Checking on bees in mid January

Yesterday, January 10th, brought warmth and sunshine so I put on my boots and walked over to the beehive to see if there was any activity.  There was.  Bees were flying about, and seemed like they were looking for food...doing what they always do.

But unfortunately, I also saw a lot of dead bees lying in the snow away from the hive...like the bees flew out but never made it back to the hive.  In doing some reading, I learned that this is normal and that if I see bees at all, that's a good thing because they are still alive in the hive.  At least some of them are.

It doesn't look like there are any surviving bees in my little nuc on the left.  I will be surprised if there are any that  make it so if not, I'll need to start another in the spring, hoping that I have enough in the big hive to start another one.  I think it's just too small and they couldn't get warm enough in this Vermont climate.  If I try another Nuc in the future, I may keep them in the greenhouse where they can be warmer.  I was told, however, that the fluctuating temperature might be too much for them. Not sure but the cold getting to them in a small hive doesn't seem to have worked.

Bees getting some fresh air in January

Happy bees venturing outside

Bee in the snow...taking a drink?

Bee looking for nectar or pollen, fruitlessly

 The next day was still warmer, for January in New England, so I went into the larger hive and added some fondant to begin feeding the bees.  I'm told that they begin to get ready for spring during January and begin eating more.  So this supply of fondant should carry them over until the next warm day when I can open the hive to check on them.

It's funny how one begins to worry about them when they've been surviving on their own for thousands of years...well, at least until man began using pesticides.

Bee hives dressed for winter in December

Today is mid-December...the 15th.  I checked on the bees yesterday, preparing to give them more fondant.  But the fondant I gave them before is not all gone yet so I think they have another few weeks before they need more.

I also took out the electric fence yesterday and put it in the basement for the winter. I sure hope there are no more bear out there foraging.  In some ways, I wish I had a fence that could stay up all year so that I didn't have to worry about it.  But so far, they are save.  I actually didn't have the battery hooked up for over a week and nothing bad happened.  I didn't dare wait much longer because I was afraid the ground would freeze and I wouldn't be able to get the posts out.

Beehives in mid-December 2012

In the beehive on the right, the bees are at the very bottom...I'm told they are clustered in a little ball.  I saw zero activity so I removed a few frames and put my ear right down into the hive to see if I could hear any activity down there.  Thankfully I did...at least in the big hive.  I'm not as sure about the small hive.  We'll see if that survives the winter.  I'm tempted to put the little one in my greenhouse for the winter where I think it would have a better chance but will see how this winter goes and learn from the experience.

Yard chores during mild December

The conditions were right yesterday, December 9th, to get outside and do work typically saved for spring cleanup. That's because in mid December, it's usually too cold for "spring cleanup".  But yesterday was a mild 50 degrees here in Southern Vermont so I took advantage of it. I began cleaning out an area of my yard that had a lot of downed branches and a few small scraggly trees that fell during excavation and storms.

Here's what the area looked like before the cleanup

Here's the area after cleanup

I burned brush for hours.  This particular area looked especially ugly because it was loaded with the brown, dry remains of ferns.  A metal rake soon had them pulled out and what a difference it made to the area.  I just cleaned out the dead wood and raked up the dead ferns.  Naturally I pulled out rogue wild raspberry or blackberry plants and there was and still is a lot of poison ivy in the area.  I pulled up a lot of it but there plenty more. That's a job I will tackle another day.

I have a lot of Japanese barberry, an invasive plant.  I pulled some of it out earlier this year and am cutting down more in this cleanup. It will be difficult to keep up with unless my neighbor also removes it from his land but I will try my best to keep it at bay on mine.

I may not get another chance this year to work in the yard like it was spring.  I really had the best time..it was so nice to just spend the day outside.

I have plans for the area I'm cleaning out.  It is at the top of my driveway and is really the first thing I see driving up.  I'd like it to be attractive.  I want to move a beehive into that area with some herbs planted around it and line the driveway with lilies or other hardy plants.

