My bees were supposed to be arriving from Georgia on April 12th. I was slightly perturbed by this since that also happens to be Easter Sunday. Not exactly when I wanted to be suiting up and dealing with 30,000 irritated stinging insects. I was hoping that the date would be pushed back a week.
No such luck. They've been pushed up a couple of weeks! My bees are arriving on March 27th! We did a quick check of my supplies to be sure I had everything I would need to set up three hives next Friday. It appears I am only short one bottom board. One of my original boards from 6 years ago, has finally been banged around enough to actually fall apart.
I went online to check out getting one shipped here in time. The shipping costs are nearly double the price of the board! Sam has agreed that making one is a better idea. He has some pine milled up in the garage and he will set to work on it this afternoon, using the broken one as a template.
I am happy to say that the one hive I worked on getting to winter over, was successful! I saw bees flying in and out two days ago and they were busily bringing in pollen from somewhere. Most likely the skunk cabbages are in bloom. I will be giving them some sugar for a little extra boost to get through the last few weeks until mid April brings about more blossoms.
Spring is officially here today and it looks like the calendar and nature are in sync!
Showing posts with label bees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bees. Show all posts
Friday, March 20, 2009
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Honey!!
I am sticky. My van is sticky. My kitchen is sticky. Donna's driveway is sticky.
Guess what I did this morning!! I harvested honey! The adventure part happened when we had only 3 frames left to spin. Donna's bees found us out. It started with one little bee sipping up some honey from the bowl. In about 10 minutes we were inundated with bees!
Eventually with Donna's help and a hose we were able to get the bees away long enough to finish draining the tub of honey into my bucket. Many, many, MANY bees perished by drowning in honey. Those that didn't perish are surely in a diabetic coma right about now.
I was hoping to get about 30 pounds of honey this time around since I harvested 50 pounds in July. I got 50 pounds this time!! That's pretty good for two hives! One hive will die since I took nearly every drop of honey they had. I will attempt to winter over the stronger hive.
How sweet it is!!
Guess what I did this morning!! I harvested honey! The adventure part happened when we had only 3 frames left to spin. Donna's bees found us out. It started with one little bee sipping up some honey from the bowl. In about 10 minutes we were inundated with bees!
Eventually with Donna's help and a hose we were able to get the bees away long enough to finish draining the tub of honey into my bucket. Many, many, MANY bees perished by drowning in honey. Those that didn't perish are surely in a diabetic coma right about now.
I was hoping to get about 30 pounds of honey this time around since I harvested 50 pounds in July. I got 50 pounds this time!! That's pretty good for two hives! One hive will die since I took nearly every drop of honey they had. I will attempt to winter over the stronger hive.
How sweet it is!!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Counting My Blessings
Yesterday was a top ten day. We decided that since it was such a nice day and we had all the girls, we scratched all our plans and got spontaneous. We packed a picnic lunch and the kites and headed for the Hammonds at Waterford Beach.
We ate our lunch with the scent of the ocean breezing over us. Then the girls flew kites for about 45 minutes. The wind was there but not steady enough for any real height. So we decided to walk on the beach. As we walked Sam told the stories his mom had told him about growing up on that very property. Sam's grandfather had been the caretaker of the land long before it was given to the town of Waterford. Waterford Beach was my mother-in-law's back yard! Can you imagine!?
The girls were warned to not get their feet wet as we walked. So of course they made a game of how close they could get to the waves. I had one of those snapshot moments: you feel as though you are watching yourself from on the outside. You know: you are walking along and realize how truly blessed your life is. That you are holding the hand of the guy you are still madly in love with; you have the most amazing kids that are having the time of their lives dodging the waves. You watch as Abby grabs Samantha and carries her, squealing, running away from the wave Samantha hadn't noticed because she was too involved looking at the mussel shell. You think about how hopefully someday your kids will be bringing their kids to this beach and telling them the stories of their great grandmother's growing up days.
As we walked back, Samantha needed to use a bathroom. Since the bathrooms were all locked up and Sam didn't think that he could get by at the Hammond house with "My mom used to live here, can we use your bathroom," we drove to my in-law's to use their restroom. Once my mother-in-law heard where we had been, she began to tell the girls even more stories about growing up in the 1920s and 30s. Eugene O'Neil, catching snakes with her brothers, riding bikes as fast as they could around the Hammond House.
