🐝💗Our Backyard Beekeeping Journey!💗🐝

[drstratton]

Sweet clover is a biennial. You may get some light, late blooms the first year but it really doesn't bloom fully until the second year after which it dies. It may or may not come back from the seeds it produces.

Thank you, that's good to know. Glad we're also putting in the bee plant, Butterfly weed & blue flax.

 

[R2elk]

I'm thinking you must have more rainfall than we get. We average about 10 inches. Getting the most rain in November, around 1 inch.

I don't think so. This year's total for me is 7.83" so far, a lot of which was snow melt.

This month I have had zero recordable rainfall.

 

[Sally PB]

Google Lens says it's Chicory.

It is growing in very xeric conditions with no supplemental water.

I grabbed a bunch of seed pods but haven't checked for seeds yet.

We have chicory growing down both sides of our road. It doesn't seem to mind how dry it's been! I have never seen a honeybee on them, but that doesn't prove they don't visit. Occasionally, the flowers will be white instead of blue.

The root can be roasted, ground, and has been used in place of coffee at times. I've never tried it.

 

[drstratton]

I don't think so. This year's total for me is 7.83" so far, a lot of which was snow melt.

This month I have had zero recordable rainfall.

Didn't think about checking totals so far, just looked at average. So, I just looked at the total we've had this year so far, 2.7 inches, which is below the average of 4.44 inches for this time period. It's been a dry year. Just enough sprinkles to make the dust stick to the cars a few times.

We really don't get any measurable rainfall June-October. Trees don't grow here unless you pour lots of water on them. Thankful we have a good well. We're surrounded by sand and sagebrush.

According to The Almanac, it's supposed to be a mild and wet winter. Maybe we'll make up for the lack of rain we've had so far.

 

[R2elk]

Didn't think about checking totals so far, just looked at average. So, I just looked at the total we've had this year so far, 2.7 inches, which is below the average of 4.44 inches for this time period. It's been a dry year. Just enough sprinkles to make the dust stick to the cars a few times.

We really don't get any measurable rainfall June-October. Trees don't grow here unless you pour lots of water on them. Thankful we have a good well. We're surrounded by sand and sagebrush.

According to The Almanac, it's supposed to be a mild and wet winter. Maybe we'll make up for the lack of rain we've had so far.

I live on a sand dune. When I bought this place there were 2 chokecherries and one honeylocust. Everything else was sagebrush and prickly pear.

If I didn't water there would not be any trees.

 

[drstratton]

I live on a sand dune. When I bought this place there were 2 chokecherries and one honeylocust. Everything else was sagebrush and prickly pear.

If I didn't water there would not be any trees.

Sounds about like us.

 

[drstratton]

Just cleared out the freezer where we plan on putting frames as we pull them off. It's currently in the defrosting mode. We'll leave them for 3 days and then store them in some 19g Husky totes we bought at home depot. They will hold 14 or 15 frames. I'm thinking about adding a door seal to them, to deter insects.

The members of our bee club, spray the comb with BT, Bacillus Thuringiensis, to keep the wax moths from developing in them, it kills caterpillars. It can only be used on stored frames. It's not harmful to adult bees, but I think it could kill larvae from what I've read. They have had no problems with it. I will clarify exactly how it is used at the next meeting.

We're still trying to decide which way to go if we are truly queenless. I kind of want a new queen, but Dale wants to downsize. If we combine, Dale wants to move the package hive that is in the front of the Apiary to the back. Just trying to figure out the best way to do that. I think he's leaning towards placing newspaper and a queen excluder on the back hive, then moving the deep with the package queen on top of that. Hopefully by the time they have integrated, the package hive will then orient themselves to the new location, which is slightly right of and behind where it is sitting now.

Older picture for orientation.

 

[drstratton]

Just did a little more research on the BT spray. It will not harm the bees or larvae as they do not eat it. It is a natural and effective treatment for wax moth. The strain you want is Bta. bacillus thuringiensis aizawai

You spray it on with a pump sprayer, allow it to dry and then store it so that it has good air circulation.

Or we might just freeze, and then seal them in the totes.

So many different ways to do things in beekeeping.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Or we might just freeze, and then seal them in the totes.

You could use clear totes as well. Light inhibits wax moths. Some beekeepers criss cross supers so they are exposed to light.

 

[drstratton]

You could use clear totes as well. Light inhibits wax moths. Some beekeepers criss cross supers so they are exposed to light.

I had not read that. Thank you. This is why I like to share what I'm thinking and what's happening. I appreciate the information.