Yesterday, March 16th, I went into the greenhouse to finish cleaning up my bee supplies and to move the hives outside to their spot in the yard. Yes, I'm getting ready for the bees to arrive next month. And getting ready to plant seeds in the greenhouse so I needed the room.
On a table, at the end of my mission, I saw a bee thrashing about. I think I must have knocked her from wherever she was living onto the table. So I placed her on a frame that I had just cleaned off, and added another frame over her. She was the only one I saw but it was a welcome sight to see that one of my bees survived the winter! Not that she'll do anything until there's a queen and you can't make a queen with one bee so I just hope she survives until the other bees arrive.
It makes me wonder if I should winter my bees in the greenhouse. It has a dutch door so I could keep that door open so that the bees can get out whenever they want. Otherwise they would be protected from the cold on all four sides...better protection than they get outside. I had asked about that once and was told the fluctuation of temperature would be an issue (probably due to the condensation within the hive). I will do some research to see if other beekeepers keep bees in a greenhouse through the winter.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Friday, March 14, 2014
mid March 2014 - doesn't feel much like spring yet
It's tough to write about beekeeping during these cold months. I am supposed to get my first package of bees in another 6 weeks and I sure hope it is warm enough by then. That first package is a 3 pound one.
The next bees to come will be a nuc that will be bees and brood and a queen on 5 frames.
These two packages will go into two separate hives that I have ready to go and I will do my very best to keep them alive and thriving this season...and throughout next winter.
Today, it's 40 degrees. I suppose it's melting some of the snow, but not fast enough for me. I am ready for daffodils and crocuses and hyacinths and tulips...to be followed by forsythia and then lilacs, and all the other flowering spring shrubs.
I was needing some flowers in the house so picked up a few tulips in a pot that I'm enjoying now and will plant later in hopes that they'll bloom for me next spring.
Meanwhile, I grew some basil that I'm trying to keep alive until I can plant it outside at the end of May. But the aphids have found it and I'm at war with them at the moment, picking them or washing them off almost daily. Today I threw out one of the plants...it was too far gone. But I have another 3 that are still doing good and will be watching them closely.
I'm anxious to see how the blueberry bushes do this year. They were large bushes that came from next door and last year, they did pretty well even though they were shocked from the move and replanting.
I also planted Apple, pear, cherry and peach trees that will hopefully at least bloom this year and maybe even provide fruit. The peach tree gave me some peaches last year but that is a year older than the others. Time will tell. Half the fun of gardening is seeing what the season brings!
Happy gardening!
The next bees to come will be a nuc that will be bees and brood and a queen on 5 frames.
These two packages will go into two separate hives that I have ready to go and I will do my very best to keep them alive and thriving this season...and throughout next winter.
Today, it's 40 degrees. I suppose it's melting some of the snow, but not fast enough for me. I am ready for daffodils and crocuses and hyacinths and tulips...to be followed by forsythia and then lilacs, and all the other flowering spring shrubs.
I was needing some flowers in the house so picked up a few tulips in a pot that I'm enjoying now and will plant later in hopes that they'll bloom for me next spring.
Meanwhile, I grew some basil that I'm trying to keep alive until I can plant it outside at the end of May. But the aphids have found it and I'm at war with them at the moment, picking them or washing them off almost daily. Today I threw out one of the plants...it was too far gone. But I have another 3 that are still doing good and will be watching them closely.
I'm anxious to see how the blueberry bushes do this year. They were large bushes that came from next door and last year, they did pretty well even though they were shocked from the move and replanting.
I also planted Apple, pear, cherry and peach trees that will hopefully at least bloom this year and maybe even provide fruit. The peach tree gave me some peaches last year but that is a year older than the others. Time will tell. Half the fun of gardening is seeing what the season brings!
Happy gardening!
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