We left there to go to Lowes where we picked out the selving we needed for the mudroom. They had tile on clearance with an additional 50% off that was perfect for the bathroom and they had a complete shower that had a chip in the base that they marked down another $100 for us. So we had that stuff set aside until we could come back without the girls to pick it up. We priced out the fixtures we wanted for the bathroom. Since there is no hurry yet, we'll keep our eyes on it for discounts or damages.
When we came home I checked in on my bees. They are all doing fine. One hive is definitely stronger and they got additional frames put on top to give them more room.
After we drove Hannah to the girls scout camp we went back to Lowes to pick up the tiles, etc. We then went to the mall to spend some "alone time". At Old Navy I had a coupon for $20 off any purchase and we found Sam a pair of $24 pants! We walked through a few more stores to see if we could find a denim skirt for me. Apparently, unless you are willing to wear a skirt that just grazes the middle of your hip, you won't be wearing a denim skirt this summer!
On our way home the battery in the van began to die. This is the third battery in 6 months to do this. We barely made it home: no gauages, faint headlights, no interior lights. The last time they told us it wasn't the alternator, although we now suspect it is. Sam had to turn down overtime last night so that he could be home today to deal with it. I am glad for the timing though. If it hadn't happened last night and he had taken the OT, I would have lost the battery during the day today when I would have been driving all over the place with all the girls.
Definitely counting my blessings!
We ate our lunch with the scent of the ocean breezing over us. Then the girls flew kites for about 45 minutes. The wind was there but not steady enough for any real height. So we decided to walk on the beach. As we walked Sam told the stories his mom had told him about growing up on that very property. Sam's grandfather had been the caretaker of the land long before it was given to the town of Waterford. Waterford Beach was my mother-in-law's back yard! Can you imagine!?
The girls were warned to not get their feet wet as we walked. So of course they made a game of how close they could get to the waves. I had one of those snapshot moments: you feel as though you are watching yourself from on the outside. You know: you are walking along and realize how truly blessed your life is. That you are holding the hand of the guy you are still madly in love with; you have the most amazing kids that are having the time of their lives dodging the waves. You watch as Abby grabs Samantha and carries her, squealing, running away from the wave Samantha hadn't noticed because she was too involved looking at the mussel shell. You think about how hopefully someday your kids will be bringing their kids to this beach and telling them the stories of their great grandmother's growing up days.
As we walked back, Samantha needed to use a bathroom. Since the bathrooms were all locked up and Sam didn't think that he could get by at the Hammond house with "My mom used to live here, can we use your bathroom," we drove to my in-law's to use their restroom. Once my mother-in-law heard where we had been, she began to tell the girls even more stories about growing up in the 1920s and 30s. Eugene O'Neil, catching snakes with her brothers, riding bikes as fast as they could around the Hammond House.
We left there to go to Lowes where we picked out the selving we needed for the mudroom. They had tile on clearance with an additional 50% off that was perfect for the bathroom and they had a complete shower that had a chip in the base that they marked down another $100 for us. So we had that stuff set aside until we could come back without the girls to pick it up. We priced out the fixtures we wanted for the bathroom. Since there is no hurry yet, we'll keep our eyes on it for discounts or damages.
When we came home I checked in on my bees. They are all doing fine. One hive is definitely stronger and they got additional frames put on top to give them more room.
After we drove Hannah to the girls scout camp we went back to Lowes to pick up the tiles, etc. We then went to the mall to spend some "alone time". At Old Navy I had a coupon for $20 off any purchase and we found Sam a pair of $24 pants! We walked through a few more stores to see if we could find a denim skirt for me. Apparently, unless you are willing to wear a skirt that just grazes the middle of your hip, you won't be wearing a denim skirt this summer!
On our way home the battery in the van began to die. This is the third battery in 6 months to do this. We barely made it home: no gauages, faint headlights, no interior lights. The last time they told us it wasn't the alternator, although we now suspect it is. Sam had to turn down overtime last night so that he could be home today to deal with it. I am glad for the timing though. If it hadn't happened last night and he had taken the OT, I would have lost the battery during the day today when I would have been driving all over the place with all the girls.
