tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954480575827009292024-03-09T19:47:26.037-07:00Backyard Bee Hive BlogWelcome to our backyard and our venture into beekeeping with Top Bar Hives in Colorado. Currently blogging from Coastal Virginia, we hope this site is helpful to you in your very own TBH adventure. — HBHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.comBlogger397125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-34730752500036022732024-02-12T07:00:00.051-07:002024-02-12T07:00:00.131-07:00It's Make It Monday! How to craft without buying a single supply.<p>Did you know you can make customized products on Zazzle? I've toyed with it on and off, don't fully grasp how it works, but have made passive income every year since 2018. For 2023, the sent me a check for $50 which cost me $80 to report on my taxes. But, hey, it's fun and I get to make stuff without buying a single craft supply. <b>So worth it</b>.</p><p>What is "passive income" you ask? Bottom line, after your create a design and start selling it, you earn royalties and get paid without having to do <i>anything</i> else. No packaging, no printing packing lists or labels, no trips to the post office. Zazzle does all that for you. <br /></p><p>My <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/be_merry_customizable_card-256039829458070750?context=114369064352893402&view=113097156659887382" target="_blank">Bee Merry</a>, <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/may_your_holidays_bee_golden_customizable_card-256725312616103387?context=114369064352893402" target="_blank">Bee Golden</a>, and <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/may_your_holidays_bee_golden_photo_card-256184735205837473" target="_blank">customizable beekeeper photo holiday cards</a> are my biggest sellers, but here are a few of my favorite items for the rest of the year. I <i>especially</i> love my pillow, which is a two-sided design that you can get in cotton, poly, or even outdoor material. There's probably a Zazzle-way to flip the pillow, but until I find it you'll have to click though to see the other side. Hope you like it as much as I do!<br /></p>
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<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/honeybee_honeycomb_queen_bee_throw_pillow-189670900862356328" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Honeybee Honeycomb Queen Bee | Throw Pillow" src="https://rlv.zcache.com/honeybee_honeycomb_queen_bee_throw_pillow-rf8ed5810c5bf4159a98b19d6d875e34d_4gu57_8byvr_1024.jpg?max_dim=325" style="border: 0px;" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/honeybee_honeycomb_queen_bee_throw_pillow-189670900862356328" rel="nofollow">Queen Bee 2-Sided Throw Pillow</a>
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<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/queen_bee_mug_personalize_it-256413154155972271" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Queen Bee Mug | Personalize It!" src="https://rlv.zcache.com/queen_bee_mug_personalize_it-r8fd10abbfa2a47b9b875170fced06169_kfpih_1024.jpg?rlvnet=1&max_dim=325" style="border: 0px;" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/queen_bee_mug_personalize_it-256413154155972271" rel="nofollow">Crowned Queen Bee Cusomizable Mug</a>
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</div><p>The thing I like <i>most</i> about Zazzle is being able to transfer a design to another product in mere seconds. Say you like the crowned queen bee design but you want it on a phone case instead. Easy peasy! Just click on "Transfer design to a product" and pick the product you need. Choosing from over 1,000 products is the hard part.</p><p>I put together a collection to give you ideas. Have fun!<br /></p><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/collections/queen_bee_honeycomb_pattern-119360367369850997" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Queen Bee | Honeycomb Pattern" src="https://rlv.zcache.com/queen_bee_honeycomb_pattern_119360367369850997-r_zruem_3fyjm_425.jpg" style="border: 0px;" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/collections/queen_bee_honeycomb_pattern-119360367369850997" rel="nofollow">Queen Bee on Honeycomb Customizable Gifts<br />Designed on Zazzle by </a><a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/backyardbee" rel="nofollow">BackyardBee</a>
</div><p style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">And here's what I'm getting for Valentine's Day and my Mom is getting for Mother's Day!</p>
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<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/hail_to_the_queen_bee_customizable_lovers_mug-256207830939125939" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Hail to the Queen Bee, Customizable Lover's Mug" src="https://rlv.zcache.com/hail_to_the_queen_bee_customizable_lovers_mug-rd5784caa6d41489b85e33d2a11457fca_za2dq_1024.jpg?rlvnet=1&max_dim=325" style="border: 0px;" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/hail_to_the_queen_bee_customizable_lovers_mug-256207830939125939" rel="nofollow">Hail to the Queen Bee, Customizable Lover's Mugs </a>
<br />Designed on Zazzle by <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/backyardbee" rel="nofollow">BackyardBee</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-84921911485527338382024-02-05T06:00:00.179-07:002024-02-07T11:42:16.184-07:00PastryMade Rolling Pins: 5 Tips to Roll with the Best!<p>If you're wondering if <a href="https://pastrymade.com/" target="_blank">PastryMade</a>'s rolling pins are worth the splurge, they are! The designs are laser-etched deeply to give you great results. There are dozens to choose from, and several are bee-themed. I bought Honeycomb, Morning Birds, and my third pin (not shown) is the Stand with Ukraine one, which literally <a href="https://pastrymade.com/blogs/news/war-in-ukraine" target="_blank">supports families in the Ukraine</a>.<br /></p><p>Their butter cookie recipe (below) makes a really nice cookie that's not
particularly sweet but not particularly rich either. Tender crisp, they are perfect with a cup of tea. The recipe is super easy, but here are some tips to help you get the best results from your specialty pins.<br /></p><p>Tip #1: the Regular size is more than adequate, no need to spend another $10 for the Big rolling pin.</p><p>Tip #2: use <a href="https://www.303beekeeper.com/2016/03/spoon-butter.html">spoon butter</a> to prep your pins</p><p>Tip #3: a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Silpat-Premium-Non-Stick-Silicone-Baking/dp/B002LTHMEA/">Silpat</a> will give you the classic, blonde shortbread cookie look</p><p>Tip #4: rice flour gives you a nonstick work surface and tender reworked dough</p><p>Tip #5: clean the grooves with a toothbrush for perfect impressions time and time again.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">These fall somewhere between a sugar cookie and a classic shortbread. </h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWZ_3qlFngpUfYcyCeAgpcFpB0I4UxMcBtyzmwDDQx5haEmvLmbWYfs82pL7MSrqKMiwS-dM0j5RtSKYEtnQNDsgXa9eusnGq9jILAwcj51f2IKpTkOuhlCMEBT9XU5D_4wnp041EVGyqY_stnu3hBxUu34nAjbDbVoPUUNcSPq7GGZLpqH-PxDwfPyc/s4032/PXL_20240128_203126070.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWZ_3qlFngpUfYcyCeAgpcFpB0I4UxMcBtyzmwDDQx5haEmvLmbWYfs82pL7MSrqKMiwS-dM0j5RtSKYEtnQNDsgXa9eusnGq9jILAwcj51f2IKpTkOuhlCMEBT9XU5D_4wnp041EVGyqY_stnu3hBxUu34nAjbDbVoPUUNcSPq7GGZLpqH-PxDwfPyc/w640-h480/PXL_20240128_203126070.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter cookies made with the <a href="https://pastrymade.com/products/honeycomb-rolling-pin?variant=29379477372989" target="_blank">Honeycomb Rolling Pin</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>
<p>I've made these with Irish butter and supermarket butter, and it doesn't make a huge difference. You can even use salted butter if that's what you've got. With the exception of needing to use a scale, it's a very forgiving recipe. The volume measurements (in parentheses) are close approximations.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazEtHnhjahsTjDmy23eeJXMDvv2aSHPvQQZ0zabEdIoCnokzvUmKjHVFDtNnYgsw7KZomO7yPFyduH1AqlazRb28Fk34XKjJw3mTokZNmGOc_4nWjE9a23zb3vj9dnkLM5BBf2HK48YWCR1SjZU-LJyAVPWZbB-oDg0diXP8DvI3G3P6UlIIwXt7M-LU/s4032/PXL_20231213_204522873.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazEtHnhjahsTjDmy23eeJXMDvv2aSHPvQQZ0zabEdIoCnokzvUmKjHVFDtNnYgsw7KZomO7yPFyduH1AqlazRb28Fk34XKjJw3mTokZNmGOc_4nWjE9a23zb3vj9dnkLM5BBf2HK48YWCR1SjZU-LJyAVPWZbB-oDg0diXP8DvI3G3P6UlIIwXt7M-LU/w640-h480/PXL_20231213_204522873.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pastrymade.com/products/morning-birds-rolling-pin?variant=42403289006320" target="_blank">Morning Birds</a>, bottoms dipped in chocolate. A little bottom browning helps balance the flavors.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The recipe makes about 60 cookies. I can fit two dozen on a half-sheet and bake two sheets at a time, so the time spent actually baking is short.
It's a good idea to bake one tray to start, to determine if you need to adjust your oven temperature up or down.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRk-H_euFGing0-RMa0ZFC3OzTQVATialx0S5lc8dhvFIWhigOeV26K6k5cYCyG-owr6Y4ZXoPMvpsUadO1FL9bgL6wtSNJAiRBFv42pVsJedYANd7YrYly6TTURua7fNb8eFN1jGyF8TQwy_1ztAek7vRnbQaV68GRrNN8xH24dNmWXoMf6GFKsTicq8/s4032/PXL_20240128_203852519.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRk-H_euFGing0-RMa0ZFC3OzTQVATialx0S5lc8dhvFIWhigOeV26K6k5cYCyG-owr6Y4ZXoPMvpsUadO1FL9bgL6wtSNJAiRBFv42pVsJedYANd7YrYly6TTURua7fNb8eFN1jGyF8TQwy_1ztAek7vRnbQaV68GRrNN8xH24dNmWXoMf6GFKsTicq8/w640-h480/PXL_20240128_203852519.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the oven at the right temperature, baked cookies won't look much different from unbaked ones.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I bake at 350°F when using Super Parchment (top tray above), which tends to bottom brown the cookies, whereas
Silpat (bottom tray above) isn't prone to that. I prefer my shortbreads blonde, but color = flavor so go for it if that's what
