Last night at just about this time, it was dusk, and I looked out the kitchen window which looks down beyond the pond where the woods meets the lawn, and see two coyotes. One of them went into the woods to the right, into the pines. The other sat down beyond a small woodpile of useless hemlock and waited for the other one it seemed. I think that was correct because finally the other one came out of the pines and headed down the hill away from his companion and me.
By that time, I was wondering if there was any communication between them. I thought that because one night a few years back, I listened as two coyotes signaled each other. First they were very far away, and they would answer each other from opposite sides of the little canyon beyond my house. I listened to them get closer and closer until there was silence again. I figured they found each other. It was so beautiful.
So I opened the window to hear something like that. But there was silence. As I closed the window, the sitting and waiting pup heard me. And he or she took off like lightening! In the opposite direction from the companion.
I sort of figured, afterwards, that it was a mother and child. The mother sat by the logs waiting for the other to do a bit of wandering on its own. Perhaps the "child" was hunting in there. The "mother's" attention appeared to be so very watchful.
Seeing and hearing wildlife is such fun.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Sunday, February 12, 2017
2/12/17 - snowstorms and downtime
What I like about the winter is that it's a time when you can snuggle up with a book or a movie or a game and wile away the day guilt free! If I get one or two chores done, know what's for dinner and had my shower, and make the bed, then I feel like I can do that for the rest of the day. But that's about the only thing I like about the winter.
I'm a summer gal/lady/old lady/grandma lady...through and through. This week, I began the process of 'thinking summer'. I planted some seeds.
Someone sent a link about starting seeds outside in January and February in empty plastic jugs that have been cut in half and had holes drilled for drainage. Then fill them with dirt, plant your seeds, water thoroughly and put the cover back on and tape it shut a bit and put outside. I put them on my patio table. I need more jugs, but have one more to use this week.
Today I finished cleaning my last hive part and painting the outside of the last super. Others are all done and waiting to go out in late April to be ready for bees to come in early May. I like starting the year with cleaned hive parts. It's easy to do if you lose your bees because it's starting fresh. Not really what we want but it happens very often. If all the parts are outside being used, it's more difficult to get them all cleaned each year.
I'm excited about this year because I will start with two Nucs. That will give me two hives where I can compare them and also use them to supplement the other hive, if needed. It would be great to have two fully functioning hives.
I will treat for varroa mites this year and will not allow bee robbing which is what happened this year. I allowed my hive too many entrances and this gave robbers another avenue in. Plus my hive wasn't strong enough to fend them off.
I just saw a notice in the Brattleboro Beekeepers Facebook page that some mushrooms are being used (experimentally) to control varroa mites! That would be wonderful. Another tool in the toolbox. It seems that they just made a solution with it and let the bees drink. That would be easy for the beekeeper to manage.
Mid February is all about getting through it. Today is our second snowstorm in a week...or is it the third? It might be the third. But who's counting?
I'm a summer gal/lady/old lady/grandma lady...through and through. This week, I began the process of 'thinking summer'. I planted some seeds.
Someone sent a link about starting seeds outside in January and February in empty plastic jugs that have been cut in half and had holes drilled for drainage. Then fill them with dirt, plant your seeds, water thoroughly and put the cover back on and tape it shut a bit and put outside. I put them on my patio table. I need more jugs, but have one more to use this week.
Today I finished cleaning my last hive part and painting the outside of the last super. Others are all done and waiting to go out in late April to be ready for bees to come in early May. I like starting the year with cleaned hive parts. It's easy to do if you lose your bees because it's starting fresh. Not really what we want but it happens very often. If all the parts are outside being used, it's more difficult to get them all cleaned each year.
I'm excited about this year because I will start with two Nucs. That will give me two hives where I can compare them and also use them to supplement the other hive, if needed. It would be great to have two fully functioning hives.
I will treat for varroa mites this year and will not allow bee robbing which is what happened this year. I allowed my hive too many entrances and this gave robbers another avenue in. Plus my hive wasn't strong enough to fend them off.
I just saw a notice in the Brattleboro Beekeepers Facebook page that some mushrooms are being used (experimentally) to control varroa mites! That would be wonderful. Another tool in the toolbox. It seems that they just made a solution with it and let the bees drink. That would be easy for the beekeeper to manage.
Mid February is all about getting through it. Today is our second snowstorm in a week...or is it the third? It might be the third. But who's counting?
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Soon....a new year and a new season
A few days before Christmas, 2016, I'm thinking forward to spring and the bees that have been ordered. Next year, I will have two hives. I ordered two Nucs so that I'm sure I'll have two. I tried to increase the number of hives for a few years and lost the hives for one reason or another.
