What did you do in the garden today?

[karenerwin]

What did they say about formic acid? That's what we used.

I have read of people using rhubarb leaves in their hives, since they have lots of oxalic acid.

Our last bee club meeting was about treating for mites. It was presented by one person who is very knowledgeable. I tried to attach a pdf of various treatments, but I don't know if it came through. I can't remember where I found it.



That's Deformed Wing Virus. The wings on the bees don't grow correctly. They can't go forage for pollen or nectar. This is death for the hive if enough get it.

He told us that it has been discovered that the Varroa feed on the fat bodies of the bees instead of the blood of the bees like originally thought.
Oxalic acid he said use drench method for 1 treatment and use vapor for the other treatment ( like Spring & Fall). He did say that Oxalic acid is still effective.
My notes about formalic acid aren’t very good. He said Mite away is a form of formalic acid but I didn’t note if it was good or bad. My memory says it was a hit or miss treatment. Works some but not always enough.
He said mites are resistant to Apistan

 

[karenerwin]

Spent the day with 4 of my grandsons (ages 5 through 11). They played together while I cut up more branches from my daughter’s back yard and loaded up the trailer. I think I’m getting close to being halfway done in her backyard.
The plan for tomorrow is to chip up that trailer load! I’m hoping to get an early start because it’s supposed to be in the 90’s tomorrow. I picked a couple of tomatoes from my home garden.

 

[karenerwin]

@Sally PB i couldn’t get the PDF to open. Don’t know if it was my phone or what.

 

[dirkandlorie]

I tried it for curiosity..
Also, I try to eat a wide variety of foods including many kinds of variety; I don't think I eat many flower parts.
And, less waste.

Epicurious says:

"... packed with nutrients, including vitamin K and potassium."

Also, flavor - soups and stocks and such along with the cob.

If someone were to consider eating lots of it and/or has medical concerns, it would be good to check out the medicinal effects. Various other sites mention it can be good for kidney issues (NOT all kinds of kidney issues - most of the sites don't say that part), reduce water retention in the body, treating high blood pressure and gouty arthritis (uric acid builds up in the blood and causes inflammation in the joints), metabolic syndrome (which is obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and abnormal levels of triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and assist in weight loss… use in chinese medicine.

Many books mention it for prostrate problems also.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Spent the day with 4 of my grandsons (ages 5 through 11). They played together while I cut up more branches from my daughter’s back yard and loaded up the trailer. I think I’m getting close to being halfway done in her backyard.
The plan for tomorrow is to chip up that trailer load! I’m hoping to get an early start because it’s supposed to be in the 90’s tomorrow. I picked a couple of tomatoes from my home garden.

Wow, I’ve only got 1 grandson I must admit, after 4 kids I’m kind of worn out ( youngest one still living at home, girls come home on the weekends)

 

[Sally PB]

My notes about formalic acid aren’t very good. He said Mite away is a form of formalic acid but I didn’t note if it was good or bad. My memory says it was a hit or miss treatment. Works some but not always enough.

DH and I used the formic acid for two reasons: It's safe to use with honey supers on and considered organic, and there was a treatment pack included with the stuff we bought. Formic Pro was the brand name.

Here are two more reasons that we'll use it again: It will kill mites under capped brood, and other treatments only kill phoretic mites (mites on the bees, not on brood); and it was very easy to put in the hive.

Here are some things to be aware of. DO NOT use if the temp is 85 or over. Best used between 50 and 84. It said if you have to treat and it is hot, the first 4 days are the most critical of the 2 week treatment, so put it on when you will have 4 days under 85. But longer would be better.

It can cause absconding or swarming, ie, the bees hate it so much they just leave the hive. It can kill some bees, including the queen. We did see some (20?) dead bees on the landing board the first day.

We put a honey super on after the treatment was done, and the bees looked very busy and industrious. I don't have enough experience to know how bees act when they're queenless, but these ladies seemed pretty content to us.

We plan to look inside on Sunday, see what they're up to. Our hive checks have been those of newbies who are nervous, so we just open the hive, do what we need to do, close it up and leave. We haven't been pulling frames and looking for the queen, or checking brood pattern.

We also have not been stung! Yet.

 

[Acre4Me]

I think I’m about 20 pages behind!!! Hopefully I’ll catch up, but not today.

Enjoy your gardens!!

 

[Sequel]

I was just gonna ask where your wristband was! Because of you, I do it that way now. Been there, done that one too many times!

When I turn on the water in the garden I set the timer on my cellphone! It works a trick for me! We have a well so I’m paranoid I’m going to leave the hose running!

 

[EuroChook]

I see some folks in this thread lost parents. Im very sorry. My real mother died when I was young. My dad was a changed man. I gained a step mother. Things all ways are much improved. But, honestly, its a deep sorrow to lose your parent. I give you each my best and most sincere regards... Im sorry.

 

[Sequel]

I did buy lemon balm seeds maybe bees will visit.

I have lemon balm invading everywhere! It got past me when I injured my knee and couldn’t weed for longer than 5 minutes. I have never seen my chickens interested in it, it started itself along my garden fence and it’s kind of woody and very hard to remove.

Long story short…you might regret inviting it into your yard. It’s weird though I have peppermint in pots that hasn’t spread but the lemon balm oh my….