Beeladee: Hive Inspection 5/2/15

Rainy weather, sickness, and being busy at school have delayed my latest hive inspection. This delay made me nervous since I wasn't too comfortable with what I saw during my last inspection (Beeladee: Spring Inspection 4/14/15) I took advantage of the beautiful weather today to open my hive.

I usually move bars from right to left and begin a detailed inspection as I replace them. As I started sliding empty bars and entered into the comb area, I was a bit alarmed. The comb was nearly empty of bees! As I continued to pry and slide the bars across, removing propolis and allowing it to drop to the bottom of the hive to be reused, I saw more and more bees. They were docile and appeared quite young, with unfrayed wings.

I finished sliding the bars apart and moved to the far right to begin my inspection. I gradually began to see some pupae, more larvae and some capped brood. There was increasing evidence of a strong queen and I decided that my hive had requeened itself! I did not see the new queen herself but felt confident of her presence. While I took notes, I smoked and moved the bars back in place with the feeling that the hive was recovering well.

Although there was pollen and syrup, there was no capped honey, which probably contributed to the calmness of the bees. I gave the hive some of last fall's comb from the freezer to give them a boost. I also moved some of the old dark comb toward the far left and culled out a couple of bars of old comb. I moved the newer comb to the right and dispersed the partially built out bars throughout the hive.

As I finished up my notes, took a couple of parting pictures and closed up, I felt that this hive was once again on the right track. I will wait a couple of weeks before inspecting again.



This is comb from last fall. It fell during an inspection. Since it was uncapped, we could not eat it. I put it in the freezer to replace in the hive as needed. I lay comb, pollen patties, etc. on an old cutting board that spans the hive body. This helps keep these food supplies from attracting ants and robber bees.

Beeladee: Spring Inspection 4/14/15

I went into my hive in March for a quick inspection. The hive was still full of bees, but the queen was laying in a very spotty pattern. The brood was spread over several combs instead of in a tight cluster. I also noticed several dark combs that needed to be culled out.

I went back in for a more complete inspection on April 14th. I saw larvae, capped brood and a few pupae, although they were quite sparse. I did not find the queen, but saw there were several very young larvae, so she had to be present.

During the past two inspections I noticed empty queen cells. Each time I crushed them so in future inspections, I could distinguish whether there were new queen cells or the same ones I had already noted. I am hoping the hive will requeen itself. I would think that most any queen would be better than the one that is there!

Both times I inspected I noticed one very small black beetle. I panicked thinking it might be small hive beetles. After reading up on this, I think the beetles I found were much too small to be small hive beetles. I will keep a close watch for more in future inspections.

I also saw a wax moth larva in the last inspection. This is a sign I need to get that old, dark wax out, as that is what the wax moths are after.

During the last inspection I spread the new comb throughout the hive and started moving the dark comb to the back. I will wait until all the brood are hatched, then remove the dark comb. 

I will need to open the hive at least once a week for the next few weeks until I see evidence of a stable queen. If the hive will not requeen itself, then I will order a new queen. I would prefer a wild queen for genetic diversity. My last two queens have come from swarming and natural requeening.

For a description of my note taking process see Beeladee: Hive Inspection 5/3/14

Photo by Bethany Henderson

Spending the Night with Darla

Darla was one of my best friends when I was in elementary school. She lived down the street within easy walking distance. Even though we were both from the other side of the tracks, literally, we lived very different lives. I was an only child living with my parents and grandmother, and she was the youngest of a large family, most of whom had grown up and left home. We spend countless hours together. My favorite times were when she would ask me to spend the night!

I don't remember spending the night in the summer, although I must have. What I remember was the winter. Once it was time to go to bed, we'd both put on our flannel nightgowns and take turns standing in front of the Dearborn gas heater. If you lifted the bottom of your gown slightly, it would fill with warm air and billow out! We took turns savoring the warmth, each shivering as soon as we backed away for the other to have a turn.

Once we finished the heater ritual, we would trot off to bed. Since Darla's mom was a quilter, there were several quilts on Darla's bed. I was not used to sleeping under quilts so they felt very heavy to me. Sometimes they seemed so heavy that it was hard to move! To get warm, I would pull my knees and legs up into my gown and put my face under the covers until I just had to come up for cold, fresh air.

After stories and giggles (and maybe a scolding or two) we'd fall asleep. Since Darla had a gas heater in her house, the air was moist. Condensation would form on the windows. If the night was cold enough, we'd wake to intricate frost patterns and ice on the inside of the windows!

In the morning we'd jump out of bed and run to the heater again, gowns billowing each in her turn! Mrs. Chapman always cooked up a hearty breakfast with eggs and biscuits! We would hurriedly eat and start our day of play.