you like. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUPdHsn0Qym8dKKl-wp7Cg7LfqkncU-A9QYGI3ZnHtK18UmxKJxLItcW7d_wbu7kdv4NVt1LMyzja0gMnT_eGrhhslPygJI6OsTsbLUhXC4jPqc2b1OxYjyLewmvi97qx2ehOsnxeTww8hwPkYGCZDT0hFGqLsY3JagEphf_MqDO5pljmoz1Z4QKb2D4/s4032/PXL_20231213_210048637.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUPdHsn0Qym8dKKl-wp7Cg7LfqkncU-A9QYGI3ZnHtK18UmxKJxLItcW7d_wbu7kdv4NVt1LMyzja0gMnT_eGrhhslPygJI6OsTsbLUhXC4jPqc2b1OxYjyLewmvi97qx2ehOsnxeTww8hwPkYGCZDT0hFGqLsY3JagEphf_MqDO5pljmoz1Z4QKb2D4/w480-h640/PXL_20231213_210048637.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The recipe makes about 60 cookies.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>PASTRYMADE BUTTER COOKIES<br /></p><p>butter 200g / 7.05 oz. (14 Tbsp.)<br />1 egg<br />2 T. olive oil (I prefer something neutral, like avocado oil)<br />pinch of salt<br />flour 400g / 14.1 oz. (shy 3<span>¼</span> cups)<br />icing (powdered) sugar 150g / 5.25 oz. (1<span>⅓</span> c.)<br /></p><p><b>It doesn't get any easier than this!</b> Place all (room temperature) ingredients in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until thoroughly combined. Roll, cut, bake.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ready for the TMI?<br /></h3><p>Rest the dough in the fridge while you prep your rolling pin(s). I don't like the idea of using oil, which will eventually go rancid. Instead, I recommend treating it with <a href="https://www.303beekeeper.com/2016/03/spoon-butter.html">spoon butter</a>, which is more durable and won't need to be repeated as often. Use a manual toothbrush to really work it into the engraved details. The warmth of your hands can help it penetrate the wood. <br /></p><p>Working with half the dough, use a regular rolling pin and roll to a thickness somewhere between <span>⅛</span>- and <span>¼</span>-inch. Lightly dusting your work surface and the dough with rice flour will help you get the best impression from your engraved pin. Rice flour has no gluten so won't toughen up your cookies even after rerolling the scraps. </p><p>Though the pins spin nicely on their handles, I find that using them requires a slight forward push which stretches and tears the dough. Not using the handles, treating it like a French pin, works better for me. Use more downward pressure than forward pressure (though I suppose you could start from the far edge and roll toward yourself). For evenly thick cookies start to finish, make a mental note of how the downward pressure feels. The dough expands forward as it's manipulated by a small amount, but there is no stretching (so there's no rebound and your cookies keep their shape as they bake). If the impression isn't as intense as you'd hoped, you can flip the dough over and try again <i>if</i> it's thick enough. I probably do it 50% of the time.<br /></p><p>My favorite cutters are a fluted 38mm/1<span>½</span>" and 48mm/1<span>⅞</span>". Since the cookies don't expand, I place them practically touching each other on a lined half-sheet. Silpat are ideal. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Supply-Inch-Parchment-Paper/dp/B00004RKFR" target="_blank">Super Parchment</a> is a less expensive sustainable option. Parchment paper, especially the thin cheap kind, can get wavy as the dough releases moisture, producing cookies that aren't flat. Gather the scraps, reroll and cut until you run out of dough. You'll roll out the other half of the dough while the first batch bakes.<br /><br />Clean the pin with the toothbrush if the dough starts sticking (and when you're done for the day). To help the pattern be most visible, PastryMade recommends chilling the sheet of cookies for 20-30 minutes but I don't bother. While the oven preheats and by the time I've loaded up two cookie sheets, they've rested plenty.<br /></p><p>The original recipe says to bake at 200°, which I didn't realize was Celsius until several minutes after they were supposed to be done baking, they just looked wet and raw. Converted that's 392°F but I find it too hot. It makes the cookies puff up so the design gets stretched and muted, plus the cookies don't bake through evenly. At lower temperatures, the cookies don't budge, so the design stays crisp and the bottom is evenly golden. As with all cookies, if you don't see them at least starting to turn gold on the edges, you run the risk of the cookies tasting flour-y and being a little chewy (underbaked). You can bake multiple trays at a time, rotating and swapping trays midway. Depending on how thick your cookies are, bake for 9-15" per batch. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and repeat with the other half of the dough.<br /></p><p>These cookies taste like a lightly sweet, classic shortbread. A trio of them is a good accompaniment to a cup of tea any day. </p><p><span></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">BONUS TIPS for making it to the bottom of this post!</h3><p></p><p>#1: No Pressure! the Buy 2 Get 1 promotion is perpetual, despite <a href="https://pastrymade.com/" target="_blank">PastryMade</a>'s constant ads (and website) saying Only Today. Try THANKS10 for 10% off your order.<br /></p><p>#2: Use milk chocolate if you're decorating the cookies; their delicately flavor is overwhelmed by dark chocolate.</p><p>#3: Scraping seeds from half a vanilla bean gives these simple cookies a greater depth of flavor.</p><p><b>Let me know if you make these cookies, and if you used a fancy rolling pin! </b></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-25127764945461971442023-12-02T09:54:00.012-07:002024-02-03T14:39:46.040-07:00A beekeeper's winter reading list: 3 ultrashort book reviews<div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDbVkww4XhXaOQfrYQ7joHbS59CsV0JpDavTkXTflmtruFeW1iO6Tc_pdD9CAJBmKb7lI3mNu5cVKKfkJ7KWq6RlQLLYfXbS42HckMpEam1sqze8pS5rO_ME9qvHUMzyIN2ykgA2eFbhD681NgRF8eBRw1uS8sMp8guKglKRRAsQl2Jny0DSoRjLhSq0/s4032/PXL_20231116_170142434.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDbVkww4XhXaOQfrYQ7joHbS59CsV0JpDavTkXTflmtruFeW1iO6Tc_pdD9CAJBmKb7lI3mNu5cVKKfkJ7KWq6RlQLLYfXbS42HckMpEam1sqze8pS5rO_ME9qvHUMzyIN2ykgA2eFbhD681NgRF8eBRw1uS8sMp8guKglKRRAsQl2Jny0DSoRjLhSq0/s320/PXL_20231116_170142434.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The title is one of many honey bee factoids smattered throughout the book.</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees</h3></div><p><span>Originally from London, Helen Jukes gets lucky in a multitude of ways, not the least of which is friends who gifted her bees… and </span><a href="https://beefriendlytrust.org/about-us/" target="_blank">Luke Dixon</a> for a beekeeping mentor! She's a bit on the nerdy side, and there's lots of beekeeping facts and factoids in her memoir. Plus she has a top bar hive! ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I'd've given it 5-stars if the title were more than a factoid. Maybe it's a hint that this is a "I found love" story? If so, I don't know what the other four things she found were. <i>Read it and let me know what I missed!</i></p><p><span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h-fLtYQTbB2njlAS2H2fVMY8XSVCyvkKlkwWQetFs2hQWTzDH-pOXGccCuv8qofMFZojZ7iVCaaXBYFDFQB6Y14Lot-41QHBxhHCzOsWBWWwJUSw97DQW4-Mq3dUmOPGaLuILhsADUTTo4gPPxa4pyypyzldxsoocroN0pbgwHbyvNso73NPRN8jDHs/s4032/PXL_20231117_204209352.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h-fLtYQTbB2njlAS2H2fVMY8XSVCyvkKlkwWQetFs2hQWTzDH-pOXGccCuv8qofMFZojZ7iVCaaXBYFDFQB6Y14Lot-41QHBxhHCzOsWBWWwJUSw97DQW4-Mq3dUmOPGaLuILhsADUTTo4gPPxa4pyypyzldxsoocroN0pbgwHbyvNso73NPRN8jDHs/s320/PXL_20231117_204209352.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><span>Another true story, Meredith May, weaves a surprising amount of beekeeping </span></span><span><span>details </span></span><span><span>into The Honey Bus.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span></span><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span><span>The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees </span></span></h3><p><span><span>A broken family at a young age, displaced and impoverished… This one resonated with me because my mom, like Meredith's, had a seriously messed up childhood which was not without ramifications for her children. But her grandfather is a beekeeper, and life lessons from him and the bees enable her to not just survive but to triumph. "</span></span>He showed me how bees are loyal and brave, how they cooperate and
strive, all the things I'd need to be when it was my time to navigate
solo."<span><span> </span></span><span><span>This book made me <i>really</i> miss beekeeping!</span></span><span><span> </span></span><span><span>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yHgByAzLqy7zKfY1qJRdIJk9DjsZcEg1N2Hv7PkRaAxeo-rJVf_jyhJMOWp0uSZdlYQV6VmMabZCm_4xITRjbOFNjV60cTmFbnZb4H0wGLusNP0__hQKZGFmo_jrBbjQXf3S-ZZmOLoWTHDn59-xwOrMh0VZ7BcNt43WdKZHqNQ-Tqe4OcSJfKOm3CQ/s4032/PXL_20231202_144850317.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3017" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yHgByAzLqy7zKfY1qJRdIJk9DjsZcEg1N2Hv7PkRaAxeo-rJVf_jyhJMOWp0uSZdlYQV6VmMabZCm_4xITRjbOFNjV60cTmFbnZb4H0wGLusNP0__hQKZGFmo_jrBbjQXf3S-ZZmOLoWTHDn59-xwOrMh0VZ7BcNt43WdKZHqNQ-Tqe4OcSJfKOm3CQ/s320/PXL_20231202_144850317.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><span>My husband is getting me a t-shirt that says, "I read banned books. 📚"</span></span><span><span> <br />Trigger warnings: attempted suicide, bullying, child abuse, domestic violence, LGBTQIA+ violence<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span><span>Mad Honey: A Novel<span style="font-weight: normal;"> by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan</span></span></span></h3><p><span><span>Every time I get vaccinated, I tell the nurse that I completed <a href="https://www.303beekeeper.com/p/vit.html">VIT</a>. Naturally, the beekeeping conversation ensues, and this time the nurse said, "You must read Mad Honey!" </span></span><span><span>You would not expect a murder mystery to have the word "bees" 39 times in </span></span><span><span>chapter one, but wow, what a great start. Of course there's a plot twist, and this one's was unexpected in not the usual unexpected way. If you're looking for more inclusiveness in your literature, this New York Times Bestseller covers the bases. </span></span><span><span>At the end there are recipes. The one I'm wanting to make
the most instructs, "Bake in oven for 40 minutes, or until an impossible
thing comes true. Whichever comes first." </span></span><span><span>⭐⭐⭐⭐ (<a href="https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1hep_2_qFgYpTbm0_2xpiHXdG6cAkczv2" target="_blank">Download the PDF from the Google Colaboratory</a>.)<br /></span></span></p><p><span><span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkdUKT_PnWm7zxRp-Znq7WeXIEF7vhIYGeviJDj0UcmSMTYamrNqUUCsa5l0vgvnhvVvKwB6Oxo1aFm7BXdjcjil-U6mgefe3S71lVA2BM6tuESwWqQaZ_CDCF38XyyLpjqjcU8ib6qSbfFVuRJZF10M5ET_16jOe1YIvuwSeRn4IUIfx8qVtdjhx0Gk/s4032/PXL_20231116_170054088.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkdUKT_PnWm7zxRp-Znq7WeXIEF7vhIYGeviJDj0UcmSMTYamrNqUUCsa5l0vgvnhvVvKwB6Oxo1aFm7BXdjcjil-U6mgefe3S71lVA2BM6tuESwWqQaZ_CDCF38XyyLpjqjcU8ib6qSbfFVuRJZF10M5ET_16jOe1YIvuwSeRn4IUIfx8qVtdjhx0Gk/s320/PXL_20231116_170054088.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><span>Who else picks books by their covers? </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><b><i>Glory Be</i></b> by </span></span><span><span>Danielle Arceneaux. Set in Louisiana (relatively close by), another crime and social issues novel is my next pick. </span></span><b><span><span>What's on your reading list? </span></span><span><span> </span></span></b></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-62464818260417730662023-11-20T05:45:00.011-07:002023-12-05T07:52:02.287-07:00Beeswax Wraps & 3 DIY tips that work! <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVluR6xp1fEnUgv5eaw5kQ0vGomj7nCI4ITzqex1Wbd6U3l21e4ETDFDWAfNzzTqga90Dkzt1qsBH2aHVVFlswDgOHxJEErcGvMFUyU690GpNkAX6AcWEU0lmsjs3AomD2LG9IqV6cm-IEPvDajA0vaZOniphRGTtm_r6uSzx_6_MZyV9Q7NH66E6fXY/s3895/PXL_20230823_175929555.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3895" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVluR6xp1fEnUgv5eaw5kQ0vGomj7nCI4ITzqex1Wbd6U3l21e4ETDFDWAfNzzTqga90Dkzt1qsBH2aHVVFlswDgOHxJEErcGvMFUyU690GpNkAX6AcWEU0lmsjs3AomD2LG9IqV6cm-IEPvDajA0vaZOniphRGTtm_r6uSzx_6_MZyV9Q7NH66E6fXY/w640-h496/PXL_20230823_175929555.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>DIY beeswax wraps that work!</b> A 5" wrap covers a Oui jar perfectly. A 7" wrap is more than ample for an 8-ounce ramekin.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Determined to make a substitute for plastic cling wrap and foil, today's post is on things I learned from making beeswax wraps. In case you've got the crazy idea to make your own, too, I hope I can save you some trouble.