Honey Bee on Mint
Honeybees are loving the mountain mint!
Honeybees are loving the mountain mint!
It’s mountain mint season! I’ve been waiting, not so patiently, for the native mint to bloom. A few flowers peeked open today. The honey bees have already found the blossoms. They’d been scoping it out for a week. The girls seemed as eager as I have, clearly for different reasons. Pycanthemum Muticum, or short-toothed mountain …
Milkweed is a favorite. We have several varieties around the farmette. This one is the top choice for all.
After I added their new box and frames, I scraped this tasty mess onto aluminum foil pieces. I then gave it back to the bees by laying it on their inner cover. It’s rained since then. They are likely focusing their energies on cleaning this up.
Even after opening up hives and being privy to their inner workings, bees at their entrances hold my curiosity. I love watching their coming and goings, the inspections of returning bees, and the loafers who lurk in the shadows. The most adorable of bee activities is sweeping. On slow, summer days you will likely find …
I am phasing out the use of wax foundation by going ‘top bar style’ on my Langstroth frames. This year, I tried alternating frames. I used some with foundation and some without. I stuck popsicle sticks into the grooves to serve as starter strips. The bees drew both out beautifully in their bottom boxes. When …
We’ve always kept our honey for family and close friends. I wasn’t able to pull honey until my third year of keeping bees. Until then, we’d sampled some tempting tastes. Last year we tried our hand at the traditional honey spinning. I hated it. By the time we were done and ready to jar it …
I prefer “summer dresses” but chicken saddles it is. The hens get to wear clothes because we love our three roosters. Our head rooster is Hans, a small Belgium Silver Hamburg. He’s kept busy by two youngsters. The youngest being Hans’ look-alike son and the other is a massive Partridge Plymouth Rock. Hans has one … Continue reading
Keeping horses on small acreage is all about grass and land management. We are constantly aware of how the grass is doing. I reseed every spring and fall to ensure our horses have enough quality grass to graze. That means rotating horse yards and keeping the chickens off the grass during reseeding periods. There are … Continue reading
It’s been four solid months since the two horses moved home. Home is a two acre property shared with chickens, beehives, house pets, and some animal loving fools. We put a lot of time in researching and planning the set up. The dry lot has been priceless, especially after a massive snow melt in late … Continue reading
After a month of supply runs and hard labor, the new horse fence and dry lot was ready for horses. Our two girls are now home. Making thsi work on an acre and a half requires keeping a close eye on the grass. Since we’re working with small acreage horse-keeping, certain features were a must. … Continue reading
Our rescue filly is a joy and a good laugh, on a daily basis. For years, we’ve driven by her herd and worried over them. The hoarder-breeder couldn’t accept the harm she was doing. She has finally allowed a rescue to step in. They are providing medical care for the pregnant mares and soon to … Continue reading
We’re all aching for spring. The bees, the chickens, the dogs, and ME. Today’s ice storm screamed out that we still have a while to go. Forty-one days- but who’s counting? http://www.theoaces.com. Continue reading
January was a stressful month on the Lightridge Farm bees. Between the crazy weather and being tipped by cows, the bees had more than the usual challenges. The farm bees are still in my garage. Today was a balmy 48 degrees so I took the opportunity to take a peek. One hive has cleaned up … Continue reading
Dang cows. They’re curious, determined, itchy, and smart enough to make trouble. Last night a cow or two decided it wanted to sample some grass inside the bee yard. Maybe she felt like a butt scratch on some square cornered boxes. I learned an unadorned fence is just a suggestion for a cow. Without barbs … Continue reading
More Than Honey Even though I’d pored over previews, I’ve been so busy that I missed the documentary premiere of More Than Honey. It’s now downloaded on my Amazon Prime account for the next snow day. I can’t wait! Here’s a trailer through my Pinterest account. Continue reading
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