# Hello from Japan



## HoneybeesinJapan (Apr 19, 2012)

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.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

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/ohio/local-blog/jasper-the-japanese-hornet-gives-you-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.


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## HoneybeesinJapan (Apr 19, 2012)

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.


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## Mtn. Bee (Nov 10, 2009)

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!


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## HoneybeesinJapan (Apr 19, 2012)

Mtn. Bee said:


> 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.


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

Welcome to the site!


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

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


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## Mtn. Bee (Nov 10, 2009)

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?!


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## HoneybeesinJapan (Apr 19, 2012)

heaflaw said:


> 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.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome!


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