" A Honeybee Observation"

Laura Grace,  my grandchild observing....

"The Coastal Empire Beekeepers Club"



A Saturday Workshop at Harold Ward's Home



Greg Stewart:  Bee Club President




Mrs. Colson: Bee Club Secretary




Everyone is invited to join the bee club!
 If interested please visit our web page at: http://www.cebeekeeping.com/



"YMCA Workshop"

Memebers of the YMCA gathered at a local restaurant to share in the taste of our honey!



The Vintage Bee is more than a swarm removal service, we're educators!



"Hilton Head Honey"

deWayne and I got a call from a lovely couple, Jim and Karen of Hilton Head, South Carolina.  They were having a honeybee issue and believed they were located in the roof section of their home.



This is the site deWayne saw from outside the home on top of the roof near the dormer.  deWayne's guess was they had to be inside the upstairs bedroom.





deWayne enters the home and makes his way into the upstairs guest bedroom where he begins to place his ear and hands on the wall in hopes to hear the bees hum, feel their vibrations or heat.







With just a simple guess, deWayne cuts a shoe-box size square in the wall of this beautiful room.




Insulation is removed for a better view at what may be a hidden treasure!




And the wait is over... the sneaky bees have been found!




What a majestic view!




It appears that part of the honeycomb has torn loose from the top, most likely due to the high temperatures.




It's believed that the first colony of bees swarmed and left just enough brood (baby bees) to re-establish a new colony.  This wax appeared virgin like in its character.




This wax comb was somewhat darker indicating it was the work of the older colony that swarmed.




  The new queen is seen on the piece of comb, although she is very small.  Can you find her? 
Hint:  Middle-Right




Educating others is just as important to us as doing the actual job.  In this photo you see our mentor, Harold Ward speaking with the homeowners, Jim and Karen.




No job is complete without removing all the bees!  Jim and Karen had a very small colony consisting of about 1000 bees.  We were very fortunate to gather all the bees in the bee vac and walk away with a 5 gallon bucket of honeycomb.  However, this colony contained zero honey for various reasons and would not have lived had we not relocated them.


Thanks Jim and Karen for allowing THE VINTAGE BEE COMPANY to meet your beekeeping needs!

deWayne & Faith Jaudon







"Mentoring"



"THE BEE MASTER"



deWayne and I are so blessed to have Mr. Harold Ward of Savannah, Georgia as our mentor.  Harold has spent countless hours teaching, training, and equipping us with the tools we need to be successful beekeepers.

So, hat's off to you Harold for being a great mentor and friend!

The Coastal Empire Bee Association, as well as The Vintage Bee appreciates your wealth of knowledge!

If you're interested in learning more information about honeybees or our club,  please feel free to contact us at:
912-429-3695 or 912-429-0759







"Honeybees or Yellow Jackets?"



This is a honeybee...



This is NOT a honeybee!

deWayne and I received a call from a gentleman who thought he had honeybees in his home.  However, much to our surprise they were GERMAN YELLOW JACKETS!  Needless to say, deWayne is highly allergic to yellow-jackets so we stayed around long enough to educate the homeowner of the difference and then we left.



Yellow jackets were entering through this crack on the outside of the home.




Yellow-jackets created a hole in the bedroom ceiling and entered homeowners house.




Picture of dead yellow-jackets found in bedroom window sill.




deWayne educating homeowner in regards to beekeeping...



"A Make-Do Bee Job"



deWayne and I received a call from a Georgia family stating they had a colony of bees who had taken up residence in an oak tree in their back yard. 




deWayne inspecting our make-do bee job!




We incorporated the Bee Escape Method which allows the bees to exit the tree through two screen cones and not to re-enter.  A hive box has been supplied with a queen to entice and allure them inside.  (Notice the "vintage" deer stand and bungee cords!)




The bees seem to be making their transition perfectly from the tree into the hive box.




The day has come to retrieve the bees from the tree and relocate them.  This process has taken approximately three weeks to complete.  A slower method, but a better one for preserving the life of the honeybee.




And yes....we have been known to drop a few boxes!  Trust me, you don't want to be around when that happens!




Ahhh....safe and sound on the ground.




And now it's deWayne's turn...he too makes it safely.




Our son Timothy was home visiting from Texas and decided to assist us in closing this sweet deal.




With foam and wire screen the hole is sealed successfully!