Once I have two hives, I do hope it helps me to fix problems before they are too large to be fixed. If one hive becomes weak, and the other strong, I can move bees from one to the other to help strengthen the hive, as one example. It just is good to have at least one other hive to compare.
I have the equipment for two hives and some extra frames. I'm looking forward to a new year.
Once I have two hives, I do hope it helps me to fix problems before they are too large to be fixed. If one hive becomes weak, and the other strong, I can move bees from one to the other to help strengthen the hive, as one example. It just is good to have at least one other hive to compare.
I have the equipment for two hives and some extra frames. I'm looking forward to a new year.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Bear visits early Nov. 2016
Ok, I've had enough of this!
Last week, a bear broke into my shed where I had some honey frames waiting to go to the dump. My shed door has one of those 1/2" steel pins that goes into the floor to keep the door in place. The bear bent it sideways and got in. He scattered all the frames over my vegetable garden until he was done, knocking over anything in his way. The garden fence was flattened as he made what looks to be his exit.
He also got into my compost bin on the other side of the yard. He had to dig deep to find the household compost stuff...I had it all covered with mowed leaves.
He came back at some point and went through the garden looking for frames he left behind but we had since taken them to the dump. He lifted a fake rock that goes over my propane tank cover, tossed it aside, looking for goodies under there.
Then yesterday at about 5PM, he sauntered into my yard, rested on my front lawn and generally acted like he'd been here before. In fact, he acted like he owned the place.
I took these shots and a video.
This morning, I see he's been back and has broken into the greenhouse. He broke into it last year around this time as well, but I have nothing stored in there anymore, other than empty flower pots. Looks like he never made it inside but he tore off one of the panels to get in ...a potting bench that runs the length of the greenhouse was in his way however.
Then I happened to look outside at my pond. It's practically empty! And I see Butterfly bushes growing beside it flattened. I need to go see if he ate the water lilies too! (he didn't.) I'm assuming his claws have punctured a hole into the lining. Yet another fix-it job perhaps I also wonder if he didn't jump and splash around to cause the water to spill out.. I'll fill it and then see what happens. I had just removed the pump and hose that goes to little waterfall a few weeks ago. Otherwise, he'd have probably ruined at least the hose.
One last point. He didn't go anywhere near the electric fence around the beehives. I won't remove that until I'm sure he's gone into hibernation.
Last week, a bear broke into my shed where I had some honey frames waiting to go to the dump. My shed door has one of those 1/2" steel pins that goes into the floor to keep the door in place. The bear bent it sideways and got in. He scattered all the frames over my vegetable garden until he was done, knocking over anything in his way. The garden fence was flattened as he made what looks to be his exit.
He also got into my compost bin on the other side of the yard. He had to dig deep to find the household compost stuff...I had it all covered with mowed leaves.
He came back at some point and went through the garden looking for frames he left behind but we had since taken them to the dump. He lifted a fake rock that goes over my propane tank cover, tossed it aside, looking for goodies under there.
Then yesterday at about 5PM, he sauntered into my yard, rested on my front lawn and generally acted like he'd been here before. In fact, he acted like he owned the place.
 |
| Here he was about 20 feet from the front porch. Then he came to the tree and lied down for a bit. That's when I shut the door loudly so he'd take off. |
This morning, I see he's been back and has broken into the greenhouse. He broke into it last year around this time as well, but I have nothing stored in there anymore, other than empty flower pots. Looks like he never made it inside but he tore off one of the panels to get in ...a potting bench that runs the length of the greenhouse was in his way however.
Then I happened to look outside at my pond. It's practically empty! And I see Butterfly bushes growing beside it flattened. I need to go see if he ate the water lilies too! (he didn't.) I'm assuming his claws have punctured a hole into the lining. Yet another fix-it job perhaps I also wonder if he didn't jump and splash around to cause the water to spill out.. I'll fill it and then see what happens. I had just removed the pump and hose that goes to little waterfall a few weeks ago. Otherwise, he'd have probably ruined at least the hose.
One last point. He didn't go anywhere near the electric fence around the beehives. I won't remove that until I'm sure he's gone into hibernation.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Very discouraging
Today is 10 19 16. I went out to the hive with my binoculars to watch the girls as I like to do. Had to go in mid-afternoon since it's getting dark earlier and after work, I can't see them as well.
What I saw were hive beetles going in and out. That prompted me to do some research real quick and get out to the hive with the strips glued to the bottom of corregated cardboard so that the grooves are exposed, stapled the strips to the smooth side and taped to the bottom board. That was after cleaning out dead bees and shredded comb.