I have lots of memories of fun with Darla such as using an axe head to hack down a poor little cedar tree to use for Christmas, putting empty cans in the street and then admiring them once a car drove over and flattened them, getting chased by cows in the field behind Darla's house, and walking barefoot all over the neighborhood until we developed thick callouses on our feet! But something about the sensory experiences of spending the night makes it stand out in my memory. What a blessing to be able to relive small moments in our lives time and time again! The details may become clouded but the feelings and sensations remain. I often remember these nights hunkering down under the blankets with Darla when our Texas weather turns icy! Sweet nostalgia!

One of Mrs. Chapman's quilts given to me for my birthday!

Winter Garden: "To everything there is a season..."

For most gardeners, Spring holds their interest with all its excitement and disappointment. I too enjoy spring, but as time goes on, I think my favorite garden season is winter!

As I work my winter garden, my mind and body are able to relax. There is no pressure to water daily, no hurry to weed. Everything slows down....rests.

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Onions:
I usually plant onions around the perimeter of my garden. Their location is often forgotten, and they don't receive enough water and die back. In winter, they spring up again to continue their growth. What a nice surprise!
 



Dividing Onions
 

As I harvest my dividing onions in the fall, I replant several to start the process over again. These onions can go on forever!




Arugula

Arugula loves winter. I can go out daily and cut a big handful. It is wonderful in salads and on sandwiches!




Sage:
The sage changes little with the seasons. It was a gift from a former student named Sage! I do think of him often as I work in my garden. It also affords an opportunity to share organic sage with friends and neighbors as I will never use this much sage! 

 





Celery:
The celery has surprised me with its constancy. It slowly marches on, summer and winter, producing new stems. 




Fennel:
I enjoy the plants that survive, even thrive, during the winter. Dill comes up here and there. The fennel can grow without the constant threat of swallowtail caterpillars!  

Hand Screening Compost:
On weekends I get out and turn the soil, carefully screening it by hand to preserve the earthworms and hibernating frogs. I add rich compost to prepare for spring growth.
 

As I dig, turn, screen, harvest, plant, I find that I draw from this time of rest. I slow down and relax. My body, mind and heart are renewed. This is truly my favorite gardening season!


Ecclesiastes 3

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

They Come in Threes!

I've always heard "bad news come in threes"! That means the problems that lead to the bad news must "come in threes" also. When problems come your way, you can respond with anger and frustration or learn a lesson and laugh at yourself!

EVENT NUMBER 1. I received a much-appreciated gift: a reservation to attend the "dress rehearsal" for a local restaurant that was about to open! Not eating out often, I looked forward to this event with much anticipation! The day arrived and my husband and oldest daughter met me at the restaurant.

Our waiter was obviously new to the profession. He was being shadowed by a more experienced waiter who advised him when needed. The new waiter was trying hard to do a good job, but you could tell he was quite nervous. As we were finishing our appetizer, he arrived with drink refills. He held the wobbly tray high, shifting the heavy, full glasses around while he tried to take off the refill of root beer. Well....I'm sure you've guessed by now....the entire tray tipped, the root beer came crashing down onto the top of my husbands glass of water, breaking the glass, and sending root beer and water all over the table and my husband!

Four or five employees, including the manager, rushed over and began sopping up the mess. Our poor waiter stood with a rag in hand looking like he was trying to decide if he should dry my husband off! He wisely chose to just hand over the towel.

When our table was cleaned and my husband adequately dried, our meal continued. We enjoyed the rest of our evening and got a gift card and good story to boot!

EVENT NUMBER 2.  We had come to the restaurant in separate cars. As I traveled down hill towards home, I passed a waiting county sheriff! I was tired and not particularly paying attention to the speed my car had picked up. I looked down at my speedometer as I passed the sheriff.....bad news! He pulled out behind me and just followed me for a minute. Could it be that he hadn't noticed my speed? No, he was just politely waiting until we approached a safe place to turn off! On came the lights and I turned down a side street, out of traffic.

As the officer took my license, he asked if there was a reason for my speed and I told him that I was not paying attention as I coasted down the hill. He then asked if I had insurance and I told him I did. I reached for the paper, opened it to hand it to him, and noticed the date had expired!!! Informing him of this, he assured me he would check when he ran my license.

I sat in the car, swatting mosquitoes, and lamenting my decision to not monitor my speed and not download a current insurance card!! I certainly didn't want a ticket, but I was at fault!

The officer returned with my insurance and license. As I accepted them, he asked if I had noticed that BOTH my registration and inspection were past due!!! I was flabbergasted! In disgust at my own neglect, I threw my hands up to my head and stared in disbelief....how could so many things be wrong at one traffic stop!

He asked how quickly I could get my car inspected and I replied, "right away"! I gratefully accepted his warning and started again toward home! I guess the reason for his grace was that I have not been ticketed since the early 80s or even stopped for anything since the late 90s! I really do try to obey traffic laws!

EVENT NUMBER 3. The next day I was determined to get my car inspected. Working later than planned, I had to skedaddle to try to find an open shop.

I hoped to go to the 10-Minute Inspection Stop but as I approached I noticed all the doors were down...it was closed! I figured that would be the case for them all and I started home in frustration that I had stayed at work too long!