<br /><p></p><p>Tip #1: Wraps made with pure beeswax alone are brittle and don't cling at all. If you're a beekeeper with a Warré Hive, they are <i>fantastic</i> between the top bars and quilt! </p><p>Tip #2: A little oil provides flexibility, so your wraps bend without cracking. Think of a wax/oil version as a foil substitute. It's bendy and holds its shape but doesn't make an airtight seal. Stay away from cooking oils with short shelf lives. I like meadowfoam, which is a North American native wildflower. It has a longer shelf life than jojoba oil, and I can use a tad less oil.<br /></p><p>Tip #3: Resin is what puts the cling in DIY cling wrap. If you're wondering about using propolis, the<span> resin-like substance made by bees, at the amount needed to create cling it imparts a strong odor and bitter taste to wrapped items. And I mean <i>really</i> bitter. </span>Invest in pine resin in powder form; chunk form takes too long to melt, which degrades your wax/oil. A 1-pound bag of pine resin will make about 12 dozen wraps. (If you find a smaller bag for less than $15, please let me know!)</p><p><b>If you're ready to embark on making your own, my formulation makes an extra sticky blend for beeswax wraps that actually work!</b> I'm providing volume measurements for convenience but, especially if small-batch crafting, I highly recommend a quality digital scale like a <a href="https://hbitech.com/product/ibalance-i5500/" target="_blank">MyWeigh</a>, which is accurate to a tenth of a gram.<br /></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">DIY Beeswax Wraps Recipe</h3><p>Makes ~(5) 12"x12" wraps.<br /></p><p>60 g. beeswax (about 1/2 c. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LR2CHK/" target="_blank">pastilles</a>)<br />20 g. pine resin (about 2 1/2 Tbsp.)<br />12 g. jojoba (1 Tbsp) oil </p><p>Melt everything together using a water bath, stirring until completely blended. I use a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TVZS59P/" target="_blank">milk frothing pitcher</a> set in a small sauce pot over medium heat, and it takes about 15-20 minutes to make sure the resin is completely dissolved. The resin sinks to the bottom, so you'll know it's fully dissolved when you don't feel your stirring tool dragging anymore. Double-check that there aren't globs stuck to your stirrer, though.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3Mamf1RvNJufwsHCkoMUwa05Z7YnTgHB7VWetMCDegH5U-aklJ-m4CeRVPclgk7NeleSCMUnvQTWy1P7rdnaHJUtwQbAtGEUPWd74V2CsgtLOgaA6xRmZgleyL05Syb3dA0KQjizdgqc1txGm17n07f6FCmPTpkvuZTVvCXhe2dBFed2GVnxhClbGBA/s4032/PXL_20230827_214018557.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3Mamf1RvNJufwsHCkoMUwa05Z7YnTgHB7VWetMCDegH5U-aklJ-m4CeRVPclgk7NeleSCMUnvQTWy1P7rdnaHJUtwQbAtGEUPWd74V2CsgtLOgaA6xRmZgleyL05Syb3dA0KQjizdgqc1txGm17n07f6FCmPTpkvuZTVvCXhe2dBFed2GVnxhClbGBA/w640-h480/PXL_20230827_214018557.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin needs a good amount of heat to melt. Maintain a simmer.</td></tr></tbody></table>Instead of brushing the liquid mixture onto fabric, I pour it thinly
into molds. Once set, I pop out a few wafers and iron them into fabric
that's in-between pieces of parchment paper. You want to barely saturate
the fabric, but if you put on too much just use the iron to push the
excess out past the fabric edges (but still inside the parchment
sheets). Using the next piece of fabric to absorb it, it's almost zero waste and cleanup is a breeze. This is especially why I love the wafer/iron method.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKvGrvOSs8AQNH1tNuwEe8XGbGB0SjReZTCwzS6H0Cm6M_m6OxqxukvazwAe6IfqIRs-8g76o_NeVikhd1skp-CRvJLpJTLXAjWoqRzSAEFhQ7UpcRVPmFCkJAfi2nwh9QULX9gDXQf2TQbevncGvuoHJOeaZr5oejMHARhJ7fsYz1bpFn4K69vWTE9w/s3024/PXL_20230821_183607958.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="3024" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKvGrvOSs8AQNH1tNuwEe8XGbGB0SjReZTCwzS6H0Cm6M_m6OxqxukvazwAe6IfqIRs-8g76o_NeVikhd1skp-CRvJLpJTLXAjWoqRzSAEFhQ7UpcRVPmFCkJAfi2nwh9QULX9gDXQf2TQbevncGvuoHJOeaZr5oejMHARhJ7fsYz1bpFn4K69vWTE9w/w640-h512/PXL_20230821_183607958.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/eoocvt-Honeycomb-Silicone-Flexible-Chocolate/dp/B01N028FX6/" target="_blank">cake mold</a>" like this one is about $9 on Amazon. Clean each well with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol for a polished finished piece.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Beeswax Wraps Wafers</h3><p>Quick to melt, three wafers will treat a large piece of tight-weave fabric. My first beeswax wraps were made out of an old but high-quality cotton percale pillowcase, upcycling at its best. An economical option is remnants at your local fabric store (mine is Joann), or buy quilting squares or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NBRY8FS" target="_blank">fat quarters</a> are cute and fun. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJj5X5gSO9aPX_2FYDJ3TiW0LPrrRSvS1M6QPR6w9gWsEafBR1QxlsWCossJEk7pgOHTtYY50z0098QYOyl5EPhUhA479xEBk--1_Koe1SEWkRz8Bc0tg6Mr_zKnURhX-bsZ-3rYNDPhUuW3cJ9WEC3YJ3ZnW_R_EQnTE67XFu3RYy99Css3v04XILus/s4032/PXL_20230823_172330764.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJj5X5gSO9aPX_2FYDJ3TiW0LPrrRSvS1M6QPR6w9gWsEafBR1QxlsWCossJEk7pgOHTtYY50z0098QYOyl5EPhUhA479xEBk--1_Koe1SEWkRz8Bc0tg6Mr_zKnURhX-bsZ-3rYNDPhUuW3cJ9WEC3YJ3ZnW_R_EQnTE67XFu3RYy99Css3v04XILus/w640-h480/PXL_20230823_172330764.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I prefer to wax my fabric first and cut it to size afterward, which minimizes fraying. </td></tr></tbody></table>Use a rotary cutter or pinking shears if you have them. Either will reduce fraying but you'll always have loose threads…don't pull them! You can hem the edges if you're sewing the fabric into a baggie. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OE49JowU4J3QW9CUM_C8g5LWM3fbBVCTX4g7yVMxNDEDmRJfv_d18gcjY4n-3exVbSpJ676XI-xyIk_4F61Hh0R8cMgnQKskI_JQnLqfd2wE2wIHGp2Eiu1KrVHEvCgT_wCYJRBEyBK9jF71jsuJydQyyXM6-Y_TLQ7lVCAT1-4UOS9wQg57ZK34YhQ/s4032/PXL_20230823_172526066.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OE49JowU4J3QW9CUM_C8g5LWM3fbBVCTX4g7yVMxNDEDmRJfv_d18gcjY4n-3exVbSpJ676XI-xyIk_4F61Hh0R8cMgnQKskI_JQnLqfd2wE2wIHGp2Eiu1KrVHEvCgT_wCYJRBEyBK9jF71jsuJydQyyXM6-Y_TLQ7lVCAT1-4UOS9wQg57ZK34YhQ/w640-h480/PXL_20230823_172526066.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>It's easy to pinch pieces off the wafers, to ensure even coverage.</b> You move the pools of wax with your iron so you don't have to be perfect or precise. (Be sure to place a piece of parchment paper underneath and on top.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Because my friends say things like, "You should sell these on Etsy," you can buy my Beeswax Wraps Waxing Wafers, four for $4.</h4><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/BackyardBeeHive">etsy.com/shop/BackyardBeeHive</a> – <a href="https://backyardbeehive.etsy.com/listing/1551131475/diy-beeswax-wraps-waxing-wafers-premixed">DIY beeswax wraps waxing wafers, premixed</a><br /></h3><p>If you'd rather not spend $15 for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Q5NC8D7" target="_blank">resin</a> and make 144 wraps, then these ready-to-use waxing wafers are for you! If you have year-old wraps that have lost their stickiness and need a refresh, these waxing wafers are for you! Or if you have beeswax wraps that weren't sticky enough in the first place, these waxing wafers are for you!</p><p>My Beeswax Wraps Waxing Wafers are four for $4 (plus cost to mail). Four wafers will make up to nine (9) wraps with plenty leftover for touch-ups. Depending on how you cut it, from one quilting square you can make:<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>three 7x7" (small) and two 10x13" (medium) wraps</li><li>3 small, (1) 7x13" (rectangular medium), and (1) 13x13" (large) wrap</li><li>3 small and 1 extra-large 13x20" wrap (perfect for covering a lasagna pan with handles)</li></ul><p>Remember, you're not limited to squares or rectangles. I find rounds to be the most versatile. The cast-offs make terrific fire starters, and I mean <i>terrific</i>. 🔥 Or don't cut the quilting square at all, and sew it into a plastic-free baggie. <b>The possibilities are endless.</b> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqcCtnn5QymRcWd21TN_KC6vqQm-0W4_18jGujEHARsUuiO_eHxtS_ElQTsi0kVBVlytYlcmlFbKexqnv_3gwWlwsKosHPdVl04jE9eeRsL4XKa5f9ukZWlH2An-_ejkTUnWSeXXgiOS76MvPMpf_gYnEc9n_7ed3hUv1HXmy_A7csOEBCu4aqCnj75Q/s4032/PXL_20230824_150456101.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2958" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqcCtnn5QymRcWd21TN_KC6vqQm-0W4_18jGujEHARsUuiO_eHxtS_ElQTsi0kVBVlytYlcmlFbKexqnv_3gwWlwsKosHPdVl04jE9eeRsL4XKa5f9ukZWlH2An-_ejkTUnWSeXXgiOS76MvPMpf_gYnEc9n_7ed3hUv1HXmy_A7csOEBCu4aqCnj75Q/s320/PXL_20230824_150456101.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://backyardbeehive.etsy.com/listing/1551131475/diy-beeswax-wraps-waxing-wafers-premixed" target="_blank">DIY Beeswax Wraps Waxing Wafers</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>BONUS TIP for making it to the end of this post: Making DIY, and indeed using, beeswax
wraps is messy business. Rubbing alcohol will clean up drips and smudges, and hand sanitizer is your skin's best friend. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-33101274659729522162023-10-29T13:47:00.009-06:002023-10-31T07:27:07.169-06:00Olympian Fig Tree, Air Layer vs. Cutting Prop<p>On the topic of bees, figs <i>can't</i> be bee-pollinated! Their flowers are inverted and require a specialized pollinator. They're pollinated by wasps, aptly called fig wasps.</p><p><small>OFF-TOPIC:</small> Here's an update on my fig tree propagations. As a reminder, I took one stem cutting and did an air-layer. I didn't know if one method was better than the other, but now I definitely have a preference.<br></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEVzOKU_ziM54rBDNS8UWsBgQDumO3tSB83BOtmOdsBcooFYqBziKOMiNQLzcwgrDwf1CtwbdnV-0BgWjyZI_vwYUGEl8qCQveyP2xLKSvImzPTmtLiQd-El5WtGdpE2wAvOhMIf4YK7jF2ekH7dtw3JZFe4yuZ0dFr2PrtxB_ekX3d_4guKtG-Fk5GA/s4032/PXL_20230823_152950283.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEVzOKU_ziM54rBDNS8UWsBgQDumO3tSB83BOtmOdsBcooFYqBziKOMiNQLzcwgrDwf1CtwbdnV-0BgWjyZI_vwYUGEl8qCQveyP2xLKSvImzPTmtLiQd-El5WtGdpE2wAvOhMIf4YK7jF2ekH7dtw3JZFe4yuZ0dFr2PrtxB_ekX3d_4guKtG-Fk5GA/w640-h480/PXL_20230823_152950283.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut branch propagation, 6-weeks from being taken off the donor plant and getting its second pot-up. The donor plant is same-old same-old. No worse for the wear of taking props but also no signs of improvement<br></td></tr></tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiiyBam4PMS2Ymsb4wiZFTWvcmVpzGdi2FauRhq3_CfGTNJG-g13TbKsESONq-8yV6MWDoe0UHYPCSFI_ZjX9NVufLMyS-9ayftO-hGgJ9VObrqQ7sFAu5_S-_jhAzCe-0eVO_ymJDwpUI2Ck2tDGMNbLOTCdbJmhw6bCrgjA2i6Vr63Cnc4-T83IepA/s4032/PXL_20230823_152611654.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiiyBam4PMS2Ymsb4wiZFTWvcmVpzGdi2FauRhq3_CfGTNJG-g13TbKsESONq-8yV6MWDoe0UHYPCSFI_ZjX9NVufLMyS-9ayftO-hGgJ9VObrqQ7sFAu5_S-_jhAzCe-0eVO_ymJDwpUI2Ck2tDGMNbLOTCdbJmhw6bCrgjA2i6Vr63Cnc4-T83IepA/w640-h480/PXL_20230823_152611654.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air-layered propagation, 6 weeks of root formation despite my negligence and letting the sphagnum dry out. Click on the picture for a zoomable view.