Hiya Bunkie--Great to see you again. I liked this interesting foto spread...but the foto that I honed-in on was the beehives one. Chapeau to you for having begun this interesting and necessary hobby. Please keep us posted on how it goes.
Yes Sjoerd, so far I think the bees like me! The biggy here is to try and get them to make it thru the winter. If it gets real cold They'll be put in the barn. Crossing fingers!
I hope that you get good advice on getting them through the winter. You may have to give then extra feedings with invert sugar they ought to do well. Good luck, meid.
I got them in April and had to feed them till the fruit trees blossomed, 2 parts sugar to one water. What's 'invert' sugar?
Here is what I found on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_sugar_syrup It may be the same as what we use to offer our bees over here. We use invert sugar to supplement their honey storage if the need it. We prefer invert sugar to the 2:1 mixture that you mentioned...for winter feeding. It is preferred because it cuts out a step in the processing of nectar for storage. The amount of extra work is important because it shortens the life span of the worksters doing the work. While life span is very important during the winter, it is less so during the spring and summer. In that case we do exactly as you do with a 2:1 or 1:1 ratio depending upon the purpose of giving the sugar. Well, that was more info than you needed or wanted I guess. My apologies.
I never can get too much info Sjoerd! I will look into it. Here's a true story I wrote a little over a week ago. We're very happy! ONCE UPON A TIME, the farm gal lost her farmer to cancer. Today is her first year anniversary of his death, August 14th, 2018. She misses him very much, but something happened four weeks ago that was very special, and she does believe her passed farmer had a hand in this special event. Her passed farmer had told her before he departed that she needed someone with 'life' in them to help her with the farm. The farm gal dedicates this story to her loving departed farmer. Four weeks ago she was on a forum for farmers, just testing the waters. When one gets lonely missing a loved one, one does such things. She had never done this type of thing before. A fellow on the same forum wrote her and told her that it looked like the two of them were on similar paths. He had lost his wife to cancer in March this year and was trying to get his farm up and running again, as was the farm gal who had lost her farmer and was working on getting her farm up and running again also. The farm gal read the email and looked at his picture and thought he was cute, and his demeanor pleasant, and he was easy on the eyes, too...and he had had a big dog like her Monty. So she wrote back and they continued writing for a week or so, and then started phoning one another. Their relationship grew quickly as they had so much in common. Their phone talks and writings filled their beings with companionship, love, kindred spirit, you name it, it supplied it all, the things their loved ones had left unventured when they had split the scene, so to speak. Their emptiness within was finally filled with pure love. As for their departed spouses, their experiences were pretty close, so not much was needed to explain, as each one understood the experience of the other's situation, being like their own. Unless someone has been thru being a care giver of this sort, it is difficult to explain the circumstances. One has to live it to understand it, it's that concentrated. Both knew this and it made communication so much easier for them. They shared many a teary eyed moment discussing events of their loved ones...sharing is an incredible thing, especially when in such a vulnerable and vehement state. After three weeks of phoning and emailing, they decided to meet at The Funny Farm. Talk about tension, questioning one's mind, thinking 'what the fuck am I doing', etc.... the farm gal thought it all. She called in her gal pals and they helped her ready the cabin a bit and clean out her fridge....it hadn't been cleaned since her farmer's passing. Quite a feat in itself! Come to find out, their meeting was beyond grand. The farm guy on the premises was just as loving and kind as he was in his phone calls and emails. The farm gal and the farm guy fell in love ASAP! It was just like magic. He has plans to move his mini herd of Jersey cows to The Funny Farm and help the farm gal get the farm in order. They will be self sufficient and always help others. They are two of a same mind and closer than humans can be closest in this physical world. A plus is that the farm gal's dogs love this farm guy. They had been acting out with tire biting and nipping people's heels since her farmer had departed. I guess they were missing a masculine presence on the farm and were so happy to have it back with this farm guy. Very little bad behavior is happening now, and they all love to cuddle with the farm guy and get loving pats from him. How simple a solution to a struggling ongoing problem, pure love. And, pure love, the farm gal and her farm guy, and all the critters lived happily ever after on The Funny Farm...with no 'till tomorrows'. The End.
Hello Bunkie, just read your lovely story and I know I've only just joined but it was so touching and i'm really happy for you both and he carries a smile that's warm looking
Actually his smile reminds me off my hubby..as he carries a nice pleasant look and they don't have to smile to show it....I hope you still do your artist work as a nice hobby it would be a shame to lose that
