Who wants to increase their early spring colony sizes? Surely I’m not the only one, right? Splitting can be a great increase and mite mitigation strategy. This year I’m trialing polystyrene brood boxes. Why? Because I can. Here’s the train of thought and timeline that lead to polystyrene as a potential solution. Follow along through…
Following a goal I had set in my early 20’s, my latest beekeeping experience led me to the diverse ecosystems and friendly people in Jamaica. My goal was to have children early in life so that my responsibilities could shift solely to work and travel while child-less, healthy, and young enough. Living a very blessed…
I hadn’t blogged for a while because I was working working working on two special projects that I’d like to share with you. The first was for an awards program that showcases all the cool, green living, sustainability work that occurs in our state. Look at the slideshow here and be amazed at Iowans: http://1000friendsofiowa.org/2016-best-development-award-winners-slideshow/ The…
I have three hives currently, and I might soon have a fourth. Two hives are across the yard from each other. I’ve been hauling my wheelbarrow to the different sites, which is very helpful. With the deadout hives (hives that didn’t survive the winter), I have drawn comb available, both empty and filled, and the pollen and honey-filled frames are heavy. Since…
Today was Bee Day! I installed three packages of bees, three pounds each. I have no hives in my backyard now, which means that I’m van-farming this season. It’s a lot like car-schooling, but without kids — I never know what I’ll need, so I over-pack.