Hello from Japan

**HoneybeesinJapan** · 04-19-2012, 08:01 PM

I got into beekeeping here in Japan last year. I ran across a Japanese guys blog who builds his own traditional Japanese bee hives. My wife and I have a pretty nice size garden and I thought it would be great to have some bees for pollination and honey. I built a traditional Japanese hive which is basically four cedar boards screwed together and a 6 top bar removable frame set screwed in on the top box for the bees to draw comb. I caught a feral swarm of Italians in late June and was thrilled. After reading about other kinds of hives I decided to build a Kenyan Top Bar Hive complete with an observation window. After I built it, I just had to move the bees into it so I could observe them. To make a long story short, during the move, the bees were attacked and killed by Giant Japanese hornets. This is the largest hornet in the world and kill about 80 people a year here in Japan. It was a tragedy but I ready for them this year. I built a Tanzanian TBH so I could use standard Langstroth frames and have already received my bees and an Australian raised Italian Queen. She is installed and I can't wait to go check the hive on Monday. Cheers to everyone on the form.

**Rader Sidetrack** · 04-19-2012, 08:24 PM

Welcome to Beesource!

For those who have never heard of them before, here's a link with more on Giant Japanese hornets:
http://www.mnn.com/local-reports/ohi...u-fair-warning

He is about two inches long with a three-inch wingspan and a quarter-inch stinger.

The link above has a photo of the hornet sitting on a human hand. He's about 1/3 the size of the hand! There is also a link to a National Geographic video of the hornets attacking a beehive.

**HoneybeesinJapan** · 04-19-2012, 10:04 PM

Thanks Rader. When the hornets first attacked, I had nothing to fight them with. I looked around the little barn we have and found and old badminton racket and started swinging. I managed to kill about 8 of them but by then it was too late. It is the biggest bee I've ever seen.

**Mtn. Bee** · 04-19-2012, 10:14 PM

Welcome to Beesource!
My wife wants us to visit Japan someday so she could meet some of her family, she is half Japanese!
Sounds like I had better bring my hornet traps!

**HoneybeesinJapan** · 04-20-2012, 02:42 AM

Originally Posted by Mtn. Bee

Welcome to Beesource!
My wife wants us to visit Japan someday so she could meet some of her family, she is half Japanese!
Sounds like I had better bring my hornet traps!

Mtn.Bee Thanks for your comment. I went to your FB site. What a beautiful apiary. I hope I can have something like that one day. We live on the very southern tip of Honshu In Yamaguchi Ken. Kyshu is about and hours drive for us and is where I got my bees. I just confirmed that the queen was released and observed really healthy activity outside the hive. I think all is well. Say "Nihon samishi desu ne" to your wife. It means you miss Japan don't you. Take care.

**Specialkayme** · 04-20-2012, 05:41 AM

Welcome to the site!

**heaflaw** · 04-20-2012, 08:30 AM

Welcome. I'd like to hear more about beekeeping in Japan.

**Mtn. Bee** · 04-20-2012, 06:10 PM

Thank You for the great compliment! I will definitely tell my wife.
And thanks for liking us on Facebook! When we visit Japan someday I would like to visit your Apiary?!

**HoneybeesinJapan** · 04-20-2012, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by heaflaw

Welcome. I'd like to hear more about beekeeping in Japan.

Thanks. I will try to keep posting info on my beekeeping experience in Japan. The Japanese do beekeeping a little differently. Also they have the Apis cerana japonica. This is a specis of honey bee native to Japan. They are resistant to the Giant Japanese hornet and are also resistant to varroa mites.