Things are going slowly here this season. Its a combination of weather and the fact that I have had a late start. It has been hot as the devil here lately; however, garden work had to be done. There was weeding of course but there has also been tomato care. They have been planted and watered-in thoroughly....annnnnd they got the Marigolds planted close by. This was done a few days ago. Now then, the comfrey plants have been completely harvested and chopped up small, then placed around the tom and pepper plants in the greenhouse. Naturally I will not begin feeding them until the begin flowering and forming small fruits...but this can be in place until it composts in situ; by then, I believe that it will begin breaking-down and releasing its nutrition. Those sprout plants on the balcony are just standing still in terms of ongoing development...so we decided to plant some in the garden. We will do this in three sessions two weeks apart. Yesterday, I harvested the honey that was available to me at the bee hives. Actually only one hive was offering honey as the other two have brand new queens that have just been fertilized. My bees do not forage and bring back honey when they have a new queen that has not yet been fertilized. No worried though, that one hive gave up eight frames. I made it possible for the colonies to make their own queens and that went good, but bees are funny and they will not just mate whenever---oh no, those bees have to have everything just right (sorta like humans). So then, they are a bit picky what day they fly out to make the “bridal flight”. The queens have actually been seen coming out of the hive, standing on the flight plank and looking around...then turning around and going right back inside without making the flight. What are they like! The Swiss chard, spuds and corn are doing well, as you can see on this last foto.
It is amazing the variety and quantity of veggies and fruits that you grow! Bees can be a lot like cats--they do what they do, and humans just have to go along with it! We are getting ready to harvest our spring honey, which will be a small harvest. We had so much rain, and overcast days, that our bees sat at home and grumped rather than going out to get nectar.
T.R.U.T.H. i harvested my swarm and the next night my neighbor called me to say there were thousands of bees down there on the tree and flying all around (they couldn't even mow in that area). after I moved them some went back to that spot. I had to go through the new box and harvest a frame with some hopefully eggs on it but none the less it looked like a queen cell anyway, and place another box there for the day then go back last night and bring them home.
I like reading about your bee adventures, CAROLYN. Were you able to get them all in the end, more or less? The bit about the queen cell I do not understand exactly. Will you combine the two parts of the swarm, or simply make two colonies from them? If they fly back down there again...let me know. I have heard of a trick that you can do. Thanks JANE--You are so right about bees...I try and stay one step ahead of them, but it isn't easy.
I am not home today so I do not know for certain if I got the other bees to stay... When I opened the colony I had just brought home I found a frame that looked as if there was a queen cell on it so I pulled that frame and took it down to the other box and put it in there. When I went to bring the box home it was a really quiet. Little colony of bees. One frame full to be exact. If it doesn't look like there is a queen in there next week I will combine it with the swarm I captured.
