keljonma's Front Porch - Settling in and adjusting

[keljonma]

Pictures taken yesterday

Chicken whirlygig in the garden

Honeybees in the garden

Some of our Cockscomb

A video of the girls in Hive #1 bringing in bright orange pollen, although that really isn't discernible in the video... I think if you click on the link, it will start the video.

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/...iew&current=10-7-10Beevideohive1.mp4&newest=1

 

[Javamama]

It was a brutal year with the humidity - I'm usually still harvesting this time of year. I haven't had a fresh tomato in almost 2 months I may hit up the farm market this weekend for a couple. I find they are tastier this time of year too.

 

[lorihadams]

Hey darlin....went to my beek meeting last night and next month we will be placing orders for bees. I have a question for you....did you get a nuc or a package of bees? I am thinking of ordering a nuc and asking for a beginners package for xmas from mama and daddy.

Also, where did you order your hive from?

 

[ALANB.]

KELJONMA ; What got my interest was the two acres !! I live on the same spread with an additional 1/2 in an old river bed with brush I use for goat shade and brousing . I love to write about self sufficiency , and hope you would like a pen-pal , (I WOULD) I love fresh-cold -Goats milk and milk one daily . I figure She saves me $25.00 dollars a week in the store !! I'm as far south in Calif as you can travel on Hwy. I-10 in Blythe on the Arizona border . Give me a HEY' , to - bebop@i10net.com . Thankyou ...... , ALANB.

 

[Farmfresh]

Some hard working bees!

Are you by chance saving any seed from the cockscombs? I would love to have a pinch. I used to have some that my Great Aunt grew for years, but I finally lost my start.

 

[keljonma]

It was a brutal year with the humidity - I'm usually still harvesting this time of year. I haven't had a fresh tomato in almost 2 months I may hit up the farm market this weekend for a couple. I find they are tastier this time of year too.

Last Friday was the last Farmers Market for the village near us. We do have a Farm Market store about 15 minutes away, but not everything is locally produced.

 

[keljonma]

Hey darlin....went to my beek meeting last night and next month we will be placing orders for bees. I have a question for you....did you get a nuc or a package of bees? I am thinking of ordering a nuc and asking for a beginners package for xmas from mama and daddy.

Also, where did you order your hive from?

We got a 3# package of Italians from QueenRight Colonies here in Ohio.

Nobody around here (that I am aware of) gets bees before winter, as it is too easy to lose the hive before spring (due to starvation, damp, too small of colony size - all are possible causes of death; not to mention predators and disease).

You may do better starting with a nuc, but you still have to have more than a nuc to get through winter. Of course, you're farther south than we are, so maybe winter is not that big a deal for you. IMHO, a nuc just gives you a little bit of time to get the hive set up.

One caution I have heard about purchasing a beginner hive package is that you get stuff you don't really need (or want) and the smoker in the kit is usually a smaller size than you really want to use. Believe me, keeping a smoker going for the time you need it can be hard enough on its own, without having a smoker that is too small to begin with.

I got my 10-frame deep hive from QueenRight. The advantage to my getting equipment from QueenRight is that I can go pick it up (is Brushy Mountain close enough to you for a drive?) and I like that Denzel & Sheila dip the assembled equipment in paraffin, so the wood doesn't need painted.

I got my 8-frame medium hive with garden top from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm. When I ordered, BMBF did not offer paraffin dip - they may now, I haven't checked a recent catalogue.

Good luck! Beeking can be very relaxing. (of course that is just my opinion; TR does NOT agree with me! )

 

[keljonma]

Some hard working bees!

Are you by chance saving any seed from the cockscombs? I would love to have a pinch. I used to have some that my Great Aunt grew for years, but I finally lost my start.

The girls are still out there working, FF! We hit 70 yesterday and we have sun!

I haven't started saving any seed from the cockscomb. They are still in full bloom and a check yesterday shows no seed to save yet. I will keep an eye on them, though, I ordered them hoping they would self-sow.


We ordered the seeds from Baker Creek - we got cockscomb and flamingo feather seeds. They are both beautiful in the garden!

http://rareseeds.com/cart/catalog/Cockscomb_And_Celosia-11-1.html

 

[ksalvagno]

Is Queen Right Colonies in Spencer on 162? That is very close to where I live. Takes about 10 minutes for me to get there.

 

[keljonma]

Is Queen Right Colonies in Spencer on 162? That is very close to where I live. Takes about 10 minutes for me to get there.

YES! I wish they were closer to us - 4 to 4 1/2 hour round trip - depending on road destruction along the way.