Happy Harvest Blog
OPENING THE HIVE
I got my first chance to get into the hive. We´ve had a warm, early spring, so I've been feeding them, and anxious for the right warm day to come, so I can give them the third super. They´ve been unwrapped since the end of April, but this is the first time I´m going to the bottom of the hive, and the inner lid is coming off.
Unwrapping the bees
I had been marveling at the towers of styrofoam prefab hives, but when she said that, I realized how now wood is the exception. That´s why they have to drag it out of the back. Everything is plastic. Plastic frames, plastic foundation, plastic hive parts now.
Spring
It´s garden and greenhouse time - very busy. Everyone is well, the piglets are no longer -lets, just pigs, the bees are busy, the hens are entertaining and entertained. I have lots to share...but for now, a glimpse:The bunnies are grazing in the field alongside the hens and robins. They are almost all brown- some have tufts of white fur that haven´t fallen out yet, making them distinguishable. Low-speed chases happen - I suspect they are mating chases.
Honey part two
After the honey extraction comes filtration. Have to get out all the bee wings, wax caps and bits of leaves.See my super high-tech filtration system.
Bumblebee Rescue
I found this bedraggled bee sitting on the plastic of my greenhouse. I don't know what happened, but she was finished. She obviously was at the end of a run (pollen baskets full) without the strength to carry on.
Proved: honeybees can sting and NOT die
She would pause and tug and rub with her feet, and then run some more. She made somewhere around three dozen revolutions around her stinger. I couldn't believe I was watching a bee unscrew herself from the top of my foot.
Ant attack!
I had noticed they were rather testy lately, quite irritable when I go to close their door at night. They had briskly seen me off a few times and I was even stung. I thought that was odd because they used to be so mild. Now I get it.
Instagram.
I may not make a blog post every day, but at least I Insta.
Bite size.