Definitely counting my blessings!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Will Spring come?
Finally, things are settling down a bit around here. The newest chicks are in under their heat lamps. We didn't lose a single one this time around. Hannah is excited because her "free rare chick" has a crest.
The Chicken Emporium has been painted and the fencing assembled. Today we will introduce the older chicks to it. The four new Chinese Silkie roosters that Hannah adopted from the Humane Society yesterday are settled in their mini coop while they are quarantined for a few weeks. Their crowing this morning set all the dogs to barking, but it is nice to have crowing here again. We haven't had a rooster for nearly 4 years.
My bees are in their hives. Today I will check to see if they have released the queen. They were very reluctant to leave their boxes. I have never had that happen before. I think perhaps it was just too cold.
The two does who are due and past due at this point are looking ready to explode. Today is supposed to be nice; warmer and partly sunny. A good day to birth some babies.
Yesterday we observed a pair of wood ducks nesting in a tree in our goat pen. Seeing a web-footed creature 40 feet up in a tree is a sight to behold! We hope they stay and hatch their babies.
I cleaned the leaves off of my crocusi and daffodils. Perhaps Spring really will come? I look at my yard and I am anxious to get the winter debris cleaned up. Perhaps if the sun really does come out today, we will take the day off from schoolwork and work outside.
The Chicken Emporium has been painted and the fencing assembled. Today we will introduce the older chicks to it. The four new Chinese Silkie roosters that Hannah adopted from the Humane Society yesterday are settled in their mini coop while they are quarantined for a few weeks. Their crowing this morning set all the dogs to barking, but it is nice to have crowing here again. We haven't had a rooster for nearly 4 years.
My bees are in their hives. Today I will check to see if they have released the queen. They were very reluctant to leave their boxes. I have never had that happen before. I think perhaps it was just too cold.
The two does who are due and past due at this point are looking ready to explode. Today is supposed to be nice; warmer and partly sunny. A good day to birth some babies.
Yesterday we observed a pair of wood ducks nesting in a tree in our goat pen. Seeing a web-footed creature 40 feet up in a tree is a sight to behold! We hope they stay and hatch their babies.
I cleaned the leaves off of my crocusi and daffodils. Perhaps Spring really will come? I look at my yard and I am anxious to get the winter debris cleaned up. Perhaps if the sun really does come out today, we will take the day off from schoolwork and work outside.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Deep breathing
Okay, deep breath! Today we need to drop Hannah off at her girl scout leader's house so she can do her Cookie Booth thing, while we go to Tractor Supply for our 4-H Hot Dog Sale thing.
My bee hive equipment arrived yesterday while we were out buying the supplies for the Hot Dog Sale. So Sam put them together after he finished popping together 6 cremation containers for a customer. Today I will paint them so that tomorrow afternoon I can put bees in them.
Yesterday I cleaned out the hive that died and found a nasty little mouse, which explains why the bees died. The cat literally watched it run into the stonewall and didn't even move a whisker. Sheesh! The rotten mouse ate through TWO of my wooden frames. Thankfully I do have some extras hanging around.
Tomorrow I have to drive to Hampton to pick up the bees. Tomorrow is Billa's (Abby's goat) due date. Monday our chicks should arrive. Given my schedule, I am certain the goat will decide that tomorrow is the perfect time to kidd! The other goat (Bertie) is due April 2nd. Knowing my schedule, she'll decide that Monday will be the best day to kidd!
Sam finished the ceiling in the mudroom. Next the window and door trim, which I stained yesterday, will be put up. In theory the floor will start going down on Tuesday. Sam hung two of the coat racks so at least now some of the mess is dealt with. I can't wait until we can put the heavy coats away!
My bee hive equipment arrived yesterday while we were out buying the supplies for the Hot Dog Sale. So Sam put them together after he finished popping together 6 cremation containers for a customer. Today I will paint them so that tomorrow afternoon I can put bees in them.
Yesterday I cleaned out the hive that died and found a nasty little mouse, which explains why the bees died. The cat literally watched it run into the stonewall and didn't even move a whisker. Sheesh! The rotten mouse ate through TWO of my wooden frames. Thankfully I do have some extras hanging around.