Then I started removing frames to see what I had. Basically a lot of diseased looking frames, and no honey left. A few bees grabbing what they could.
A week or so ago, I saw so many bees. Now I realize what I saw was robbing going on.
Now I have nothing again. I'm very discouraged and am not sure if I'll try again or not. I need to think about it. I certainly haven't done very well with this hobby and feel very bad about it.
I may put a Nuc with brand clean frames that have some comb into the greenhouse and add pollen patties for them to eat. Maybe I'll be able to keep a few bees that way. Maybe it's wishful thinking.
What I saw were hive beetles going in and out. That prompted me to do some research real quick and get out to the hive with the strips glued to the bottom of corregated cardboard so that the grooves are exposed, stapled the strips to the smooth side and taped to the bottom board. That was after cleaning out dead bees and shredded comb.
Then I started removing frames to see what I had. Basically a lot of diseased looking frames, and no honey left. A few bees grabbing what they could.
A week or so ago, I saw so many bees. Now I realize what I saw was robbing going on.
Now I have nothing again. I'm very discouraged and am not sure if I'll try again or not. I need to think about it. I certainly haven't done very well with this hobby and feel very bad about it.
I may put a Nuc with brand clean frames that have some comb into the greenhouse and add pollen patties for them to eat. Maybe I'll be able to keep a few bees that way. Maybe it's wishful thinking.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Watched a bee hatch before my very eyes!
I watched a bee be born a few days ago...at least one. So I believe I witnessed some of the last batch of bees to be born this season.
What worries me is that I just didn't see a huge number of bees. It seems that by this time of year, I should see more. But I saw a bit of brood...not much. And the bees hatching...I wonder if "hatching" is the right term. Being born then.
The hive is not the usual setup. I have all the brood and most of the activity in the upper deep. And the lower deep is the honey stores. And the stores aren't all that great either. I just don't know if I have enough bees to cluster and make it through the winter.
I have closed off the entrance to the 3 inch width with the mouse guard over that. I just have the two deeps there now. I will add pollen patties very soon and will need to replenish them often this winter to ensure they have enough food.
At this point, I'll order another nuc soon, for next spring. I had hoped to go into the winter with a very strong hive but that's not what I'm seeing.
I didn't see the queen there this time but that's not unusual, but with the fewer bees on the frames, I think I should have seen her. But I didn't check every single frame either. I spot checked. So that could easily be why I didn't spot her. She had been active fairly recently given I watched some of her babies be born.
Always a mystery. I do hope, and will continue to do what I think are the right things :) and try to get these girls through the winter.
What worries me is that I just didn't see a huge number of bees. It seems that by this time of year, I should see more. But I saw a bit of brood...not much. And the bees hatching...I wonder if "hatching" is the right term. Being born then.
The hive is not the usual setup. I have all the brood and most of the activity in the upper deep. And the lower deep is the honey stores. And the stores aren't all that great either. I just don't know if I have enough bees to cluster and make it through the winter.
I have closed off the entrance to the 3 inch width with the mouse guard over that. I just have the two deeps there now. I will add pollen patties very soon and will need to replenish them often this winter to ensure they have enough food.
At this point, I'll order another nuc soon, for next spring. I had hoped to go into the winter with a very strong hive but that's not what I'm seeing.
I didn't see the queen there this time but that's not unusual, but with the fewer bees on the frames, I think I should have seen her. But I didn't check every single frame either. I spot checked. So that could easily be why I didn't spot her. She had been active fairly recently given I watched some of her babies be born.
Always a mystery. I do hope, and will continue to do what I think are the right things :) and try to get these girls through the winter.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
brood chamber in upper deep
I feel like I must have switched the deeps around but I really don't think I did. During today's inspection here was my action list:
There is a lot of pollen again now with the goldenrod in full bloom. I hope they can fill up some of that uncapped honey and cover for their own use this winter.
I did buy pollen patties to help them later on. I guess we'll see what the next weeks show.
I really wanted to add another deep above the other two but that's probably something I'll want to do in the spring. Or if I can, I'll start another hive in the spring. But first I need to see these through the winter.
- remove supers and take honey for me
- add varroa mite strips to the two deeps
- add sugar water in the top hive feeder
- inspect all frames.
- add mouse guard to hive opening
- mow the grass around the hive in the fenced area
There is a lot of pollen again now with the goldenrod in full bloom. I hope they can fill up some of that uncapped honey and cover for their own use this winter.
I did buy pollen patties to help them later on. I guess we'll see what the next weeks show.
I really wanted to add another deep above the other two but that's probably something I'll want to do in the spring. Or if I can, I'll start another hive in the spring. But first I need to see these through the winter.
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