Urban Bee-keeping meeting at Mykorrhiza Malmö

I was so glad when Viktor, a Mykorrhiza member, called me on the phone to invite me to their urban bee-keeping meeting in Malmö a few days ago. They are considering to keep bees in Kenya Top Bar Hives and would like to invite beeks who kept bees in them.
I must say that I have only kept bees in top bar hives last year but even that counts for something in a country where top bar beekeeping is just starting to spread slowly.

I am so happy to have met these lovely people :) As I said on the meeting; the world needs such people, who care for the planet and life on it.

Of course I offered all the help I can give and will be part of the Mykorrhiza Bee Group. I will try to plan a Top Bar Hive course for Mykorrhiza members in my bee yard in the summer. Top Bar Hive maintenance and manipulation is different from the conventional vertical hives and its natural that not many feel confident in manipulating a top bar hive without an introduction course. Lets see what time will bring :)

Urban Bee-keeping Mykorrhiza meeting with a Top Bar Nuc Hive one the floor, which I brought for educational reasons.

This giant hive was build by Viktor who was also the host tonight (lots of tea and cookies yam yam). We can call this hive "Dead Man's Chest Top Bar Hive" or "Canoe Top Bar Hive" ;) just joking. Im sure he can keep at least two bee families in there and park a Mini Morris behind the follower board if needed ;D just joking! I love this hive!

Tinder Fungus as a Bee Smoker Fuel

Tinder Fungus is a very good material to use as a fuel for the bee smoker. This fungus can be found often on Birch trees especially the ones which are dying or are already rotten. Tinder Fungus burns slowly and produces fine smoke which is not hot. Once the fungus pieces stop smoking just ad more fungus to the fine embers they have made.

 Tiner Fungus

Chopping it into smaller pieces

 Gathering the equipment; The smoker, smoker insert which is made from a metal tin with many holes which are to feed the fuel with constant oxygen, tinder fungus pieces, newspapers to start the fire but dry grass can be used for this as well, and matches.

 Fill the smoker with paper and ignite it...

place the fungus pieces on top of the paper and start pumping the oxygen ...

 close the smoker and start smoking some bees ;)

 I left the smoker outside and after about 15 minutes it was still smoking. The fungus eventualy will stop smoking but it creates such fine embers which last long. It is enough to place a few more Tinder Fungus pieces into the smoker and the smoke is on again.
I will use the smoker only if Im doing a deep inspection or if dealing with a very angry colony. Otherwise I will use a water spray for quick inspections.

Just make sure not to cut your self with the ax when chopping the fungus!!!