I’ve been watching the hive and there is not too much going that I can see: small scouting parties, hive entrance defense (photo), and the removal of dead bees. All the action is within (or so I hope). Because my hive is new and the frames have only foundation on them, the bees should be …
Category Archives: bees
Bees!
This morning a friend and I drove to the supplier’s place to pick up our packages of 10.000 bees (3 lbs) with a marked Italian Queen. Driving back with a couple of loose bees in the car was no problem: they stuck with their caged compatriots, maybe listening in while we talked doom :) Installing …
Here’s a Funny One – Hoop House Adventures
Excerpt from chat between DH (at office) and myself (at home): me: It’s soooooo windy I fear the hoop house will fly off. DH: It won’t. me: Really? DH: Yeah. Really. me: Check your email. I had just sent him this: Yup, that’s our hoop house, SPLAT. Amie and I were outside for a while …
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Poetry or Bees
This weekend I did very little gardening. Amie and I did our daily chore of watering the garden that’s in as well as all the seedlings that are inside the house. That was all. We had planned to recreate the hoop house but instead we saw many friends, attended a hive opening, waited for rain …
Compost Bin and Smoker
I like my two Earth Machine composters in that they’re contained and so inaccessible to animals, which makes me unafraid to throw in meat, cheese, bones, etc. They’re also, of course, portable, and not too bad to look at. But for those reasons they’re also a pain to turn, and just the two of them …
All I Got Done Was…
1. Topped off the large new bed. 2. Sowed 60 peas (5 kinds) in it (along its entire length next to the fence). 3. Didn’t forget to inoculate them. 4. But forgot to chit them. I figure if I keep the bed wet till germination we’ll be okay. (Okay, this is cheating.) 5. Built frame …
Cost of Beginning Beekeeping
“When I grow up I’m going to be a beekeeper because i really like the hat” I brought home the hive yesterday. Amie is so excited about it; it is finally becoming real, as in, not just Mama talking. She’s going to help me paint it, though she’s not happy about it having to be …
Garden Work
I did a lot of work in the garden today, another glorious Spring day. I filled up almost the entire new bed against the fence (4 x 16 feet). I am using the soil from the potato towers, which after sitting still for a good 7 months is showing its true nature: it’s full of …
What’s Growing in my Garden
In the hoop house: Outside: garlic And this is where the bee hive will stand:
Bee Class, and Order
So I ordered a bee package, that’s 3 lbs of bees (10,000 of them), and 1 Italian queen, to be picked up at my teacher’s place on 26 April. I admit I am a bit freaked out about it. It’s not like anything I’ve ever done. But that shouldn’t stop me, right?! Yesterday at bee …