<br></td></tr></tbody></table>The cutting prop lost all but one leaf to start but then grew so fast it had to be potted up three times. It's put all its energy into a single trunk. The air layered prop went straight into a 1-gallon nursery pot, where it sent up a whole new branch. The difference in leaf size is remarkable. I wonder what difference it'll make in fruit production.<br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8_h0kiscrpoBfmWGGkT-xV9RBTiBNTJ06hVg5vFxHafi90-c7KJEFJ_NkIf9Ge3xxHEOHT27Fdc5VKR5OYNaJYWVIzcBjBPeUf-3L4481ldRCxqkXoTuBCcDSr_jcUpRg8fHM52d1cr9iWPEH1U2A3rqMkHdomBVpKDySNaSewmD8s6AshsXUYPW8lg/s4032/PXL_20231022_144555975.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8_h0kiscrpoBfmWGGkT-xV9RBTiBNTJ06hVg5vFxHafi90-c7KJEFJ_NkIf9Ge3xxHEOHT27Fdc5VKR5OYNaJYWVIzcBjBPeUf-3L4481ldRCxqkXoTuBCcDSr_jcUpRg8fHM52d1cr9iWPEH1U2A3rqMkHdomBVpKDySNaSewmD8s6AshsXUYPW8lg/w480-h640/PXL_20231022_144555975.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another 6 weeks: The air-layer prop doubled its number of leaves and is working on a new branch. I wasn't planning on potting up again but the squirrels had other ideas. The cutting is pushing out huge leaves and the trunk is fattening up nicely, too.<br></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>It rains so much here, 20 inches in a 3-month period this summer, you can't have a pot with too much drainage. Fabric grow bags work pretty well but you do have to watch out for mold and mushrooms growing on the bags. I haven't had ants move into my grow bags like they do my plastic pots. Every pot with a drainage hole has an ant problem, that is, until I scratch neem seed meal into the soil. It takes care of them like magic! Even though I have a solution, I'd rather not have the problem in the first place, so I'm switching to grow bags whenever possible. <br></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GGQjzXi2_b4dwhz7mR-rEJPD5b8u1TIhOpH5MmjbXQn7Smmo0gbf5fx2Li1wAIT5W5xK6KYuXSHBnJF7Q1BWovwYeMCiePPRpvxFfAP5QUdSCm2IFzgD6JU3QXlwjipdZ5AEf83Yo_dQTOmJvPjgfmyxuZN8g_6JueU9mVe3LHQrK7xcrtz5MkQ8cJI/s4032/PXL_20231022_144931167.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GGQjzXi2_b4dwhz7mR-rEJPD5b8u1TIhOpH5MmjbXQn7Smmo0gbf5fx2Li1wAIT5W5xK6KYuXSHBnJF7Q1BWovwYeMCiePPRpvxFfAP5QUdSCm2IFzgD6JU3QXlwjipdZ5AEf83Yo_dQTOmJvPjgfmyxuZN8g_6JueU9mVe3LHQrK7xcrtz5MkQ8cJI/w480-h640/PXL_20231022_144931167.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The green stuff is <a href="https://better-than-rocks.myshopify.com/collections/all/products/16-by-96-jumbo" target="_blank">Better Than Rocks</a>, which I use in my outdoor pots with drainage holes. It works to keep the ants from using them as doorways to their new favorite home.<br></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I repotted the dumped over fig into a grow bag like its sibling. It's not quite apples-to-apples, though, because it had a piece of Better Than Rocks in its pot that went into the growbag, so it has superior drainage. I think container grown figs need that, and if they aren't getting it they let you know through brown spots on the leaves. <br></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVNTryS4N0Zh7_wBDiJ-JZiP38nhWG2OnwJmrGEqKAdhy33kpzlbPz7rNyYPOJLBrF8DHcQPcHfepX11hxvAlUKbYCJswwHn7_0FIkFadpkhvxBgJ-meJMAuOhD7Q59dYiI3VHKyeLpLk4UpXjcoQTslIcWezFN7dmUKPY-M4uHx5CX96yI4bDrpWJ1c/s3834/PXL_20231029_184056239.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2875" data-original-width="3834" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVNTryS4N0Zh7_wBDiJ-JZiP38nhWG2OnwJmrGEqKAdhy33kpzlbPz7rNyYPOJLBrF8DHcQPcHfepX11hxvAlUKbYCJswwHn7_0FIkFadpkhvxBgJ-meJMAuOhD7Q59dYiI3VHKyeLpLk4UpXjcoQTslIcWezFN7dmUKPY-M4uHx5CX96yI4bDrpWJ1c/w640-h480/PXL_20231029_184056239.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Three Little Figs<br></td></tr></tbody></table>I finally found a use for those darn plastic onion bags! I'm hoping they'll keep the squirrels from planting any more acorns. The purple one is the cutting prop, red is the air layered prop. See the difference in leaf size? The donor plant is on the right. It's got lots of fresh RKN galls so the neem seed meal and straight vermicompost did not remedy that problem. I'm having a hard time with the thought of throwing it away but it is late in the year to take more propagations. <b>What would you do?<span></span></b><a href="http://www.303beekeeper.com/2023/10/olympian-fig-tree-air-layer-vs-cutting.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-78942644433484674002023-10-26T12:18:00.002-06:002023-12-05T07:50:27.453-07:00HOW TO: Using Waxing Wafers to make DIY Beeswax Wraps<p style="text-align: left;"><b>Waxing wafers are beeswax, resin and jojoba oil in convenient Ready-to-Use premixed form. </b>Use to make new food wrappers, or to refresh ones you already own. <a href="https://backyardbeehive.etsy.com/listing/1551131475/diy-beeswax-wraps-waxing-wafers-premixed" target="_blank">Available now in my Etsy shop</a>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Whether you're reducing plastic use or substituting foil, my formulation is extra sticky, so your DIY beeswax wrappers will actually work!<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">SUGGESTED USE</h3><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Small Wrap (7 x 7 inch): 1/2 wafer</li><li style="text-align: left;">Medium Wrap (13 x 13 inch): 2 wafers</li><li style="text-align: left;">Large Wrap (16 x 16 inch): 3 wafers</li><li style="text-align: left;">Jumbo Wrap (20 x 20 inch): 4 wafers</li><li style="text-align: left;"><i>Infinitely Useful Gift Wrap</i> (25 x 25): 4 wafers – using saved ribbons to tie up presents, you can make even larger wraps that become gifts themselves. Gifts that keep on giving!<br /></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXZK6Q7wqkvVhy6kRSDe8TNqUvG6UziuuGAS9nK5f-QI3UzlLgyUyLWJKQfixJXRslra9dWmR8EOFtuNtp8t3NaLQ3YRrC2ZITlnKrV9Stjp49G1aVyS7IpZ2X_wmZqr685K4d02HucH-9TsQG9uuTltMFyziIZJJ7xdRvbcnORlzpC5zx2r8TynXlNs/s4032/PXL_20230824_150309388.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXZK6Q7wqkvVhy6kRSDe8TNqUvG6UziuuGAS9nK5f-QI3UzlLgyUyLWJKQfixJXRslra9dWmR8EOFtuNtp8t3NaLQ3YRrC2ZITlnKrV9Stjp49G1aVyS7IpZ2X_wmZqr685K4d02HucH-9TsQG9uuTltMFyziIZJJ7xdRvbcnORlzpC5zx2r8TynXlNs/w480-h640/PXL_20230824_150309388.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://backyardbeehive.etsy.com/listing/1551131475/diy-beeswax-wraps-waxing-wafers-premixed" target="_blank">DIY Beeswax Wraps Waxing Wafers</a>, 4 for $3 plus cost to mail</b><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h4 style="text-align: left;">What You’ll Need</h4><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://backyardbeehive.etsy.com/listing/1551131475/diy-beeswax-wraps-waxing-wafers-premixed" target="_blank">DIY Beeswax Wraps Waxing Wafers</a> from my Etsy shop<br /></li><li>tight weave fabric, preferably 100% cotton or other lightweight natural fiber <br /></li><li>a clothing iron</li><li>two pieces of baking parchment, heavy duty if available</li><li>heat-safe working surface like an ironing board; I use a <a href="https://epicureanusa.com/collections/cutting-boards?sort_by=manual&filter_query=/filter-size-17-5-x-13" target="_blank">13x18" Epicurean cutting board</a><br /></li><li>scissors (or pinking shears for less fraying)<br /></li></ul><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Lay a sheet of parchment on your work surface.</li><li>Lay your fabric on the parchment.</li><li>Set your iron to cotton (medium-high).</li><li>Pinch off pieces of waxing wafer and distribute them over your fabric. Not too much! It's
better to put on too little, getting the dry spots in a second pass </li><li>Cover with another sheet of parchment.</li><li>Press the iron over the the wax pieces, spreading the pools of melted wax outward. Try to stay within the confines of the parchment. <br /></li><li>Peel off and let cool (about 30 seconds). <b>Your beeswax wrap is ready to use! </b></li></ol><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLC0b_1fzm3TVDzCzGN8gAP8KAwD0xJqzvemVrW6G1Z4ixepTBJYoVD08Y1HY9ukZq3n96M-7mrJaA3Kb6Z586rKZ6fxq6p20dXA7-7K6xJjJ9ThLxvhN4bXF61Y0YcpF0AH2mxUXlGG0kPwjkhfZ1XZwCkCIJ2XGCn3V6tN7D-XXAnHRLZ-yd8dnfzQY/s3478/pinch.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2536" data-original-width="3478" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLC0b_1fzm3TVDzCzGN8gAP8KAwD0xJqzvemVrW6G1Z4ixepTBJYoVD08Y1HY9ukZq3n96M-7mrJaA3Kb6Z586rKZ6fxq6p20dXA7-7K6xJjJ9ThLxvhN4bXF61Y0YcpF0AH2mxUXlGG0kPwjkhfZ1XZwCkCIJ2XGCn3V6tN7D-XXAnHRLZ-yd8dnfzQY/w640-h466/pinch.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean as you work. Use hand sanitizer to clean sticky fingers before handling your iron.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKThDK3S8RzpTCNPAC4YmON6Olt3qOrcUGTNYdcnXI8S4bc4tlt07Zfk70S-Vh4SRHk7dpwcCzFd9QC1fXFQpYwyuAIKAElYAzRwl8G5xj3jhyzSHnG7UNejyO54VveGPFSeUGRPMzFET5H8o1lHVquRF87Stf2tY4hYtVQITgNSAcipPN-lwi7Oej5U/s3503/iron%20to%20melt.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2615" data-original-width="3503" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKThDK3S8RzpTCNPAC4YmON6Olt3qOrcUGTNYdcnXI8S4bc4tlt07Zfk70S-Vh4SRHk7dpwcCzFd9QC1fXFQpYwyuAIKAElYAzRwl8G5xj3jhyzSHnG7UNejyO54VveGPFSeUGRPMzFET5H8o1lHVquRF87Stf2tY4hYtVQITgNSAcipPN-lwi7Oej5U/w640-h478/iron%20to%20melt.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the wax melt and move under the parchment is the fun part!</td></tr></tbody></table></h3><p style="text-align: left;">Don't forget to turn off and unplug your iron. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">TIPS</h3><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If
you do use too much, iron another piece of fabric over the extra-waxy
spot and it'll absorb it. </li><li>Cutting to size <i>after</i> waxing the fabric results in less fraying than cutting beforehand. Hemming the edges is not recommended unless you're sewing a plastic-free baggie. </li><li>When finished, save the parchment. The wax that has cooled on it is ideal for refreshing work-weary wraps. <br /></li><li>Use rubbing alcohol to clean the handle of your iron, and other waxy smudges.</li><li>Use hand sanitizer to clean tacky fingers. </li></ul><h3 style="text-align: left;">USE & CARE<br /></h3><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Store unused waxing wafers in a cool, dry place. Best if used within 2 years. <br /></li><li>Unlike plastic wrap which clings readily to glass and ceramic, beeswax wrap functions a little differently. Beeswax wrap clings more to itself than whatever you're wrapping. Pleat and press it onto itself until you're happy with the seal.</li><li>If you were generous with the wax application, you'll find waxy residue on your unwrapped items. A little rubbing alcohol will clean that right up, but don't use it on anything painted or varnished.</li><li>To clean your wraps, wipe gently and rinse with cool-to-tepid water. Use a <i>very</i> small amount of dish soap if necessary. Do not scrub. Hang to dry.<br /></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"><b>I hope this helps you on your plastic-free journey.</b> Leave any questions/comments you have below.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://backyardbeehive.etsy.com/listing/1551131475/diy-beeswax-wraps-waxing-wafers-premixed">https://backyardbeehive.etsy.com/listing/1551131475/diy-beeswax-wraps-waxing-wafers-premixed</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFh4sxEAJK1HTF2BcukcfsI9rd8Unc4yTQoTVoeDpgvTtmu90dao6uTJSiaAre6xAniFF4g2gXTq0fFp7GmvxqvniL5vc7yxz7JN8zsTOcvAZpq9Zv62_imTZVIHz-UbyhjxmfIfTm3jfTb6ELlga1lck_a0ShQWfs-5Yv215yoEZgvFc2gd9YstP71VE/s14590/this%20one%20is%20just%20right.