Arizona Chickens

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
I've been thinking about getting a hive or two because this summer my bees disappeared and I had no bees to pollinate my garden. Had lots of bees in the early spring, usually have even more in the summer, but all the bees disappeared overnight this year in early June. There's so much paranoia about bees now I suspect one of the neighbors found the local hive and had the colony exterminated. I'm finally getting a few bees again, but it has taken months. It's a sad garden with no bees.

Africanized or not.

Not many bees but the butterflies have been awesome lately! I can find half a dozen or more species in the garden at any time, without even trying.

 

[AZKat]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarep...1phoenix-bee-attacks-rain.html?nclick_check=1

This article has statistics. We get a lot of bee attacks. In Arizona, its best to assume that the insects can kill you.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarep...1phoenix-bee-attacks-rain.html?nclick_check=1

This article has statistics. We get a lot of bee attacks. In Arizona, its best to assume that the insects can kill you.

Years ago I had a neighbor who worked for the State Department of Agriculture in collecting samples of ants and bees to be lab IDed as fire ants and Africanized bees. A curent neighbor is a biology professor at AUS who specialized in social insects. Arizona bees can be assumed to be completely Africanized. Call and talk to any bee keeper or removal person; don't take my word for it, but don't assume that they aren't until you have spoke to the experts.

 

[azmotogirl]

Quick question (or two) for all of you...... Is anyone processing chickens any time soon and would you like a few extra? We have about 4 that need to be culled and we really would rather not waste them. I really don't know how to process them myself so I thought maybe someone would like them. Please let me know if any of you are interested so we can make room for some younger layers. Thanks! (we are in Mesa..... close to Dobson and Baseline but I would be willing to drive to meet someone within a reasonable distance)

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Gallo, I love your posts with your extreme amount of knowledge I am so jealous! My sister in California has honey bees and in Colorado where I am from people have honey bees but since moving to Phoenix have never met anyone with a honeybee hive. Is it because of the Africanized Bees? There was a hive at the house next door of Africanized bees but thankfully the bank removed it because it got to where I couldn't go in my garden for fear of being stung.

Awww, thanks! I think there are fewer beekeepers than in the past. Although, I think that is starting to change. Surprisingly, people do use Africanized bees in honey production here in southern AZ, they just do it outside of town where the risk is lower. They are not as productive as European honey bees, but their survival is apparently good. People do raise European bees in urban areas. My friend tells me he knows people both here in Tucson and in Phoenix that have bees. It is thought that if more bees were raised in urban areas then fewer resources would be available for Africanized bees, limiting their risk in residential areas.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I've been thinking about getting a hive or two because this summer my bees disappeared and I had no bees to pollinate my garden. Had lots of bees in the early spring, usually have even more in the summer, but all the bees disappeared overnight this year in early June. There's so much paranoia about bees now I suspect one of the neighbors found the local hive and had the colony exterminated. I'm finally getting a few bees again, but it has taken months. It's a sad garden with no bees.

Africanized or not.

Not many bees but the butterflies have been awesome lately! I can find half a dozen or more species in the garden at any time, without even trying.

My friends keep pushing me to put a colony in my yard here. I'm a bit nervous about it causing fear in my neighbors but we've figured out that we could put it in the greenhouse with a short tunnel passage between the outside and the hive inside the greenhouse. Do you have space out by you that could hide a couple hives?

Nice that you have such a diversity of butterflies!

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
I've got an acre to work with and the neighbors directly behind me wouldn't mind a beehive. We do have a variety of native bees (not honeybees), but they're attracted to the native plants more than the garden. For native bee and butterfly nirvana, check out a flowering male desert broom.

I've been trying to improve the forage on my property so the chickens aren't so reliant on commercial feed. The property is mostly scorched-earth creosote flat with a few scrubby velvet mesquites. Between the critters, ants, and termites there isn't much organic stuff on/in the ground here. I recently planted some Kino heritage fruit trees - a couple of pomegranates and a quince - in rainwater catchment basins. I'm trying to figure out what I can plant around the base of those trees that might actually grow and provide munchies for the chickens in the form of greens or bugs. First thing I did was mulch the rainwater catchment basins in an attempt to start conditioning the soil. First thing the chickens did was kick all the mulch out of the basins. This might be a losing battle. There's got to be a way to improve the habitat that doesn't involve a million dollar water bill every month. I am open to suggestions.

 

[MagicChicken]

FYI, the Tucson Poultry, Pigeon and Fancy Fowl Club is having their 42nd annual winter Poultry Show at the Pima County Fairgrounds Thurber Hall on Saturday, November 17. The doors open at 6 am. Judging begins at 9 am and Junior activities begin at 10 am. If you're in the Tucson area that weekend, come check it out!

 

[flower]

I've got an acre to work with and the neighbors directly behind me wouldn't mind a beehive. We do have a variety of native bees (not honeybees), but they're attracted to the native plants more than the garden. For native bee and butterfly nirvana, check out a flowering male desert broom.

I've been trying to improve the forage on my property so the chickens aren't so reliant on commercial feed. The property is mostly scorched-earth creosote flat with a few scrubby velvet mesquites. Between the critters, ants, and termites there isn't much organic stuff on/in the ground here. I recently planted some Kino heritage fruit trees - a couple of pomegranates and a quince - in rainwater catchment basins. I'm trying to figure out what I can plant around the base of those trees that might actually grow and provide munchies for the chickens in the form of greens or bugs. First thing I did was mulch the rainwater catchment basins in an attempt to start conditioning the soil. First thing the chickens did was kick all the mulch out of the basins. This might be a losing battle. There's got to be a way to improve the habitat that doesn't involve a million dollar water bill every month. I am open to suggestions.

I will be returning to my house in N Az and plan to use a method that I used "back east". In the eastern woodlands the dropped foliage and a fair amount of moisture creates a wonderful black loam for top soil. But over the years there has been decreased rain and snow. By digging old clothing and papers under the soil, there is an increase in the holding power for any moisture that does fall plus worms come and help add their castings to the composition. Since cloth and paper have a carbon base, this just returns carbon to the soil as the materials breakdown. On the surface I plan on digging composted barn bedding in. My preference is goat and rabbit droppings. I expect goat droppings/bedding to be available. Without adding tons of organic material to the soil, I have a problem growing much. Oh and I need to use shade cloth set in framing to avoid burns on the plants.

 

[Rezia]

FYI, the Tucson Poultry, Pigeon and Fancy Fowl Club is having their 42nd annual winter Poultry Show at the Pima County Fairgrounds Thurber Hall on Saturday, November 17. The doors open at 6 am. Judging begins at 9 am and Junior activities begin at 10 am. If you're in the Tucson area that weekend, come check it out!

Not a bad idea! I'll ask what we are doing that weekend.