Tomorrow I have to drive to Hampton to pick up the bees. Tomorrow is Billa's (Abby's goat) due date. Monday our chicks should arrive. Given my schedule, I am certain the goat will decide that tomorrow is the perfect time to kidd! The other goat (Bertie) is due April 2nd. Knowing my schedule, she'll decide that Monday will be the best day to kidd!
Sam finished the ceiling in the mudroom. Next the window and door trim, which I stained yesterday, will be put up. In theory the floor will start going down on Tuesday. Sam hung two of the coat racks so at least now some of the mess is dealt with. I can't wait until we can put the heavy coats away!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Bee rated
One of my bee hives is dead. Thousands of dead bees litter the doorway of the hive. Thousands more are dead on the inner cover. I don't know exactly what killed them. I assume it was the bizarre weather. Sixty degrees for a few days and then below freezing for the last week. They just got confused and perished thinking it was Spring.
I haven't checked the other hive yet. I saw a few bees flying around it yesterday, but it certainly wasn't the amount it should have been. I fear if it isn't dead, it soon will be.
My new bees are coming on March 30th. At least now I don't have to worry about my backordered supplies making it here in time. I can just reuse the stuff I have. And now I don't have to worry about re-queening the hives either. And hey when my new stuff does get here, I'll be all set if there is a swarm this year.
I haven't checked the other hive yet. I saw a few bees flying around it yesterday, but it certainly wasn't the amount it should have been. I fear if it isn't dead, it soon will be.
My new bees are coming on March 30th. At least now I don't have to worry about my backordered supplies making it here in time. I can just reuse the stuff I have. And now I don't have to worry about re-queening the hives either. And hey when my new stuff does get here, I'll be all set if there is a swarm this year.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
They're ALIVE!
We left yesterday morning, right after the bus picked up the two little ones for school. We brought two goats to the auction. One was Nathalie's kidd from last year which just wasn't growing right and the other was a doe which we have been unable to get bred for two years now.
On our way home we stopped at the bank and paid off a loan. WooHoo!! we then stopped at Lowe's to buy the tile etc. for the mudroom floor. This particular Lowes was in the middle of "Inventory" so we weren't able to get everything we needed. So we headed up the road apiece to another Lowes, where we were able to get the rest of our items.
When we returned home I saw the most glorious sight! BOTH hives of my bees were flying! One hive is definitely weaker than the other, but they are ALIVE!! With two more packages of bees coming, I'll have 4 hives to harvest, "Lord willin' and the crick don' rise!"
On our way home we stopped at the bank and paid off a loan. WooHoo!! we then stopped at Lowe's to buy the tile etc. for the mudroom floor. This particular Lowes was in the middle of "Inventory" so we weren't able to get everything we needed. So we headed up the road apiece to another Lowes, where we were able to get the rest of our items.
When we returned home I saw the most glorious sight! BOTH hives of my bees were flying! One hive is definitely weaker than the other, but they are ALIVE!! With two more packages of bees coming, I'll have 4 hives to harvest, "Lord willin' and the crick don' rise!"
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Day Five
Ahhhhh! A REAL vacation day.
Nobody threw up. No friends over. No driving anyone to friend's houses. And it even snowed to make it really feel like vacation!
Let's see, we really didn't do much all day: a few loads of laundry, shoveled the walkways, took care of the animals, cleaned the playroom, registered the children for Goat Day, sanded the mudroom walls, and did some schoolwork with the girls.
My friend Donna has started her own blog. The link is on the side bar under Soeltl Farm. Yet another vortex that has sucked her in...
I was able to check my bees, sort of. It was a quiet day with all the snow so I went out and "banged" on the hive. One hive buzzed. One did not. The quiet one was the weaker one and since I didn't expect either hive to make it, I am thrilled!
Nobody threw up. No friends over. No driving anyone to friend's houses. And it even snowed to make it really feel like vacation!
Let's see, we really didn't do much all day: a few loads of laundry, shoveled the walkways, took care of the animals, cleaned the playroom, registered the children for Goat Day, sanded the mudroom walls, and did some schoolwork with the girls.
My friend Donna has started her own blog. The link is on the side bar under Soeltl Farm. Yet another vortex that has sucked her in...