"Are You Ready For Some Honey With Your Football?"

Gearing Up for Football Season: Burgers!

Are you ready for some football? Tailgating at the games, cookouts at home and screaming cheers and woes for a team’s plays abound during the long-awaited kickoff of football season. Whether it’s collegiate or professional level, football is one of America’s favorite pastimes. And there’s no better pairing than with America’s classic sweetener – HONEY!

Burgers are a staple at any tailgate or football gathering, but we bet you’re wondering how honey fits into that menu item, right? These burgers will surprise you with their range of flavors and will show you how versatile honey can be. Try our mouth-watering recipes and make this football season something to remember – regardless of your favorite team’s scores!

Honey-Glazed Salmon Burgers

Makes 4 servings

•2/3 cup honey

•2/3 cup ketchup

•1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

•2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

•1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

•1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

•1 can (14-3/4 oz.) salmon, drained

•1 cup plain dry bread crumbs

•1/2 cup chopped onion

•1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

•3 egg whites

•4 hamburger buns, toasted

In small bowl, combine honey, ketchup, vinegar, horseradish, garlic and red pepper flakes until well blended. Reserve half of sauce. In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients, except buns. Blend in 2 Tbsp. of reserved sauce. Divide salmon mixture into 4 patties, 1/2- to 3/4-in thick. Place patties on well-oiled grill 4 to 6 inches from hot coals. Grill, turning 2 to 3 times and basting with sauce, until burgers are browned and heated through. Place on hamburger buns and serve with reserved sauce.

Blazing Bronco Burgers with Smoking Chipotle Honey Sauce

Makes 4 servings

•1 lb. ground beef, ground buffalo can be substituted for beef

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon pepper

•1 teaspoon creole or Cajun seasoning

•4 roasted Anaheim chili peppers, fresh or canned

•4 slices (1 oz.) Pepper Jack cheese

•4 hamburger buns

•4 lettuce leaves

•4 slices tomato

•4 slices red onion

To prepare burgers, divide the meat into 4 equal portions and shape into patties. Combine the salt, pepper and creole or Cajun seasoning, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the 4 patties. Grill the burgers until nearly cooked to desired level. Top each patty with a chili pepper, followed by a slice of cheese. Cover the grill until cheese melts and burgers are cooked to desired level. Spread the chipotle honey sauce evenly on each of the four buns. Serve patties on buns and garnish with lettuce, tomato and red onion.

Serving Suggestion: Served with Smoking Chipotle Honey Sauce, see associated recipe.

Smoking Chipotle Honey Sauce

Makes 4 servings

•1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, sliced

•1/3 cup honey

•2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

•2 Tablespoons ketchup

•1 Tablespoon yellow mustard

To prepare sauce, mix all sauce ingredients in bowl and set aside.

Nutrition: 582 Calories * 9 g Fat Total * 27.6 g Protein * 46.8 mg Cholesterol * 101 g Carbohydrates * 1057 mg Sodium * 3.39 g Dietary Fiber * 14% Calories from Fat *

Caribbean Turkey Burgers with Honey Pineapple Chutney

Makes 4 servings

•1 ripe fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2" thick slices

•1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/2" slices

•2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

•1/3 cup honey

•1/4 cup red wine vinegar

•1 Tablespoon grated orange peel

•1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger

•1/4 teaspoon allspice

•1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced

•1 package (20 oz.) ground turkey

•1-1/2 teaspoon Jamaican jerk seasoning

•4 Hawaiian sweet sandwich rolls, toasted

•Butter lettuce leaves

To prepare the honey pineapple chutney, begin by brushing pineapple and onion slices with 1-1/2 Tablespoons oil. Grill for about 5 minutes per side over medium-high heat or until lightly charred; remove and let cool slightly. Discard tough pineapple. Finely chop pineapple and onion and place in a medium saucepan with honey, vinegar, orange peel, ginger and allspice; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 10 minutes more; let cool. In a medium bowl, stir together the ground turkey, 1/2 cup honey pineapple chutney, jerk seasoning and pepper. Shape into 4 large flat patties and brush with remaining oil. Grill over medium coals for 5 to 8 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve on toasted buns topped with lettuce leaves and a spoonful of chutney.

Tip: *You may substitute Potato Hamburger Buns for the Hawaiian sweet sandwich rolls.