we have had a very interesting last few weeks
:: a bee swarm
:: a new hive
:: thistle control
on a calm day you can hear the relief from the heat when the bees zoom around up and under the cucumber plants, inside the lettuce plants or taking refuge beneath the large towers of broccoli
when my fingers around the tomato plants pinching off the suckers, i keep hearing the bees just happy as can be walking around the blooms...busy busy....
they are never lonely while they are in the garden
as i am out there tending the plants, i wonder how it is gathering the pollen from warm plants - rather than cool and wet from a morning dew....are they more content? do they get agitated with the heat?
after countless days now living amongst these amazing creatures, I would have to come to the unscientific conclusion that yes indeed they get agitated with the heat......they are protecting the hive even more (I can vouch for this, for I am the recipient of their eagerness to protect their hives from 'danger' - my sore neck is testimony)....the prairie clover was not in as full abundant glory as it was last year (most likely because of the heat and the timing of the burn we did)....we even have foreign bees - visitors mind you - that struggle between the many zooms from our bees
it sounds as though we are out there amongst a swarm of bees doesn't it?
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| honey frame waiting to be uncapped |
well, at times it is like that.....talking a stroll from the back door to the potager is a journey (albeit a short one) that is surrounded by blooming catmint, roses, primroses, hydrangeas, foxgloves, snapdragons, iris, peonies, daylilys, monarda, daisy, lavender (yes, we sure do cram it all in a small space!)
these little black bottom 'visitors' (not our bees) compete for the pollen, but ours win in the end....they have a home here - even though the 'visitors' are welcome (they are pollinating) - however, our bees are well loved and cared for.......there is so much to learn.........I don't think anyone will ever truly understand and figure out the bees' life, even though many have tried, and I would love to count myself as one of those individuals some day....I would love it someday for Jason and I to have more hives, and study them, grow more flowers for them, and aid in the development and awareness of the honey bee....how fragile they are!
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| shaving off the caps.... |
xo+pure prairie blessings,
all photographs taken 2 days ago during our honey harvest
Yes our bees are so important! Your honey harvest looks so yummy! Very neat!
ReplyDeleteI was told once that if we didn't have bees humans would not last on Earth..They are very important to the planet..As interesting as that is I still don't like them..LOL..Have a great weekend..
ReplyDeleteYeah, bees are in our future. I just keep wondering why if my husband is the one who eats honey every day, he is insisting that I be the "bee-keeper"......hhhhmmmmm???? Oh yeah, I know. Cause he's a big chicken or AKA - the egg gatherer.
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool ! As a gardener, I love my bees. Our crape myrtle trees have been abuzz since they are currently in bloom. Wish I could find the honey tree ! A few years ago I left a large black plastic nursery pot upside down in the yard. A part of the garden I don't go to much. The next time I saw it, I realized that honeybees had built their hive inside. It was awesome ! I started contacting people about moving them and one place wanted me to kill them. Can you imagine ! Finally found a beekeeper through the state beekeeper association and he came over to get them. Was very interesting to watch. So glad the bees approve of my garden !
ReplyDeleteI remember helping my dad harvesting our honey (or should I say "their" honey,it is the bees the ones who makes the bigger job!) and helping with the beekeeping. I liked it.
ReplyDeleteI think we will come back to beekeeping next year, I miss our honey so much! It was pure joy.
And yes, they get so agitated with the heat, that's sure, they have to move their little wings faster then usual to keep the beehive cool, poor little dears!
So fragile yet so so strong!
That honey looks so so yummy!!
Fra
I cannot wait for some local honey. You're an hour away from me but close enough where I consider your honey local. Been to the nada farm for some of your barn sales. Beautiful place. :)
ReplyDeleteCan I put myself on your shipping list?
My email address is sma120@att.net
I will also subscribe by email.
Thanks