The State of The Hive By Amaya Saunders, UW Farm Beekeeping Intern, Majoring in Linguistics, College of Arts and Sciences
As we edge towards the end of summer, the bees have wrapped up their busiest pollinating season, meaning it’s time for honey! Weighing hives is an important part of beekeeping – it helps estimate the activity of the hive without disturbing the bees.
In the winter, it’s important to gauge their weight to make sure the bees are surviving the cold months, especially since it’s dangerous to open the hive, putting the bees at risk of losing all of their hard work of insulating the hive with propolis (bee spit) and the rapid flapping of their wings.
In the summer, weighing a hive tells beekeepers about how much honey they can extract, and our honey super came in at 32 pounds, which means about 25 pounds of extractable honey.
At the UW farm, the early season pollen source that the bees primarily rely on is blackberries. Yes, those invasive Himalayan blackberries. UW Farm beekeepers have witnessed a huge influx in honey since the blackberry flowers bloomed. While everyone loves sweet blackberry honey, we beekeepers are more infatuated with the beautiful mosaic that bees create when storing their food: bee bread.
Bee bread is a fermented food staple for honey bee colonies that’s made from pollen mixed with nectar, honey, bee saliva, and glandular secretions. For the most part, bee bread is reserved specially for the bees, since we humans are more interested in the nectar (that later becomes honey!). What’s so special about bee bread is that every pollinator produces a different color of pollen, so our popular blackberries result in a grayish color, marigold in vibrant orange, willow in lemon yellow, etc. See the dark orange-colored capsule of bee bread in the photo.
It has been incredibly rewarding learning from both the bees and our mentors, Kurt Sahl and Dan Cook. I’m excited to experience the changes of the hive through each season, and keep our vital pollinators flying.
1 pound zucchini, yellow, or patty pan squash, quartered and sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 teaspoon ground cumin
10-12 corn tortillas
Pico de Gallo , for serving
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Kosher salt
Instructions:
Saute onion and garlic. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering add onion and garlic and season with salt. Cook until just starting to brown.
Char summer squash. Add squash mix with the onions and garlic and then let cook undisturbed until squash is browned in a few spots on the side that is touching the pan. Stir and char on the other side. Stir in cumin and season again with salt.
Warm tortillas. Meanwhile, heat a dry medium frying pan or comal over medium heat. Once warm, add tortillas one at a time, toasting lightly on both sides. Transfer tortillas to a clean kitchen towel or tortillero to keep warm.
Serve. Once squash is nicely browned, stir in cilantro. Taste and add more salt if needed. Transfer to a warm bowl and serve with tortillas and pico de gallo.
News and Noteworthy:
AmeriCorps seeks applicants for AmeriCorps Seniors funding opportunity
The federal AmeriCorps agency is inviting organizations to apply for funding for AmeriCorps Seniors Retired Senior Volunteers Program, RSVP, for the 2025 fiscal year.
Timeline
The deadline to submit applications is by 5 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.
You can read the full Notice of Funding Opportunity, training and technical assistance resources and supporting documents associated with it on AmeriCorps’ funding opportunity page.
If you have questions at any time during the application period, email RSVPCompetition@AmeriCorps.gov
UW Farm Upcoming Involvement Opportunities
We are now hiring paid and unpaid interns for Autumn quarter! Check out these opportunities on our website.
Career Opportunities in Agriculture & Food Systems:
The UW Farm donates regularly to the UW Food Pantry. During peak season we also donate to nearby food banks. The links below are resources to help you or someone you know with food access.
Every year, we have the capacity to grow more food and increase our educational and research program at the UW, but not without your support. Every contribution goes to work immediately, helping us better serve students. Your support can sustain our momentum and help seed new opportunities for student internships, academic work, and future growth. Please consider making a gift to the Farm online
The Weekly Dirt is produced once a week by the University of Washington Farm, a program of the UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment. It is published nearly year-round for educational purposes and the majority of the content is written or contributed by students and farm staff.
This issue’s contributors:
Managing Editor: Abigail Ipjian, English: Creative Writing, College of the Environment: Environmental Studies Minor, Education Intern
Around the Farm: Amaya Saunders, UW Farm Beekeeping Intern, Undergraduate Student, Linguistics
Recipe of the week: Zereen Gesmundo, Art:3D4M & Nutrition Minor, Nutrition Education Intern Contributing Editors: Perry Acworth, Farm Manager; Rebecca Alexander; Librarian, Manager of Reference and Technical Services, Elisabeth C. Miller Library Photo Credits: Cover Photo, Abigail Ipjian. Sunflower and bee, Dennis Wise, UW Photography. Bee bread, Amaya Saunders. Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections
early season pollen source that the bees primarily rely on is blackberries. Yes, those invasive Himalayan blackberries. UW Farm beekeepers have witnessed a huge influx in honey since the blackberry flowers bloomed. While everyone loves sweet blackberry honey, we beekeepers are more infatuated with the beautiful mosaic that bees create when storing their food: bee bread.