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="10892" data-original-width="14590" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFh4sxEAJK1HTF2BcukcfsI9rd8Unc4yTQoTVoeDpgvTtmu90dao6uTJSiaAre6xAniFF4g2gXTq0fFp7GmvxqvniL5vc7yxz7JN8zsTOcvAZpq9Zv62_imTZVIHz-UbyhjxmfIfTm3jfTb6ELlga1lck_a0ShQWfs-5Yv215yoEZgvFc2gd9YstP71VE/w640-h478/this%20one%20is%20just%20right.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In complete transparency, sometimes a container has a funny shape so I use a rubber band to secure its wrap. It enables me to stay plastic-free, and that makes me happy.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-63403370058496569382023-09-24T12:10:00.008-06:002023-10-13T11:53:42.763-06:00The Elizabethan Gardens<p><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><b>The URL 303beekeeper.com is for sale. Just comment on this post if interested</b>. </span></p><p>Did you know the honey bee is the state insect of North Carolina? <br /></p><p>If you're ever in coastal North Carolina, I highly recommend visiting the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island. Their <a href="https://www.elizabethangardens.org/" target="_blank">website</a> says the crepe myrtles bloom for 101 days out of the year, so we caught them on, oh, Day 90? The dark pink and red ones seem to be the ones that bloom this late in the year. Even though not in full bloom, the grounds are really unique, with pops of color and lots of interesting things to see.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI5J_wMee0ypBv0oTxTfMXalMBTf2FA4qNGg4c3riee690QolbpzWs3aujlIhBs83zr78vTzzcz8o5Rc8xvaiQqfaq_JGAMUFuWprer1Yfu-9rJ_mlsb55VQ0YqQwf8xplnK7y-__vPiPBMbIRLYi_SJveskQfEi4ne5gGRnNIA9Ad6ETemAhoFqM6Z4/s4032/PXL_20230921_141831912.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI5J_wMee0ypBv0oTxTfMXalMBTf2FA4qNGg4c3riee690QolbpzWs3aujlIhBs83zr78vTzzcz8o5Rc8xvaiQqfaq_JGAMUFuWprer1Yfu-9rJ_mlsb55VQ0YqQwf8xplnK7y-__vPiPBMbIRLYi_SJveskQfEi4ne5gGRnNIA9Ad6ETemAhoFqM6Z4/w640-h480/PXL_20230921_141831912.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visitors enter the garden through the Gate House. </td></tr></tbody></table>The Gate House is also a gift shop with a collection of "inspired by nature" pottery by a local artist, <a href="https://amgpottery.com/" target="_blank">Amy Gentry</a>. She must be a 'keeper because all her pieces were bee-themed. <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLkbaEV4uZq3nZG0Q-t9959WR_9ZR_NlgCxwVvO9PqNp4JzuFmD-uyFr9zM2DVMbeRf4sH-pnJCY3I8Z7W-jv1J3yu5MM9kcpqbvHiWV-PXNhRvSJlQWRuRpMTh8qrILF2bVoxHc4rDQb5CTnpE1fimElbJtQWTbZ97qUqksUihzaRipkroInX16xrBs/s4032/PXL_20230921_141543997.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLkbaEV4uZq3nZG0Q-t9959WR_9ZR_NlgCxwVvO9PqNp4JzuFmD-uyFr9zM2DVMbeRf4sH-pnJCY3I8Z7W-jv1J3yu5MM9kcpqbvHiWV-PXNhRvSJlQWRuRpMTh8qrILF2bVoxHc4rDQb5CTnpE1fimElbJtQWTbZ97qUqksUihzaRipkroInX16xrBs/w480-h640/PXL_20230921_141543997.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let it Bee tee, $32 </td></tr></tbody></table>There are also things not-for-sale, like the portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, oil on panel, circa 1592. Seems like a 431-year-old painting should be in a museum, but you'll find it along with other period antiquities in the gate house.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0FK3uW9JGnVySskG8oE7mOacRVeryZ1liDVkFc8ypKb1zFWCm8YG9sBJcvTiPUrZyDW0QVXgQg9deIuCJGzdUsuvK6MMUjeZ45tvBXAojJozdOd_fSmDOAOPySzqWjvZ0bn6ODvU_OLkYJdru_4ey7t6x6rmMhihNBfUy_7dBC_Cu_FErj2Jjv7GolQ/s4032/PXL_20230921_141608904.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0FK3uW9JGnVySskG8oE7mOacRVeryZ1liDVkFc8ypKb1zFWCm8YG9sBJcvTiPUrZyDW0QVXgQg9deIuCJGzdUsuvK6MMUjeZ45tvBXAojJozdOd_fSmDOAOPySzqWjvZ0bn6ODvU_OLkYJdru_4ey7t6x6rmMhihNBfUy_7dBC_Cu_FErj2Jjv7GolQ/w480-h640/PXL_20230921_141608904.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small skep candles, $8<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIyUvyRG19jXs9JI7gDIk5kCMZzOLCbCqQlVsYHVh7PSmOMGOhKUUfNwJ69u_l_VpI0u7A4jr42_mR9C45MFLfs9WfmcOAemN_Kf4-DfFVmduc3zeXwPtQD_uKESE5-pMYJwAX5xB9B4pKhpAZBy-YtzHJgci0R9dJw9iYjulxOq4bM_fy8D-9bvTXck/s2746/PXL_20230921_141630003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2628" data-original-width="2746" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIyUvyRG19jXs9JI7gDIk5kCMZzOLCbCqQlVsYHVh7PSmOMGOhKUUfNwJ69u_l_VpI0u7A4jr42_mR9C45MFLfs9WfmcOAemN_Kf4-DfFVmduc3zeXwPtQD_uKESE5-pMYJwAX5xB9B4pKhpAZBy-YtzHJgci0R9dJw9iYjulxOq4bM_fy8D-9bvTXck/w640-h612/PXL_20230921_141630003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea lights, $5</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHF347fIpTcOni2m2mAx7a25VNyG5ls5dFUyvGrRtvIx6zhQupa-poWPBmDdEwyzrENpztkaVHHaS7n0ZAHQYPC-EUaMvA7geZwwxZkVD1sxHMThpJjePMSlM7o_JPhTRHMsP_K3G4WwAYOQM44vVeQB7v85uUdAjbSyCqmSgd64_ElCL2KlJaTjHBWV8/s4032/PXL_20230921_141928649.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHF347fIpTcOni2m2mAx7a25VNyG5ls5dFUyvGrRtvIx6zhQupa-poWPBmDdEwyzrENpztkaVHHaS7n0ZAHQYPC-EUaMvA7geZwwxZkVD1sxHMThpJjePMSlM7o_JPhTRHMsP_K3G4WwAYOQM44vVeQB7v85uUdAjbSyCqmSgd64_ElCL2KlJaTjHBWV8/w640-h480/PXL_20230921_141928649.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dedicated area for Plant Sales<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Though they sell native and pollinator plants, I didn't find anything appropriate for my tiny home garden. Inside the greenhouses, I found some nice 'Tineke' rubber trees and String of Bananas succulents. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKRmPUZqL4W85dFkkwHoIw6lUzb0k4Sf_iL7ED5Cfq_FUqhEaKaENWWsW0fbe-ytIGzuRbv6PZEwfLeUucwZMOE9qwtRduSR3CFZx8HpGuJ52ayfLi9DgFrdQaly-N_liKkPDYWoPuNMWxvfNtpEdjQ5AvG0wc77kZDCozAV-miKgm3xQLFjXAAra75s/s4032/PXL_20230921_154916070.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKRmPUZqL4W85dFkkwHoIw6lUzb0k4Sf_iL7ED5Cfq_FUqhEaKaENWWsW0fbe-ytIGzuRbv6PZEwfLeUucwZMOE9qwtRduSR3CFZx8HpGuJ52ayfLi9DgFrdQaly-N_liKkPDYWoPuNMWxvfNtpEdjQ5AvG0wc77kZDCozAV-miKgm3xQLFjXAAra75s/w480-h640/PXL_20230921_154916070.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">String of Bananas is a good-for-beginners and travelers houseplant.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2k7cc79GunMxszFHBunMg_KZECw4sHSlKNB2Zwn_QqD60hUbTrlSFtXyvWW8zf5smk5ddFDPVtyTGWCtTkd2w-8pvxxXcg7l9ixojzvh7HQSC3OQC_TrPXbqTfSPg_tm8EdIa-3rRzZkT53xEJ-AgGGF7eFmTZJytgmzqYG16K95ZsBwYhqvXzSfsK4/s4032/PXL_20230921_144626021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2k7cc79GunMxszFHBunMg_KZECw4sHSlKNB2Zwn_QqD60hUbTrlSFtXyvWW8zf5smk5ddFDPVtyTGWCtTkd2w-8pvxxXcg7l9ixojzvh7HQSC3OQC_TrPXbqTfSPg_tm8EdIa-3rRzZkT53xEJ-AgGGF7eFmTZJytgmzqYG16K95ZsBwYhqvXzSfsK4/w480-h640/PXL_20230921_144626021.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bumble bee inside a 'Starry Night' swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), a cold-hardy perennial wetland plant.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAL0LRGnMy-6Tc2LbgSwfUFjhaIh2yAsRdvUTYsfMA-RBYRuOs6ZbgwpSHTdrtcDJZV48kVpu9KuNo_ivQTjZK9lfpjFZ5k3metL-yPZPCE_K0-1ncQoOCxIecJu-sqoim-8NfZWdcr78p1YQYy2pb9FvH0udgJaxTwB3J8Hg-aXBR4c5lwIjvd-HkNM/s4032/PXL_20230921_144602828.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAL0LRGnMy-6Tc2LbgSwfUFjhaIh2yAsRdvUTYsfMA-RBYRuOs6ZbgwpSHTdrtcDJZV48kVpu9KuNo_ivQTjZK9lfpjFZ5k3metL-yPZPCE_K0-1ncQoOCxIecJu-sqoim-8NfZWdcr78p1YQYy2pb9FvH0udgJaxTwB3J8Hg-aXBR4c5lwIjvd-HkNM/w480-h640/PXL_20230921_144602828.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Pentas, which guarantee visits by butterflies and hummingbirds, too.<br /><div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">a foolproof way of attracting hummingbirds and butterflies, too.<br /><br /> Read more at Gardening Know How: Growing Penta Plants: How To Care For Pentas <a href="https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/pentas/growing-penta-plants.htm">https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/pentas/growing-penta-plants.htm</a><div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">a foolproof way of attracting hummingbirds and butterflies, too.<br /><br /> Read more at Gardening Know How: Growing Penta Plants: How To Care For Pentas <a href="https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/pentas/growing-penta-plants.htm">https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/pentas/growing-penta-plants.htm</a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kILuy685OANZzp4b8hNUL9P0jc93GHTaEuGLBqa5dzZHH_4upCogy7VTg5gv8Hm_rW5QQ_D5ZaPe3kdGG09ld8hvqXGk7F33I2bw01zwpyW2E_o-llgrDtV4LChY_4glvVOSQUcZY3HX30JDt7k-zP3hM8EDqq4fXmsTGEhE6e4exTi3DkzWPLXCoKg/s3458/PXL_20230921_145446307.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3458" data-original-width="2592" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kILuy685OANZzp4b8hNUL9P0jc93GHTaEuGLBqa5dzZHH_4upCogy7VTg5gv8Hm_rW5QQ_D5ZaPe3kdGG09ld8hvqXGk7F33I2bw01zwpyW2E_o-llgrDtV4LChY_4glvVOSQUcZY3HX30JDt7k-zP3hM8EDqq4fXmsTGEhE6e4exTi3DkzWPLXCoKg/w480-h640/PXL_20230921_145446307.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marble sculpture of Virginia Dare (carved in 1859) in an old-growth forest of oaks, underplanted with impatiens.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>In case you don't know who Virginia Dare is, born in 1587 she was the first child born in what would become the United States. The colony vanished mysteriously, and the statue is the artist's conception of what she might have looked like if she had grown up. She's wearing a fishing net, and the laces of an Indian princess around her neck and arms. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jJdAwABclhpDFYCwakMFXKbJl5CTIXAnERjM73vKZ7gCiv8sM1r85KiL72RRufGTzdnj0gXnUtlP4HF6t3WZO7_5K4PMUkXM2rq7rc6JCpz_mT86Kjt5qg51HQHfvoulgsrNOMb3fMJ5PMiG8v8pXeeAkK_SaeVGde0ZdO3sKAsLQFYxm_yD64HGw4s/s4032/PXL_20230921_151703276.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jJdAwABclhpDFYCwakMFXKbJl5CTIXAnERjM73vKZ7gCiv8sM1r85KiL72RRufGTzdnj0gXnUtlP4HF6t3WZO7_5K4PMUkXM2rq7rc6JCpz_mT86Kjt5qg51HQHfvoulgsrNOMb3fMJ5PMiG8v8pXeeAkK_SaeVGde0ZdO3sKAsLQFYxm_yD64HGw4s/w480-h640/PXL_20230921_151703276.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grandiflora is a result of crossing a Floribunda with a hybrid tea
rose, and is often considered to be the most popular variety of rose. One of
the first roses to be classified as a Grandiflora was the 'Queen
Elizabeth' in 1954.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Construction of the Elizabethan Gardens began in 1953, on the date Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England. The Queen’s Rose Garden was dedicated in honor of HRH in