Also, there is a lot of shade between the parking area and the area where the beehive will go.  A pathway through the wooded area with shade-loving plants tucked here and there would be lovely.  I'd like to begin that project in the spring.  It would be fun to use just native plants that are sure to thrive. I can't wait for seed catalogs to arrive so I can begin growing plants for this area. Perhaps I can find other native plants from the area and transplant into this area as well. 

It's all part of the fun.

The making of a gingerbread house

I feel like a slacker because I've not been very active with my beekeeping blog.  And this post is not going to be about bees except perhaps mentioned in passing. This post will be about making a gingerbread house with my family.

It all started with some ad on a website and I clicked on it.  It was a very cute gingerbread house that McCormicks had posted.  I remembered when my kids were little, I made a gingerbread house and thought I'd have a nervous breakdown as a result.  Everything seemed to go wrong with that house and I very much was looking for perfection.  While the kids loved it, I don't remember them helping to build it.  I must have started it while they were in school.  Not sure.

completed gingerbread house

So I sent the link to my daughter and we decided to make this one with the kids...they are 8 and 3 and I was hoping for a better result this time.

The making, cooking, assembling and decorating the house took 3 days because large chunks of time are needed between steps in the process.  The directions had to be read very carefully!  That is my advice to anyone who wants to build one of these things.  Read those directions....a lot of pertinent information was tucked into the end in a 'hints' section...so read it all before you start.

I started it by making the dough, created templates using cardboard from the pattern, and cut out the shapes and baked each piece...two fronts, two sides, and two roofs.

After they were cut out, they needed to sit for at least 1 hour to give the dough a chance to expand, (I believe that's why), before cooking.  After they were cooked and just slightly cooled, they needed to be trimmed again, using the template as a guide.  They do lose some shape after they are baked so this is a necessary step. 

You want to get the trimming done quickly because these pieces become so hard, you'd need to sand them down otherwise.  I used a pizza cutter while they were still soft.

The recipe recommended (at the end of their instructions which I almost missed) to pipe in the windows before you assemble the house.  It would have been very difficult to do from an upright angle, especially from someone not skilled in piping frosting such as myself.

The next step was assembling the pieces.  And the assembly needs several hours of drying time so I did this the day before decorating and let it sit overnight to dry.

Start with something they call "royal icing".  This icing gets real hard when it sets.  This is your glue.  I started with the front and side pieces and used a piping bag for the frosting and "glued" the fronts and sides at the corners.  Then this needed to sit for at least a few hours to dry.  (I let it sit for two hours.  Next time, I would double that time, or even let it sit overnight before going to the next step, which is to add the roof pieces)
I propped up the front and sides with various canned goods which were a great help.  Have them within reach before you start.

Gingerbread house propped up while frosting dries

Don't be skimpy with the frosting.  If the corners are not neat and pretty at this stage, don't worry...you will add piping over these corners in the decorating process.

So a few hours into the drying process, the 4 pieces were holding together nicely.  I tested to make sure it wasn't going to fall apart on me.  It seemed fine.  So I began adding the two roof pieces by gluing the peaks together and the top of the sides with a thick ribbon of frosting.  Then, as I was adjusting them into place, the sides fell apart.  I begin shaking.

gingerbread house ready for decorating

Somehow, I got it all put back together with more frosting.  I propped the roof pieces a bit, which the recipe didn't call for, but I wasn't about to take chances of having one, or both, slide off and break.  We needed to decorate it the next day.  So I let it sit overnight.  The recipe said for at least 3 hours.  I wanted it to have even more time to dry.

The next day, itt made the 5 mile trip from my house to theirs and now we're ready to get going on the decorating. Decorating began with making gingerbread cookies and other gingerbread pieces we might want to use on the house.  In the end, only a few of the cookies were used on the house...others were kept for eating.

Melissa adding piping to make the base for candy fence

Frosting piped around the edge provides a base for adding candy fence

gingerbread house front entrance using vanilla wafer cookies, licorice around front door and piece of candy for doorknob. Parchment paper under house is removed at the end.