I was able to check my bees, sort of. It was a quiet day with all the snow so I went out and "banged" on the hive. One hive buzzed. One did not. The quiet one was the weaker one and since I didn't expect either hive to make it, I am thrilled!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Day Four
Day four of February Vacation was actually very laid back.
Hannah had slept over at her friend's house, so I was down to just four kids.
We did some school, some laundry, some firewood, and really just hung around.
Rachel's friend Grace (Grace's sister Dianna came too. She is Samantha's friend) came over and her mom and I had a nice visit while Abby and Nathalie took turns chasing her son Will.
Nathalie had a friend come over in the afternoon.
Hannah came home around 5PM.
Abby started throwing up around then.
I left for Bee School (final night!) at 5:30PM. Tim Grilley, one of the judges from the Public Speaking competition, came up and told me that he had an incredible time being judge and he was really impressed with the variety and quality of the speeches.
Donna only tried to kill me on the way home: yellow means slow down, not slam on the breaks and cause all kinds of havoc; and the fire engine did not have it's lights going! Me with a cold and she is making me laugh so hard I can hardly breathe! I don't know how Kelly can follow our conversations. We jump from topic to topic with absolutely no transitions.
So Bee School is over. I won't know for another 2 weeks (unless we get a very warm day) if my bees wintered over. I bought two new packs of bees just in case they didn't.
The chicks are surviving and growing.
All the children have had the "Barf Bug" now. Maybe we are done with the sickness for this winter??
One more day of vacation and snow is predicted!
Hannah had slept over at her friend's house, so I was down to just four kids.
We did some school, some laundry, some firewood, and really just hung around.
Rachel's friend Grace (Grace's sister Dianna came too. She is Samantha's friend) came over and her mom and I had a nice visit while Abby and Nathalie took turns chasing her son Will.
Nathalie had a friend come over in the afternoon.
Hannah came home around 5PM.
Abby started throwing up around then.
I left for Bee School (final night!) at 5:30PM. Tim Grilley, one of the judges from the Public Speaking competition, came up and told me that he had an incredible time being judge and he was really impressed with the variety and quality of the speeches.
Donna only tried to kill me on the way home: yellow means slow down, not slam on the breaks and cause all kinds of havoc; and the fire engine did not have it's lights going! Me with a cold and she is making me laugh so hard I can hardly breathe! I don't know how Kelly can follow our conversations. We jump from topic to topic with absolutely no transitions.
So Bee School is over. I won't know for another 2 weeks (unless we get a very warm day) if my bees wintered over. I bought two new packs of bees just in case they didn't.
The chicks are surviving and growing.
All the children have had the "Barf Bug" now. Maybe we are done with the sickness for this winter??
One more day of vacation and snow is predicted!
Friday, February 8, 2008
I think we may have totally traumatized Kelly last night at Bee School. Donna had lost a doe to some cause yet to be determined and so Donna and I were discussing possibles: "It could have been.... but, then she would have shown ..... and she didn't." This is what we do, we discuss the animal and then when we finally discover what the problem was, it wasn't anything we ever would have expected. Meningeoencephalitis for example!
We had a pretty uneventful trip to and from school. That's cause I was driving. Despite the slush falling from the sky, we all survived.
Of course the woman sitting behind us at class who was coughing up a lung was a little disconcerting. If you are that sick, STAY HOME!
Or the woman in front of us who had to ask the weirdest questions. I went to school to be a teacher; I get the whole "There are no dumb questions" theory. This woman defies the theory. If she had stopped trying to think up questions to ask and had listened to the instructor she might have had fewer questions.
We met up with another Lebanon-ite. I have known this person for over 10 years and never knew she kept bees. She lost all of her hives this past fall so she is starting over this spring. I can sympathiize having been there done that! But, as of last week, BOTH of my hives were still ALIVE. This warm February may do them in though...
We had a pretty uneventful trip to and from school. That's cause I was driving. Despite the slush falling from the sky, we all survived.
Of course the woman sitting behind us at class who was coughing up a lung was a little disconcerting. If you are that sick, STAY HOME!