1976. In 1984, she recognized the historical significance of Roanoke Island on the 400<sup style="font-size: 70%;">th</sup> anniversary of the arrival of English explorers, and later gifted the Gardens a 'Queen Elizabeth' Grandiflora from the Royal Rose Gardens at Windsor Castle. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7I7msTrmUDjROGl-WjulfOCd9XV4PYH_tK0Nl4woZmqrCZJo3Mdvhc_zU5kJFv-WatGW3S0-QbDk_Sw2AgMQ3SDeF8sRPOgRBtAGknF9RUa7EiuVFinvn3BjO9nggyY6WzdC10t5YSxvI5WfEyG5ysH7ic3wUKuAsDv6vwDrYV3eXVtwp7X5_yiI3_s/s3600/PXL_20230921_153150943.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="2972" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7I7msTrmUDjROGl-WjulfOCd9XV4PYH_tK0Nl4woZmqrCZJo3Mdvhc_zU5kJFv-WatGW3S0-QbDk_Sw2AgMQ3SDeF8sRPOgRBtAGknF9RUa7EiuVFinvn3BjO9nggyY6WzdC10t5YSxvI5WfEyG5ysH7ic3wUKuAsDv6vwDrYV3eXVtwp7X5_yiI3_s/w528-h640/PXL_20230921_153150943.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">🤦🏼 What's wrong with this sign?</td></tr></tbody></table>Fun Fact: The common eastern bumble bee is distinctive as the only bumble bee with a single yellow stripe at the top of its abdomen. The rest of the abdomen is completely black. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bPbo5Q6UzeQWNR7kFi__x_-ceUE_oYnxh_TRQnKwBcB0Or32UNYpOBO9bxvTeZ3JNbesZMFcx_aWjfApgQkKZRQjGIOVYodqFPtRYDpX6-nO-NEL88vRMONLNV7pka3FD4sAHYnvp7hgNe8qv0kMEfRNBOrNY8Od5uqrVt_SXkCNKZ1J-RZM2IHg2Kc/s4032/PXL_20230921_144828384.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bPbo5Q6UzeQWNR7kFi__x_-ceUE_oYnxh_TRQnKwBcB0Or32UNYpOBO9bxvTeZ3JNbesZMFcx_aWjfApgQkKZRQjGIOVYodqFPtRYDpX6-nO-NEL88vRMONLNV7pka3FD4sAHYnvp7hgNe8qv0kMEfRNBOrNY8Od5uqrVt_SXkCNKZ1J-RZM2IHg2Kc/w640-h480/PXL_20230921_144828384.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statues center each of the four quadrants of parterres.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>An ancient Italian fountain is the focal point of the Sunken Garden, which consists of 32 identical parterres. Clipped
dwarf yaupon hollies surround an ever changing display of annual flowers, set low in the hedges to beg a closer look. There are cast and marble statues throughout the 10-acre garden.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPuiaJ4ffe1zQ4NA8grzuObeKFrDOlLm9HCXeh-CE33n9OWhAjuhb9-EeH_v5m7cp6LQ8TVZnPAX0idWMsxbsEPv6SLndn8mKNtIrIZ98PDRq4Nr16DMyETrWJpc_kxurPF6b83immuUWM8VsrkDbsyxbKpgle99YO8iV-5vdDdvDIZD_qjgQFlDpDww/s3825/PXL_20230921_151145673.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3825" data-original-width="2889" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPuiaJ4ffe1zQ4NA8grzuObeKFrDOlLm9HCXeh-CE33n9OWhAjuhb9-EeH_v5m7cp6LQ8TVZnPAX0idWMsxbsEPv6SLndn8mKNtIrIZ98PDRq4Nr16DMyETrWJpc_kxurPF6b83immuUWM8VsrkDbsyxbKpgle99YO8iV-5vdDdvDIZD_qjgQFlDpDww/w484-h640/PXL_20230921_151145673.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An ancient oak, believed to have been living when the first Roanoke colonists arrived in 1585; butterfly house in the background.</td></tr></tbody></table>April through September, the Gardens host butterfly releases, the $25 cost of which includes admission and a butterfly.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RNMPDSCyNyKkpOq4gJt8Wh8Eu7k6McOMcKPFTRajAhZLtL1uQFFxAdbUd1VfPHgEReOGoCMGxM9eBJ_a5PHxKkFUzt4-5X2OMF2daf0QxB-yvs-7zDB2m9XLvOsC3KeBwl2zsD-3E9h15tHjwwaGHUe4UHY1e-m2mQ4RPe-KKvd3CaEAri3XliMnsrM/s3897/PXL_20230921_143645369.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3897" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RNMPDSCyNyKkpOq4gJt8Wh8Eu7k6McOMcKPFTRajAhZLtL1uQFFxAdbUd1VfPHgEReOGoCMGxM9eBJ_a5PHxKkFUzt4-5X2OMF2daf0QxB-yvs-7zDB2m9XLvOsC3KeBwl2zsD-3E9h15tHjwwaGHUe4UHY1e-m2mQ4RPe-KKvd3CaEAri3XliMnsrM/w640-h480/PXL_20230921_143645369.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wellhead has a water bubbler in it, but there are biting insects at the Gardens so it is good to bring insect repellent with you.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Mount, centered with a carved Porphyry marble wellhead, serves as an axis from which four paths radiate
out towards the Sunken Garden, Virginia Dare statue and main path of the Gardens.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgED83hxqkclnbpJmW7pUoh3CQ_qRnxiRjSZnhQV2_XLriYMsVwjZNWAOyohRa72lt9zZJuOBeUdN8oOlNd4YI91YhFyDYs9hUfT5h54IaJMcBdxCwf5sWAQM3rncn5o4B4dP8WVXKKrKw23PuhD17B7P1tvsGym9YKrVgbEWuwWRMTGlU9_8IFd83b5eo/s2372/PXL_20230921_142539330.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2259" data-original-width="2372" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgED83hxqkclnbpJmW7pUoh3CQ_qRnxiRjSZnhQV2_XLriYMsVwjZNWAOyohRa72lt9zZJuOBeUdN8oOlNd4YI91YhFyDYs9hUfT5h54IaJMcBdxCwf5sWAQM3rncn5o4B4dP8WVXKKrKw23PuhD17B7P1tvsGym9YKrVgbEWuwWRMTGlU9_8IFd83b5eo/w640-h610/PXL_20230921_142539330.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camellia oversees the plant sales.</td></tr></tbody></table>Even with spending some time oceanside (hoping to spy a sea turtle like the one posted in a Google review), it took under two hours to explore the entire garden. I imagine it would take 3-4 if there were actually flowers to look at, and forget it if there were bees! <b>Have you been? Where should we go next?</b> <p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0Roanoke Island, North Carolina, USA35.8897427 -75.6615384000000127.5795088638211539 -110.81778840000001 64.199976536178838 -40.505288400000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-2619446165023844092023-07-13T11:43:00.017-06:002023-10-29T12:18:07.997-06:00Olympian Fig Propagation & RKN Part 2My Olympian fig has been looking pretty good in spite of the RKN infestation. Here is how it looks in direct comparison to two months ago <a href="https://www.303beekeeper.com/2023/05/2-posts-in-1-beekeeping-mentorship.html">when I repotted it in vermicompost</a>. Same shape but a little bigger and more leafy. There's a nice new branch coming straight up the middle that you can't see.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe6UHlUFDLmw9QkFyIW0iCXzutyg19q_N_CD1h_nQftisE2enJ0CRbsOV72RdbC9SfaNIHTD2tT8PFoqt_qN7UeQePdHGndRB604fUQqKXw8OQWJZ_aqkJplj45HfJwiyxVdvQa5jRKnJ_zin0pMysDbE58a1t-uNCNHnDpoLLGU1a1S0wuE7ECXCzdA/s4032/PXL_20230707_123823823.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe6UHlUFDLmw9QkFyIW0iCXzutyg19q_N_CD1h_nQftisE2enJ0CRbsOV72RdbC9SfaNIHTD2tT8PFoqt_qN7UeQePdHGndRB604fUQqKXw8OQWJZ_aqkJplj45HfJwiyxVdvQa5jRKnJ_zin0pMysDbE58a1t-uNCNHnDpoLLGU1a1S0wuE7ECXCzdA/w640-h480/PXL_20230707_123823823.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>To my dismay, upon entering the hot and humid, plant stressors time of year, black spots are developing on the leaves. Maybe the RKN is not being controlled by the vermicompost as I'd hoped. It's too early to disrupt the soil to check the roots, so I'm hedging my bets with stem propagation. I chose one stem for air layering and one as a cutting.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRXKAhrN5FZTeUQSy5nhNhwDEzRGRt4STyvSafbckcBaW9wKjEwfzFDAqPPNpe8r9vjh6EpyWRXQbS_4NbTQsxG5qS9l3lOIFM7F-xjjG3c9ruW7TW9SorcMxK54wihYN8FMb-LZCcw-n7SyRIw6A4UWBYYnQN-TnM9ajwXQKV8WB6xNL0Gt2fgdh44o/s4032/PXL_20230713_125102203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRXKAhrN5FZTeUQSy5nhNhwDEzRGRt4STyvSafbckcBaW9wKjEwfzFDAqPPNpe8r9vjh6EpyWRXQbS_4NbTQsxG5qS9l3lOIFM7F-xjjG3c9ruW7TW9SorcMxK54wihYN8FMb-LZCcw-n7SyRIw6A4UWBYYnQN-TnM9ajwXQKV8WB6xNL0Gt2fgdh44o/w640-h480/PXL_20230713_125102203.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The air-layered branch is foil-wrapped. The cutting is in a "deep" pot made from stacked bottomless seed-starting pots.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I bought a canister of rooting hormone, and my natural desire to propagate plants has now <i>surged</i>. I've got some cute Night Blooming Cereus cuttings, already rooted and with new growth, if you're interested. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIeke5DzKqsLjHYnOhmjAW8smaYqP7xPHKGYojofyp8rim6509UT6QzCYjcVWRo77WzaMeCEVS5-yNjrfVjn4-bacmiT-8euMFrSRTVYVZRheDbvV1f8Rg5dRA1HfmtKG4LhAyplRMJFJ1kB7tRwTJg2gBEYnTfGtR24cKfVzujHQTR0dPYZbp4GDIkY/s4032/PXL_20230713_124113467.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIeke5DzKqsLjHYnOhmjAW8smaYqP7xPHKGYojofyp8rim6509UT6QzCYjcVWRo77WzaMeCEVS5-yNjrfVjn4-bacmiT-8euMFrSRTVYVZRheDbvV1f8Rg5dRA1HfmtKG4LhAyplRMJFJ1kB7tRwTJg2gBEYnTfGtR24cKfVzujHQTR0dPYZbp4GDIkY/w640-h480/PXL_20230713_124113467.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excess leaves trimmed, stem girdled and dipped in rooting hormone.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Figs are supposedly crazy easy to root, but I'm helping my cutting root <i>faster</i> by girdling the stem where it's a bit green (young wood is this year's growth) and using rooting hormone. Girdling disrupts the flow of water and nutrients, which somehow encourages root growth.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzaN6KN-qPx_1dGekD8zStKyzhPExdf84IoCaYhZSaEEHDSz7b5kkpGzU3XthsxX42RZUe1qHn9s5iWhf13ayJXGZh9NJzwHSJmNJ1H3-2xMbEjpsc34IPwpT7TVKKl6g1Rx25Krkk6rqJu5oTwXOkxe_UsMbHbSlbzYwe13mYpA3Q8SsZYSTLitrVj0/s4032/PXL_20230713_123832717.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzaN6KN-qPx_1dGekD8zStKyzhPExdf84IoCaYhZSaEEHDSz7b5kkpGzU3XthsxX42RZUe1qHn9s5iWhf13ayJXGZh9NJzwHSJmNJ1H3-2xMbEjpsc34IPwpT7TVKKl6g1Rx25Krkk6rqJu5oTwXOkxe_UsMbHbSlbzYwe13mYpA3Q8SsZYSTLitrVj0/w640-h480/PXL_20230713_123832717.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I believe that each nodule is capable of becoming a root but they're clustered on old wood. I girdled the stem where the wood isn't hardened yet. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The nematodes are soil-bound so rooting stems is the only way to have RKN-free roots. A well-rooted cutting, if large enough, is capable of producing fruit as a 1-year old plant. For me, 2-3 years is likely with these small pieces. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQejsoJVFXb-28edYLfh_QUriT_Zm12vF35fsyLVao2Z8zn5tsKcAl4zC4m_OJzN55uKoii5sOzFpDcqyCjsAQgBg1cEZlmqkFBOY7pDnbdinRRqqlorKr9kgrE0rfVya390jtlwqVV05CCZzZ0vrav_wgbM2pxaLutG5XnQDTN5zLOq_UFrQRRCL1Cf8/s4032/PXL_20230713_122307181.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQejsoJVFXb-28edYLfh_QUriT_Zm12vF35fsyLVao2Z8zn5tsKcAl4zC4m_OJzN55uKoii5sOzFpDcqyCjsAQgBg1cEZlmqkFBOY7pDnbdinRRqqlorKr9kgrE0rfVya390jtlwqVV05CCZzZ0vrav_wgbM2pxaLutG5XnQDTN5zLOq_UFrQRRCL1Cf8/w640-h480/PXL_20230713_122307181.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Envisioning the shape of the fig tree after taking the cutting and
air-layered branch off, I think it'll look good, assuming the tee survives, that is. </td></tr></tbody></table>If the original plant growing in vermicompost beats the RKN, the cutting
roots, and the air-layered branch roots, I'll have three Olympian fig
