🐝💗Our Backyard Beekeeping Journey!💗🐝

[drstratton]

Our goldenrod is on its way out. So are the blue New England Asters. The pink NEAs are still blooming. I'm going to encourage those to spread.

I would like to plant a few more Caryopteris, the bees really like them and they are late blooming. I bet it would grow in your area. It grows in zones 5-9. I think I'm going to go take some cuttings next spring and try to propagate it.

I really hope we can get the sweet clover, Mountain Bee Plant, Butterfly Weed, Blue Flax and Malva Zebrina planted. We still have a lot of work to do to get the ground ready, before that can happen.

 

[Sally PB]

Malva Zebrina

I just got my packets of seeds of those in the mail yesterday. They're from a place called Garden Hoard. They had "It will take up to 4 weeks to ship your order" in several places on the website. Yes, it did, but I wasn't in a hurry.

I haven't looked up any planting info on them. Like if they need stratification, etc.

Caryopteris sounds interesting. I'll look to see if any of the garden centers have them. Probably be something they'd have in the spring, if they do. So now I just have to remember it.

 

[R2elk]

I haven't looked up any planting info on them. Like if they need stratification, etc.

They do not need stratification. I sprinkled my first seeds on top of the ground in a spot in my garden. Now I treat them as a weed.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I don't come close to the greenthumb you guys have but I did order siberian squill bulbs, it would be nice to see blue pollen coming in next spring.

I did have a hive jump 9 pounds this afternoon, they are definitely robbing out someone's bees. I'll have to do a mite count on them soon.

 

[drstratton]

I don't come close to the greenthumb you guys have but I did order siberian squill bulbs, it would be nice to see blue pollen coming in next spring.

I did have a hive jump 9 pounds this afternoon, they are definitely robbing out someone's bees. I'll have to do a mite count on them soon.

Blue pollen...that would be cool. I'll have to look that one up.

Wow, that's a huge jump. How are you weighing them?

 

[drstratton]

I don't come close to the greenthumb you guys have but I did order siberian squill bulbs, it would be nice to see blue pollen coming in next spring.

I did have a hive jump 9 pounds this afternoon, they are definitely robbing out someone's bees. I'll have to do a mite count on them soon.

Just looked up the squill. It's very invasive. I'd be nervous about that one. But, it's very pretty and the blue pollen is tempting.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Just looked up the squill. It's very invasive. I'd be nervous about that one. But, it's very pretty and the blue pollen is tempting.

Invasive plants are my skill level.

Wow, that's a huge jump. How are you weighing them?

BroodMinder scale.

 

[drstratton]

Invasive plants are my skill level.

Broodminder scale.

I'm not familiar with that piece of equipment. I'll have to look that up too.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I'm not familiar with that piece of equipment. I'll have to look that up too.

I don't have them on all my hives, too expensive. It's just coincidence that the hive with the scale is robbing.

 

[drstratton]

I don't have them on all my hives, too expensive. It's just coincidence that the hive with the scale is robbing.

I was just looking at them, they are spendy. Pretty cool though.

My husband said we could use a scale and a hydraulic jack. If we wanted to weigh ours.

I was also thinking about asking my oldest son if he could put together a less expensive version. He's very good at that kind of thing. Would be nice to have that information on hand, without a lot of work.