanning—especially in the evening—is a sign of a strong, well-functioning hive.

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🔍 When fanning signals something unusual
Most fanning is normal, but certain patterns can hint at issues:

- Excessive heat stress — Heavy fanning + bearding may mean the hive needs more ventilation or shade.
- Queen events — A “queenless roar” can accompany frantic fanning when bees are disoriented or queenless.
- Swarm orientation — After a swarm arrives at a new cavity, many bees fan to guide stragglers inside.

05/17/2026

Visit us today at Norton Commons Farmer's Market. 12pm til 3pm. Double patty farm fresh smash burger dressed topped with "The Works" ...$19

05/15/2026

There's not much exciting about a rapid extractions. They're quick. Timing is key, you extract the bees early in the morning. They've settled in the box overnight, you turn down the gate, screw down the top and remove. All before the bees wake up and realize what happened. It was 50°f this morning bees don't become active til 55°f+, everyone was at home and no honeybees seemed to left behind.

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