trees. I'll be happy with just one so maybe a couple of my friends will get lucky. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ikdnNDqUz1RQ1gEv9QrDnyvYrZaegj66IShOo03_behv6lEZN2OSNUk73aONQDl5SSX9RubPcdqGKZF1zs_V3h1HBRI8cmiUM2bIovfA82yf_yd98O_0HBgqEyQz0caRBEumrVubPji-v8ve4wkYyx5cpZ7TXHze0Qd4COvN57uB31yrftV7MJiI1aU/s4032/PXL_20230713_122016798.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ikdnNDqUz1RQ1gEv9QrDnyvYrZaegj66IShOo03_behv6lEZN2OSNUk73aONQDl5SSX9RubPcdqGKZF1zs_V3h1HBRI8cmiUM2bIovfA82yf_yd98O_0HBgqEyQz0caRBEumrVubPji-v8ve4wkYyx5cpZ7TXHze0Qd4COvN57uB31yrftV7MJiI1aU/w640-h480/PXL_20230713_122016798.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you click on the photo for the enlarged view, you can see that black spots are developing. Luckily, they're on just the leaves considered "excess," which were getting trimmed off anyway.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I do not know what the black spots are. I'm assuming "not good." I suspect the 7.5+ inches of rain we had in June had something to do with it. Even with a healthy root system, that's a lot of water for a young tree to manage. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFZWf32KTbN8j32jcYp3xhOJhZSh3JI3OAIv9M1DN6pDvCFCXn2o3UzJQqMDkD4vZE_6Fq6V_pcu9hQ1kEYmh_Qk3UzAq9TFwBtE7NpFEmbd30qXLWNbFVsMwdycNfcSyXGSrcrsCG1tH6fgJpV5AL-vRGO6WflhipZow2GSniGakJ8-71glNHYmrAHo/s4032/PXL_20230713_121145540.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFZWf32KTbN8j32jcYp3xhOJhZSh3JI3OAIv9M1DN6pDvCFCXn2o3UzJQqMDkD4vZE_6Fq6V_pcu9hQ1kEYmh_Qk3UzAq9TFwBtE7NpFEmbd30qXLWNbFVsMwdycNfcSyXGSrcrsCG1tH6fgJpV5AL-vRGO6WflhipZow2GSniGakJ8-71glNHYmrAHo/w640-h480/PXL_20230713_121145540.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This is the branch I chose for air-layering. Instead of girdling the branch, which remains attached to the plant, I only scratched away bark on three sides. I wrapped the branch with a small plastic water bottle stuffed with moist sphagnum moss. It's covered in foil to create a dark environment. All this encourages root development, and if it goes well the plastic bottle will be full of roots in a month or two.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBT8EJ5knSoP3vsDH49er3ROy-udcA0QJR-hlkGHY_fkx5R-MsBtXb3Dh_SWxTi1PvCqIsFKLT0tfgma_tMfiAdigqQpkjt3RwpQlJOEVg6lrlBkXQIntV5HpNe7AXvH7q5ydu7ipjhzX10d2-kB3Q21ylKho-tOVwKzj1nxxCACmPzXHgDaI0HIdzPw/s4032/PXL_20230712_165108295.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBT8EJ5knSoP3vsDH49er3ROy-udcA0QJR-hlkGHY_fkx5R-MsBtXb3Dh_SWxTi1PvCqIsFKLT0tfgma_tMfiAdigqQpkjt3RwpQlJOEVg6lrlBkXQIntV5HpNe7AXvH7q5ydu7ipjhzX10d2-kB3Q21ylKho-tOVwKzj1nxxCACmPzXHgDaI0HIdzPw/w640-h480/PXL_20230712_165108295.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p>Here is a reference on fig propagation: <b><a href="https://www.lsuagcenter.com/articles/page1626376461922" target="_blank">Getting figgy with it</a></b></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>What's growing on in your garden? Are you growing figs?</b></p><p>P.S.: The beekeeper's guild is turning out to be a bust. I'm assuming the top-bar aspect of our beekeeping style is the problem. They've already done their honey harvest here so the 2023 season's over. But we chatted with some Master Gardeners at the Virginia Beach Honey Festival and have some ideas for next year. Stay tuned!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-58005861240035545042023-05-03T13:14:00.013-06:002023-10-29T12:15:07.396-06:002 posts in 1: Beekeeping Mentorship & Figgy ProblemsNews on the beekeeping front: I'm waiting for the Southeast Virginia Beekeepers Guild to set us up with a a beekeeping mentor! Being matched with one with topbar or Warré hive experience is, not surprisingly, the challenge. And on top, we've asked for a place to put our hive/s since our condo doesn't allow hives on our patio. While waiting patiently as swarm season passes us by, I'm dealing with a little figgy problem.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Last spring, I was gifted a small Olympian fig tree. Now I've got problems. Thousands of them.<br /></h3><p style="text-align: left;">It appeared as if it had been recently dug up and potted to be given away, <i>i.e.</i>, it didn't have a great root system and was loose in its pot. Spring turned into summer, summer into fall. Lil Figgy pushed out some small leaves but never grew bigger. It just sort of <i>was</i>. I worried it wasn't strong enough to make it through winter, and breathed a sign of relief when it broke dormancy. I actually was just thinking 2023 might be the creep year (out of sleep, creep, leap) but then I saw a knobby root sticking out of the soil. Digging a bit down, I saw another, and another, and then <i>strings</i> of them. I googled "root knots on fig" and, unlike those on legumes, these are bad. <br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNtY0yKdACcxBQ6YgjgJ1d3AbF2ku0FzRPxZzF6DhyfBCTHzuxd_zr3aK9UYPsO86G7q-iq5Bc0EdLlZjE1Cc3G64_fBQgUgj9Wep27ZmV8tnIBnda6ojsWpEUZhHEUr54FP-dku6BLj6l6pf1XZvtJSBD9_JAnsKyqo7ripDv8e5Q79jfbQ5sfsW/s4032/PXL_20230503_161953559.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNtY0yKdACcxBQ6YgjgJ1d3AbF2ku0FzRPxZzF6DhyfBCTHzuxd_zr3aK9UYPsO86G7q-iq5Bc0EdLlZjE1Cc3G64_fBQgUgj9Wep27ZmV8tnIBnda6ojsWpEUZhHEUr54FP-dku6BLj6l6pf1XZvtJSBD9_JAnsKyqo7ripDv8e5Q79jfbQ5sfsW/w480-h640/PXL_20230503_161953559.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Root-knot galls on fig tree roots.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">Root-knot galls are caused by harmful nematodes. Root Knot Nematodes (RKN) are microscopic worms that are common in sandy soils. RKN feed on roots with needle-like mouthparts, and parasitizing fig trees is a known problem. Particularly when container-grown, the root system can become damaged to the point where the plant cannot properly absorb water and nutrients. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Even though the galls harbor egg-laying adults, Lil Figgy has too many affected roots to just cut off the galls. Instead, I think the best I can do is give it clean potting mix and some nutrient-rich organic matter, something RKN do not like. Thousands of root-knot juveniles can be present in just a tablespoon of soil, so I removed as much soil as possible before repotting it. I watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HA0XX7eglc" target="_blank"><b>a video on YouTube</b></a> that gives me hope that my treatment plan will eliminate the galls.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Earthworm Castings and Neem Seed Meal</h3><p style="text-align: left;">The video says worm castings are "The Cure for Nematodes" but, honestly, I have no idea how to get castings out of my <a href="https://www.gardeners.com/buy/wow-worm-farm-composter/8612430.html" target="_blank">Wow Worm Farm</a>. Since I needed castings <i>and</i> rich organic matter, the easiest thing to do was just use finished vermicompost as is. I opened the worm bin, and as usual worms immediately retreated from the light. I fluffed up the top two inches and went to the grocery store. By the time I got back, most of the worms had burrowed down, allowing me to scoop up mostly worm-free vermicompost. I turned in some neem seed meal, another natural nematicide, and repotted the fig into a smaller pot. Now if it grows well, I'll know quickly. And when roots come out the bottom and it's ready to pot up, I'll find out if the treatment worked. My hope is to see the galls gone, and you can be sure I'll share if it does!</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSpho4H8UBYaqsfLm7JMDJaBzBNYSIDmbchJLUreGKB9aICRPWEPpJc-ZriEnOrnG6og3Gk3W7UFU4wDIL3toGpyh5Sx5CD-ozWN0AqHXa4SltCz-D4CusfSUSN3R8So8ljyNti3RRjpJT3ARU_uiocO2b5k_kCInzS9kYKNZIjHwt2Axg4n5TvbF/s4032/PXL_20230503_163348960.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSpho4H8UBYaqsfLm7JMDJaBzBNYSIDmbchJLUreGKB9aICRPWEPpJc-ZriEnOrnG6og3Gk3W7UFU4wDIL3toGpyh5Sx5CD-ozWN0AqHXa4SltCz-D4CusfSUSN3R8So8ljyNti3RRjpJT3ARU_uiocO2b5k_kCInzS9kYKNZIjHwt2Axg4n5TvbF/w640-h480/PXL_20230503_163348960.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olympian fig tree, freshly repotted in finished vermicompost and looking pretty good.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The PittMoss as worm bin bedding is working really nicely. The worms process it in to a fine dark compost. Contrary to other bloggers' experience, I find torn cardboard takes a long time for the worms to break down and it constantly molds. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sGFrI9rLTrUb3sX659-YZgYISj0sBGz55AZv0_j_jCr-AFwV6NhrtcVxtcwmOyV7hJV0rZzYTguQfUSJdoSyn-8B1zl7SAJwIXXla5mLVjhyTlyU_G6g_EDJZai-Qg1l4EFjXWgjPHLZpu6DTYt593u9z1w1DaSIn9Xk-2JRhhhH5vneHal-JLFs/s4032/PXL_20230402_130352145.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sGFrI9rLTrUb3sX659-YZgYISj0sBGz55AZv0_j_jCr-AFwV6NhrtcVxtcwmOyV7hJV0rZzYTguQfUSJdoSyn-8B1zl7SAJwIXXla5mLVjhyTlyU_G6g_EDJZai-Qg1l4EFjXWgjPHLZpu6DTYt593u9z1w1DaSIn9Xk-2JRhhhH5vneHal-JLFs/w640-h480/PXL_20230402_130352145.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh PittMoss bedding vs Finished compost<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />My one issue with PittMoss is that it is sold in nonrecyclable plastic bags. I'm doing my best to go plastic-free so have started to collect egg cartons. If you've got a heavy-duty confetti shredder, the<span> paper pulp</span> bits make a great worm bedding that breaks down faster than shredded newspaper. <br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-40754370562724671992023-03-02T22:30:00.002-07:002023-10-13T11:58:02.248-06:00Marty Hardison's Appropriate Beehive<p><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><b>The URL 303beekeeper.com is for sale! Just comment on this post if interested</b>. </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Happy 303
Day!</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAXNcPYQn0v3vKIQKfAoEd3Oq90MAl-IHwWVmJ6D4PNSbXUgm0tdVIHcGwEBH1YBzbi8J6eUh6d3QLoN17nnl4O2pj-kRNkvnY7ZB-4m_B8RTKz4mM0FbaKrmGJ1ldraUolNFMw-F0OwXzzHwdqyJNu6aJaHB5Y1BX88YYxDlYZBUZ0E9DLB-ps_X/s768/media-1672843692680-May_3_2022_1_01_PM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAXNcPYQn0v3vKIQKfAoEd3Oq90MAl-IHwWVmJ6D4PNSbXUgm0tdVIHcGwEBH1YBzbi8J6eUh6d3QLoN17nnl4O2pj-kRNkvnY7ZB-4m_B8RTKz4mM0FbaKrmGJ1ldraUolNFMw-F0OwXzzHwdqyJNu6aJaHB5Y1BX88YYxDlYZBUZ0E9DLB-ps_X/w640-h640/media-1672843692680-May_3_2022_1_01_PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new hive design, adjusting for climate change. Building specs to come.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Here's a sneak peek at Marty Hardison's redesigned top bar hive. He's having better success getting colonies through winters with this revised appropriate beehive. <br /></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Appropriate Beehive?</h3><p>ap·pro·pri·ate <br />🔈 /əˈprōprēət/ <br /><i>adjective</i>: suitable or proper in the circumstances</p><p><a href="https://statesummaries.ncics.org/chapter/co/" target="_blank">The NOAA climate forecast</a> for Colorado predicts more heat, more drought, and greater amounts of winter snow, changes which have implications for colony survival. Good beekeepers give the bees what they need, when they need it, so Marty's adjusting what constitutes appropriate.</p><p>Having observed colonies in bee trees that have been surviving for years, whose combs are long not wide, he's made his hive 4 inches deeper to allow the bees to build longer combs. The new design still uses 16 1/2" top bars, which allows for interchangeability between hives and makes this design appropriate for both the bees and the beekeeper.</p><p>Marty isn't actively teaching the craft anymore, so he and I have been working on updating his booklet, <a href="http://bit.ly/AppropriateBeehive" target="_blank">The Appropriate Beehive</a>. An instrumental guide, it includes building plans for the <i>original</i> Hardison Hive. On clicking through, you will need to request access to the document but if you do, I will send you the updated PDF as soon as it's available. I'm not sure I can promise instructions on adding the additional four inches to the top, but the new edition offers more details on keeping bees in a top bar hive that beginning topbar beekeepers will appreciate.</p><p><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">This blog's URL will revert to</span><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">
bbhb.blogspot.com by next 303 Day (March 3, 2024). Bookmark it!</span> </p>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0Denver, CO, USA39.7392358 -104.99025111.429001963821158 -140.146501 68.049469636178856 -69.834001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-71527708069394395672023-01-08T12:17:00.005-07:002023-10-29T12:09:52.240-06:00Gnats, Nadiring, and Neem<p>If you're just finding my blog, this indoor worm bin was started around Halloween. The working tray at the top of the photo was filled
with moistened <a href="https://pittmoss.com/" target="_blank">PittMoss</a> Prime, a peat-free newsprint-based medium. The worms are really happy in it. Torn up cardboard? Not so much. I've read many posts saying worms love corrugated cardboard, but I never see worms on it and it's gone moldy, which isn't bad <i>per se</i> but I don't like it.<br /></p><p>What I like even less are the fungus gnats and composting mites in the bin. In an outdoor bin these cohabitants would not necessarily be pests. In an indoor scenario, they are. I've