Or the woman in front of us who had to ask the weirdest questions. I went to school to be a teacher; I get the whole "There are no dumb questions" theory. This woman defies the theory. If she had stopped trying to think up questions to ask and had listened to the instructor she might have had fewer questions.
We met up with another Lebanon-ite. I have known this person for over 10 years and never knew she kept bees. She lost all of her hives this past fall so she is starting over this spring. I can sympathiize having been there done that! But, as of last week, BOTH of my hives were still ALIVE. This warm February may do them in though...
Friday, February 1, 2008
School
Last night I went to school: Bee School. My friends, Donna and Kelly, went too. We were there to learn about how to raise bees for honey. I have been raising bees for going on 5 years, Kelly just finished her first year and Donna is being sucked into the vortex. I tend to have that effect on Donna: the 4H vortex, the fair vortex, and this summer she was finally sucked into the homeschool vortex. Well last night she paid me back: she tried to kill me. Twice.
The first incident involved an ambulance which was trying to pull out from a side street. We had to stop suddenly to allow him to enter the main road. I didn't think it was an attempt on my life until I saw her accomplice in the rearview mirror coming in too fast. He/She did manage to stop before causing Kelly (in the seat behind me) to become intimately knowledgable with my head.
Donna and are a fun loving group. I think Sam's words when he was told that she and I would be carpooling were: "You and Donna, in a car, together, for an hour? Oh boy!" Kelly is a bit more quiet and reserved. We'll pull her in to our vortex soon enough. It is a 4 week course. We have time.
I digress. We arrived at UCONN for our class. Donna and I joke, tease and have a good time introducing ourselves to the people around us. The woman behind us, we discover, is also a homeschoooler. The guy next to her has 3 Kiko goats in Florida. (??? that is another story in itself!) The guy in front of us has 4 and 6 year old children and is looking into homeschooling. Kelly actually has the homeschool group business cards to hand out! The woman is scary with how organized she is.
During the mid lesson break, they have coffee and cookies for us. I am happily drinking my coffee when Donna made her second attempt on my life. She waited until I had just taken a sip and then she said something funny. I was trying so hard to NOT spray the guy in front of me and yet remain breathing. So Donna suggests to guy he might want a raincoat. He doesn't even crack a smile. This causes me to laugh harder, still with coffee in my mouth! I finally manage to swallow but in the process also inhaled enough coffee into my lungs to cause me to choke, gasp sputter, cough, and yes, even drool. All the meanwhile long, DONNA is laughing at me! But her planned failed, I didn't die laughing!
Of course there are 3 more Thursdays of class... maybe next week, I'll drive...
The first incident involved an ambulance which was trying to pull out from a side street. We had to stop suddenly to allow him to enter the main road. I didn't think it was an attempt on my life until I saw her accomplice in the rearview mirror coming in too fast. He/She did manage to stop before causing Kelly (in the seat behind me) to become intimately knowledgable with my head.
Donna and are a fun loving group. I think Sam's words when he was told that she and I would be carpooling were: "You and Donna, in a car, together, for an hour? Oh boy!" Kelly is a bit more quiet and reserved. We'll pull her in to our vortex soon enough. It is a 4 week course. We have time.
I digress. We arrived at UCONN for our class. Donna and I joke, tease and have a good time introducing ourselves to the people around us. The woman behind us, we discover, is also a homeschoooler. The guy next to her has 3 Kiko goats in Florida. (??? that is another story in itself!) The guy in front of us has 4 and 6 year old children and is looking into homeschooling. Kelly actually has the homeschool group business cards to hand out! The woman is scary with how organized she is.
During the mid lesson break, they have coffee and cookies for us. I am happily drinking my coffee when Donna made her second attempt on my life. She waited until I had just taken a sip and then she said something funny. I was trying so hard to NOT spray the guy in front of me and yet remain breathing. So Donna suggests to guy he might want a raincoat. He doesn't even crack a smile. This causes me to laugh harder, still with coffee in my mouth! I finally manage to swallow but in the process also inhaled enough coffee into my lungs to cause me to choke, gasp sputter, cough, and yes, even drool. All the meanwhile long, DONNA is laughing at me! But her planned failed, I didn't die laughing!
Of course there are 3 more Thursdays of class... maybe next week, I'll drive...
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