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February Update: Bees, the Greenhouse, and Winter Storm
In a winter update, the author discusses greenhouse preparations, bee activity, and recent storms. Bees are fed to prepare for spring, while greenhouse enhancements include grow lights and temperature monitoring systems using Home Assistant. After a damaging storm, recovery efforts included replanting and installing an exhaust fan to manage heat.
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The Gnome Home bad news and good news…
On June 2nd, the second swarm from Howard County was transferred to the Gnome Home hive box. Despite initial difficulties, the colony became the strongest and aided the other colonies. Winter posed challenges, but feeding helped them survive. Unfortunately, a cold spell and small hive beetles led to their demise. After extensive cleaning and torching,…
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Lavender Bed June 2024
The lavender bed has seen significant growth since April, now reaching 60 plants. Despite some initial challenges, such as a broken soaker hose and saturated ground, most plants have survived. Additionally, buckwheat has attracted bees, and the honey is anticipated to have a rich flavor. Overall, good progress has been made.
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Working on frame tops…
September 1, 2023 I decided this would be a good day to work on frame tops. Of all the pieces of a frame the top takes the most amount of work. First the frame needs to be cut to a length of 14 5/16 inches and then to a width of 1 1/2 inches. After…
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Good idea, but…
7/13/2023 Just finished moving a swarm trap from Howard County to home. It is full of bees who are pretty upset. Originally, the plan was to move them yesterday the 12th, but severe weather keep us in for the night – mostly without power. The last few weeks we have talked to several people who…
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Much todo about nothing…
The post discusses an incident with bees and a trap, inspired by Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. After bringing back a bee swarm and leaving it overnight, the bees disappeared by morning. Lessons learned include waiting longer before moving the trap. The author humorously labels the experience a “comedy of errors.”