Last Sunday and Monday (12th and 13th of August) I extracted what I hope will be the first honey of the season. If we’re lucky, we’ll get more when the Golden Rod flow is finished. I got about 80lbs from the one hive came through last winter and thrived.
The other hive that also made it through the winter seems to be doing OK - but no surplus yet.
The hive that started as a nuc this year seems to be doing OK too - but no surplus there either.
Some neighbors down the street asked me to come and help get a swarm this evening. I had to climb quite high up a ladder into the tree - the bees had gathered all along and around a branch. The swarm was probably about 2 feet long or more. I was hoping they’d be docile and easy to brush into the cardboard box I held under them but instead they started to sting. I climbed down and put on a long sleeved shirt and gloves, then climbed back up to get more. A few more stung me through the shirt, but it was much better the second time. I’m not sure if we got the queen - I guess they’ll see where the bees are tomorrow.
Tonight was also the first night we started to hear the crickets.
The bees have been busy - I need to feel the supers on the middle colony and see how heavy it is.
It’s finally raining - just .1″ so far, but a bit more to come today and tonight.
Yesterday I added a super to the new colony of bees, and also one to the strong colony that made it through the winter. I put the second deep back on the colony that was struggling earlier - it seems to be doing well now.
I forgot to mention that although I only managed to transplant lettuce yesterday, I was able to finish making up the frames of a new brood chamber for the bees we got last week. I put it on top of the new colony at the end of the day. While doing this, I noticed quite a few (10 or so) small white objects at the entrance to the hive - chalkbrood, perhaps? As soon as we get a nice day, I’ll have to look inside and see how things look. I did take a brief look as i put the new hive body on and there seemed to be a lot of activity inside, so that’s good.
We picked up the new bee nuc yesterday too - everything went well when I set them up - I’ll add a second brood chamber in a few days. I don’t have the frames wired and fitted with foundation yet.
now just need to get the reds in the ground. Today I’m going to pick up the new bees from Swans Honey in Albion.
A few more seeds in the cold frame.
Triple Purple Orach
Mispoona Salad Select Gene Pool
Bull’s Blood Beet
Red Ace Hybrid Beet
Catlogna Radichetta
And two honey bees were checking out things as I started weeding the bed I’m going to plant peas in soon. Nothing much for them to do yet but gather water. That should change pretty soon I hope - when the red maples start blooming.
After a slow, warm start, this past winter turned out to be a long cold one. The snow is almost gone now and, as you can see from the photos below, the crocuses and skunk cabbage are coming up. And the nettles too - I should post a photo of the new nettles too. They’re what I was planting when I got the bad case of poison ivy last fall. Oh - and the chives are coming up too! The bees are starting to fly again as well.
I need to figure out where the potatoes will go this year. I really don’t want them in the main garden. Perhaps we’ll dig beds next to the Raspberry bed. The meadow really is sodden right now though.
On Sunday I helped a friend treat her bees with oxalic acid. I also cut two homasote covers to go over the inner cover and absorb moisture during the winter. Both colonies seemed strong and healthy.