Tristan thinking creative thoughts.  Also notice the gumdrop candy fence 

What was so fun about this project were how much the kids were involved.  They were participants for hours and I was surprised it held their attention that long.  Especially for the little one. Here they are sitting next to the finished gingerbread house and very proud of their work.  What will be interesting is how this house looks over the next month.  Already that front green marshmellow tree fell down (accidentally on purpose?) and has been eaten! But mother has more of the candy to replenish pieces that disappear over the next month.  It's all part of the fun.

Winterizing the beehive

Today is November 7th in Southern Vermont.  We have snow in the forecast for tonight so earlier today I tried to insulate my hives beyond the bales of hay surrounding three sides.

I bought a roll of tar paper, or roofing paper, and stapled it around it, leaving just the entrance uncovered.

Then, under the inner cover, I added a piece of foam insulation to hold in the heat.  Then, to channel any water from condensation  down and away from the bees, I tilted the top cover slightly so it would run off.

 I did the same thing for the small nuc hive and tucked it right next to the bigger one.  The bales of hay were put back into place.  Now I think I'm all set with them except periodically checking on food and brushing away any dead bees from the entrance.

Fondant for feeding bees

While I was in there, I replenished their food (the fondant) and brushed any dead bees away from the entrance on the large hive.
Notice how thick the fondant is. It stays this taffy-like consistency and the bees lick it off.

I also was going to remove the electric fence from around the hives, a seasonal remedy for bears.  I thought they must be in hibernation.  I was wrong.  My neighbor told me the bear visited their suet just a few days ago. So today, I need to get more batteries because I noticed there's no more charge.  I will take care of this today.

Now, a day later, there was no snow here at all.  I saw a few flakes this morning and that's all.  But I'm glad I got the hives set for the winter anyway.

I will get a wreath to decorate it for Christmas and probably leave it up until spring.

First frosts are a relief

Our first frost here in southern Vermont, at least at my house, was Friday night.  Sometime after midnight probably which really makes it October 13th.  And there was a frost the next night too. So gardens are pretty much gone.

In some ways, it's a relief.  Now I can clean out this year's garden remnants and start with a clean slate in the spring. 

The broccoli survived these two frosts.  As did the kale (no surprise there) and the chard.  Both were covered at night  because I want to eat them as long as possible.

The beeshives are now side by side and protected by bales of hay on three sides.  I will cover them with either plywood of a piece of tin roofing material.  And just hope they survive.

Fall activities for beekeepers and farmerettes

I remember someone in my past calling me a little farmerette.  I doubt it's even a word and should probably look it up. But some days, that's just how I feel.  Well, most days actually :).

Tonight it's going to get cold.  The coldest this season.  Down to around 40 degrees.  No frost yet, but it will feel like it's imminent.  Probably because it is.

I found myself wanting to pick a bunch of flowers, thinking they  may be my last fresh ones in the house this year.  I finally got out and have them on my dining room table.  I will miss their presence in my life over the winter. I dry some to give me some reminders of seasons past but we all know it's not the same!

Autumn does have it's own garden pleasures too...with orange bittersweet wreaths and gourds dressing up a shed or a front door. Pumpkins, fresh apples, indian corn. Mushrooms.  I'll be talking about  mushrooms in another post since I spend a little bit of almost every day hunting them at this time of year.

In the autumn, I rediscover meals like baked beans and biscuits,...last night's meal.  It'll be tonight's meal as well. I tried one of Alice Waters's recipes for pork chops.  So simple.  And so good.

Salt and pepper both sides of a pork chop
leave out for a few hours
Press fresh herb into the sides of the chops (I used rosemary sprigs)
Heat olive oil
fry for 5 minutes over medium heat
flip over and fry another 4 minutes on the other side
let stand for another 5 minutes

I found them to be perfectly done, a bit of au jus left in the pan, and still moist and juicy. Delicious.

Chops went very well with the beans and biscuits.