18th Century Bee Keeping

and the Ogden House Honey Project

A Whitdogg Production

Honey bees were important to the colonists.

• Europeans did not drink water – Ale predominant in

England • Barley sowing

– Rum imported from West Indies

– Cider more self sufficient • Brought apple trees and

honey bees

Honeybees were brought by early settlers.

• Transported in straw skeps in a wooden box.

• The box sat on the deck at the stern of the ship.

There were other important reasons for bee keeping.

• Medicinal value of honey – Used with other herbs to cure many ailments (coughs) – Applied to open wounds to prevent bacterial infection

• Culinary value of honey – Preservative for ham and fruits – Quick energy source – Mead, a drink made from honey

• Beeswax value – Make candles – Waterproof leather – Preserve wood – Bind wounds

How the colonists made honey.

• Early Spring – Place the skeps surrounded by

bee-loving plants and empty skeps

• Summer – Queen produces many new bees – Population becomes too large for

the skep – A number of bees create a new

queen and “hive off” to an empty bee skep

• Late Fall – Using a burning rag, beekeeper

destroys all but one bee skep • Winter

– Protect bee skep for next year's production

Two bee skeps in the Ogden House garden will represent this practice.

• No bees inside

The Ogden House Honey Project

Goal: • Bring public awareness to the historic importance of

honey and Ogden house

What's the buzz: the who, what, where.

• Tess Brown: beekeeper, adjunct English professor, Fairfield University

• Two hives to make raw honey – Propolis – Strengthens immune system

• Oaklawn Cemetery