Hey Miv! Bee/Chicken update?

[Hepburn]

How they doing? And your garden?
My bees didnt get here until July 1st or thereabouts. Thats not normal. And I missed them a lot. But dennis came in one day early this month and said BEES! Youre bees are here! And yep...lots and lots of bees were in the front yard. But..JULY?? They should have been here in april or may. Shouldnt they have?

[mivona]

My bees start coming out of the hives as soon as it is about 12-13 C- about 55 F, still cool, but warming up. That is about March, so yes, I think yhour bees were very late in arriving.

I have four hives set up, with three thriving colonies, and one that is not doing so well. I hope to get it built up enough to get through the winter.

I've harvested 105 lbs of honey so far this year, and will be doing another honey collection in a couple of weeks - sometime in August - and then will begin getting them ready for winter. This will involve feeding them sugar syrup (as I will have taken most of their honey), treating them for varroa (needs to still be warm for the treatment to work), and narrowing the entrances to the hives (to prevent robbing and to stop mice from getting in). I will also take out old, dirty brood frames and give them new wax foundation to start on. This helps to cut down on disease.

Garden is doing ok. It has been quite dry this year, and I am having to water. Currently harvesting courgettes, gooseberries, raspberries, spinach, shallots, lettuces. Some potatoes are ready, I am sure. Beetroot and carrots too. Onions soon. Hoping for a second flush of strawberries. We've had asparagus, peas and artichokes. I've planted some extra peas, but don't know if it will be too late. It just all feels less lush this year, because it has been so dry and I haven't been able to go over and water all the time.

[RunFaYaLife]

I think we got your rain Miv.
Everyone around here is trying not to die from the unwelcome humidity.
Hell it even flooded in Lubbock...that is RARE.

[mivona]

Oh yeah... chickens. We have six now, having got a bigger walk-in run and a new hen house. I have three regularly layers, and three old hens of which one or two still occasionally lay an egg. That's ok, because my eldest is off to university soon and eats a lot of eggs. I will be inundated with eggs soon, and will sell more of them at work.

[Hepburn]

Yes, I guess my bees were very late, but they are making up for lost time. Im wondering if I should put a birdbath with sugar water in it for the butterflies. I have flowers, but not like I did last year. :(

Thats a LOT of honey! How are the chickens doing?

My garden isnt doing so slick this year. Except the strawberries. Those were a bumper crop. Tomatoes are ok, but not too many. Corn is looking pretty sad and the squash rotted before it could get big enough. I need to add something to the soil I guess, but I just kind of lost the desire for veggie gardening this year. And its been colder than usual.