Right down the road I spotted an oil-change business that had an inspection emblem posted. It was open! I quickly entered the turn lane and pulled in. The employee who came out assured me there was time for my inspection before closing and I pulled around to the back, leaving the car for the air-conditioned waiting room.

As I was the only customer there, I busied myself playing a game, watching TV, and chatting with the manager. I played more games, watched more TV, and exhausted all common topics with the manager. He and I began looking toward the far bay where the inspection was taking place. The manager told me he would go help the man with the inspection to hurry it along.

Curiously I went outside two check on the two of them. The manager told me that the man inspecting my car had entered the wrong date and was doing the wrong emissions test on my car. He said they would have to start over!

Finally, a good hour and a half after I arrived, my inspection was complete! As I paid, I told the manager that I would now think of this shop as the "WAY MORE THAN 10-MINUTE" inspection station! He gave me an uneasy smile. Unlike the restaurant owner, he offered no gift card!

I mused over the last two days in somewhat disbelief. I could either be very annoyed or slightly amused. I chose to be amused....and to write a blog post!

Let It Be

As I walk through my garden I find lots of little "surprises"! There is cilantro and purslane among the peppers, dill and tomatoes among the potatoes, a pumpkin next to a tomato plant, amaranth here and there, and wildflowers everywhere! I sometimes struggle with how much control to exert over these "gifts"!

 

This control issue also occurs when making decisions regarding my bees.  Do I leave the queen cell and let nature take its course or do I remove it so my hive won't swarm?  Do I feed the bees sugar syrup or allow natural selection to weed out strains that are unable to endure drought?

 

Relationships are also peppered with these decisions. Do I stay with people who are hard to deal with or should I protect myself and move on?  Do I allow friends to be flawed or look for new friends?

 

Over time I've found that it is often emotionally better to let it be. A Christian might say, "Let go, let God!" It is still a struggle to discern when to fight change or when to relax and look for the blessing. When we trust in God, we realize that He sees the bigger picture and knows what is truly best. Naturally, we see through the lens of our own perspective and understand at our own level of maturity. God, who knows us intimately and loves us unconditionally, sees everything and knows what we actually need! When we care about God's will and try to understand it, we can stop fighting people and circumstances when they turn out to not be what we would choose.

 

One of my latest garden choices had to do with the swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. In past years I have reluctantly accepted the loss of my dill and fennel once the caterpillars appeared. I was always torn between continuing to have the plants and allowing the caterpillars to mature. This year I heard about a win/win solution via a radio garden show. I now have a few dill plants separated from my other dill and fennel. I move the caterpillars off of the plants I want to save and on to the dill I have kept as a host plant! In this way, allowing the problem to continue while searching for acceptable solutions produced a decision I am at peace with!

 

God's lessons often come to us in small events. When we allow the lessons, we experience personal growth and a changed perspective!  

 

Cilantro in the peppers

Amaranth

Pumpkin next to a tomato plant



Horse Mint, Mexican Hats and Indian Blankets everywhere

 

Dill with swallowtail caterpillars

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6  New King James Version

Beeladee: Hive Inspection 5/3/14

I decided to open the hive late morning before the temperature climbed into the lower 90s! It was still in the 70s and pleasant enough to be suited up.

I have been anxious about my hive since I noticed a queen cell in late March. The spotty brood pattern I found last weekend confirmed that I must have had a swarm.

Today I found 3 drawn combs nearly completely full of capped brood and larva! (There are 13 bars of drawn-out comb in all.) The bees were putting up sugar syrup and had started capping some honey near the top on several bars. I am still feeding sugar syrup until they are well established since I had such a slow start last year and a cold (for south-central Texas) winter.  Comb is being drawn out on both of the bars I inserted in late March. Everything looks peachy! See Beeladee: Spring Inspection

I am continuing to use my phone's voice recorder to take notes while I inspect my hive. I later transcribe them into a journal. I went to my phone settings and changed the "touch sensitivity" to high. I then can activate the voice recorder with my gloves on! With this procedure, I am able to take detailed notes about each bar in the hive. The phone I am using is a Nokia Lumia that runs Window's 8.0. I'm not savvy on other phone operating systems, but I'm sure most must have something similar if you look around and experiment.

The decision to leave the queen cell and allow the swarm turned out to be a positive one. My new queen seems to be a great layer! I am still working on plans to make another top-bar hive, hoping to have it in place by summer so I can take advantage of any future swam/queen cell situations. This will be late for this bee season, but it is the best I can do at the end of the school year.

Below are pictures to illustrate my note-taking system. It is just one way to keep up with hive information. I also included a couple of pictures from my inspection as well as one of the beautiful spring flowers!

After I open a note, I can choose the microphone icon to start recording notes during hive inspection.
 

I then transcribe my notes into my Bee Journal.

New queen is laying well. Those cells that are not already filled with capped brood have larva!

Close up of comb: bees are attending to the larva and a drone is hanging around hoping for some nectar!

Wildflowers blooming by the road!