lost a couple of houseplants to gnats, and I'm tired of them landing on my dinner plate.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KsfMU0YYVJa0v_i-YT0ONNgksZWr8GeDIkqDNVMZ5Gm3_uIweTHES3ymzyUeVZo2ww4BLRIbIQ2MlDoUtrwO3NFdLvcb5jqaGSc5gN7g6ycmG462lQesQ31--ZXmP76WOL-0tl1mE1oErY7LQPfJrh9HXuUjusW_ZchuPqH0LttYf4SYGNGcj01z/s4032/PXL_20230108_174928312.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KsfMU0YYVJa0v_i-YT0ONNgksZWr8GeDIkqDNVMZ5Gm3_uIweTHES3ymzyUeVZo2ww4BLRIbIQ2MlDoUtrwO3NFdLvcb5jqaGSc5gN7g6ycmG462lQesQ31--ZXmP76WOL-0tl1mE1oErY7LQPfJrh9HXuUjusW_ZchuPqH0LttYf4SYGNGcj01z/w640-h480/PXL_20230108_174928312.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wow Worm Farm in parts. It's really a neat little system.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I decided to nadir today, hoping the worms will drop down into the clean bedding but the gnats will stay in the top tray. As before, I inoculated the fresh bedding with neem seed meal but I did not moisten it at all this time. Not that they can't survive it, but gnats don't like dry. Anyway, I buried about a pint of kitchen waste in the center. Vegetable scraps produce quite a bit of moisture so I figure it'll provide what the worms need. The worms are probably pretty hungry because I haven't fed them in about
3 weeks. Reducing the amount of decaying matter seems to have helped
knock down the mite population, but obviously worm activity is down,
too. I'm hoping the worms' egg cases can lay dormant longer than the fungus gnat eggs can, and that I waited long enough. Maybe I should've waited a month. Ugh, I'm simply at my wit's end with these gnats!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildOQ0LAjjWLtu1ETsqRIPCk0Ic0DlBLTSScoBvDZwWaWTYFzH-wWkOv1VpvzIRHPjZZjB_SEG3CzQA0rM5k-YZZkgZdJ3Q3DAKTQIjgW-Jpn5MUN41Rzr2IvZEj-wqw7cESpkBLxjO4RzugUtJxojIvvcYVusYnbtSjvBpGGbKQ3-EezlyOXpXOsA/s4032/PXL_20230108_175825431.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildOQ0LAjjWLtu1ETsqRIPCk0Ic0DlBLTSScoBvDZwWaWTYFzH-wWkOv1VpvzIRHPjZZjB_SEG3CzQA0rM5k-YZZkgZdJ3Q3DAKTQIjgW-Jpn5MUN41Rzr2IvZEj-wqw7cESpkBLxjO4RzugUtJxojIvvcYVusYnbtSjvBpGGbKQ3-EezlyOXpXOsA/w640-h480/PXL_20230108_175825431.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reassembling the Wow Worm Farm. From left to right, the base with filter to keep the worms and compost out of the leach tray, the top level where all the action is currently, the just-filled-with-bedding tray, the lid.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I am a little worried because now that I'm using both levels, I won't be able to leave the lid off. Managing moisture is key to beating the gnats and mites. Both thrive in a moist environment. If it weren't winter, I'd leave the bin outside with the lid off so the gnats could fly away and the light would drive the worms down.<br /></p><p>Since I can't leave it open in my kitchen, I am <i>really</i> hoping the neem seed meal kills the gnats. If it doesn't I'll have a two-tray gnat farm. I've read it works against a plethora of pests but I haven't seen anything specifically about composting mites. I treated both trays with a generous layer of the powder and will let you know what happens.<br /><br />UPDATE: The gnats are gone! <a href="https://www.303beekeeper.com/2023/05/2-posts-in-1-beekeeping-mentorship.html">I harvested the tray of finished (?) vermicompost</a> and am running a 1-tray system, gnat-free. <br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-18409644348135273822022-12-17T17:19:00.012-07:002023-10-29T15:18:12.707-06:00Mites!<h3 style="text-align: left;">The similarities between a colony of worms to a colony of bees continues. </h3><p>My worm bin has mites. They look very much like varroa mites, only smaller! About the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Most Internet sources say the mites are harmless, that they're a common co-habitant. My issue with them is I found a pile of them about 5 feet away from the worm bin which, I remind you, is in my <i>kitchen</i>. Had a bag of potting mix not been there for them to congregate under, who knows where I would've found them? I need to get them under control.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dziJ2Ho_yd1IQ5cyJ46fWt5eb91mwtyXeyGk65NcvBoFz4LuiyNHGRKJjsCmiLU7CgB9lNhqGzblmJq9dGDlg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Enlarged video of a mite on a egg carton (ideal bedding BTW).<br /></div><div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7RyYSu7PSuAHnJYhTciZSWbDPopkP9W-gZRzBEhcq-d5j8BDukZ3Mg9EmfzzZJH1izSPtwlBllEFQhxRdHNhi8cmsjy8zLoElnHzVksBdKv0uUjOtI88qR8hEKWD7QydMcQSG_PyDwv6jX66VZv2nG7zO5zRwOT4Tm37mkCVob1iKd4dOmAw3AuN/s2134/IMG_6407.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="2134" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7RyYSu7PSuAHnJYhTciZSWbDPopkP9W-gZRzBEhcq-d5j8BDukZ3Mg9EmfzzZJH1izSPtwlBllEFQhxRdHNhi8cmsjy8zLoElnHzVksBdKv0uUjOtI88qR8hEKWD7QydMcQSG_PyDwv6jX66VZv2nG7zO5zRwOT4Tm37mkCVob1iKd4dOmAw3AuN/w400-h230/IMG_6407.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even more enlarged photo of a mite on a paper towel, head to the left.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Where did they come from in the first place? </h3><p>From Jim's Worm Farm. Despite negative reviews, and the website stating, "<i>We strive to maintain insect/mite free orders! However,…</i>" I was definitely wishfully thinking when I bought worms from them. So the lesson is, if you're establishing a worm bin, find a friend who has a mite-free vermicomposter who can give you a quart of worms in finished compost. A <a href="https://bushfarms.com/beesnucs.htm" target="_blank">nuc</a> as it were.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcg6SfqxjPbUe6trQ2Ts0mFSylAKAUSQ0Xiu9qZgjD7lvdTi8LORD2gUTjBzMyQssjU--V1b4YUm_Wx6y3Tb7sg7-odE583xpF_zMuVQYxGKz7JlfBGGCK-RRMLcNRSU0Ts6ES00Jhl8j_Pj2JszLDUHZ2uSxPxsPbNeIFKH7RoROfXqEfXKT6gdE/s4032/PXL_20221205_152557873.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcg6SfqxjPbUe6trQ2Ts0mFSylAKAUSQ0Xiu9qZgjD7lvdTi8LORD2gUTjBzMyQssjU--V1b4YUm_Wx6y3Tb7sg7-odE583xpF_zMuVQYxGKz7JlfBGGCK-RRMLcNRSU0Ts6ES00Jhl8j_Pj2JszLDUHZ2uSxPxsPbNeIFKH7RoROfXqEfXKT6gdE/w640-h480/PXL_20221205_152557873.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you click on this photo of my Worm Farm's leach tray, the barely visible dark specks are composting mites.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>How to control composting mites?<br /></h3><p>Mites are actually normal in a worm bin population, but they can become overpopulous. Apparently, too much moisture and mites proliferate. Indeed, I find them in the leach tray, which collects excess moisture (<i>i.e.</i>, liquid in your leach tray means you're not managing moisture properly).<br /></p></div><div><p>Besides adding additional Neem Bliss, here's everything I'm doing and why, in order of what I think will be most effective:</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Manage moisture so nothing is in the leach tray.*<br /></li><li>Don't feed anything in the cucurbit family, which seems to be the mites' fave. (Big <i>oops</i> on the double dose of butternut squash skin.) </li><li>Reduce pH. Acidity brings mites. Eggshells can provide all the calcium carbonate the soil needs, which helps to lower the soil's pH level and make it more alkaline as opposed to acidic. </li><li>Sprinkle diatomaceous earth over the bedding. DE supposedly is deadly to mites but not harmful to earthworms. However, it only works when it's dry so won't be effective unless I properly manage moisture.</li></ol>Forget trapping. Sticky traps are minimally effective. Akin to using drones to collect varroa mites, supposedly mellons/squash can be used to collect the composting mites to then be tossed outside. I steamed a butternut and left a pile of guts on a yogurt lid in the upper tray overnight. Very little interest, so mellons/squash being highly attractive is Internet myth.<br /></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75tSFzgEMADb_YTZYfzS2-QC3nRfYsR6WYmosE6KHNAoWYEGjaSUGy2kgjVzBXwCyOwV5yKRYEuRe4PWOdKu2JEoSese4lFvEOX8hcDA_kNczaEkNtm1wabq37NeuWy8jhX7egNkGSVcWPOXabsSDe9n_VouGFjtKcxNszA_FbC-fGNYtMq1eDpjz/s4032/PXL_20221219_165012584.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75tSFzgEMADb_YTZYfzS2-QC3nRfYsR6WYmosE6KHNAoWYEGjaSUGy2kgjVzBXwCyOwV5yKRYEuRe4PWOdKu2JEoSese4lFvEOX8hcDA_kNczaEkNtm1wabq37NeuWy8jhX7egNkGSVcWPOXabsSDe9n_VouGFjtKcxNszA_FbC-fGNYtMq1eDpjz/w640-h480/PXL_20221219_165012584.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottom tray is where all the action is: worms, mites and gnats feeding on moist bedding and kitchen scraps. I'm using the top tray like a Warré hive quilt. It is filled with dry bedding that is wicking moisture from the colony below. I'm dismayed that there's quite a few mites running around up there.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">UPDATE: the mites congregate on the lid, effectively acting as a trap so I could knock down the population by simply cleaning the lid periodically. Managing moisture by setting the working bin askew on the leach tray is a must. No leach, no mites.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">What's Neem Bliss?</h3><p style="text-align: left;">Besides earthworms and mites, fungus gnats just adore a moist medium of decaying plant matter. They definitely found my worm bin but a couple of doses of Neem Bliss (neem seed meal) appears to be resolving the problem. Neem Bliss successfully eradicated an outright infestation in a bag of <a href="https://vermontcompost.com/fort-vee" target="_blank">Fort Vee</a> compost stored in my garage. The gnats originated in another bag of potting mix on the other side of the garage. If anyone tells you that gnats are weak flyers, then you might also like to know that wolverines make great house pets. Anyway, I simply thoroughly mixed in about a half-cup of the neem seed meal and set the bag outside for three weeks.** Not one gnat to be seen now! I've been using the meal on some houseplants that have been quarantined for months and had way more success with Neem Bliss than anything else I've tried: sticky traps, DE, hydrogen peroxide, soapy water, <a href="https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/root-cleaner/plant-fungal-disease" target="_blank">Root Cleaner</a> and <a href="https://sacredelements.world/products/sacred-soil-tonic?variant=43745233666300" target="_blank">Sacred Soil Tonic</a>. It's been a real battle! <b>Have you ever beaten a fungus gnat problem? How did you do it?</b><br /></p><hr />*"The notion that a worm bin should be producing leachate is one of the biggest misconceptions that I feel a need to correct. While all leachate isn’t stinky or hazardous (some may even be beneficial!), it is NOT a desirable by-product of a well-managed worm bin. It indicates too much watering, too much feeding, or not enough bedding added relative to food added."
https://urbanwormcompany.com/vermicomposting-ultimate-guide-beginner-expert/</div><div><p>**The 3-week life cycle of fungus gnats is almost the same as varroa, and understanding it is critical to combatting the pests. See <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1hLGJYX3QKDZmxaY0xnNTd0Yjg/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-iFp0N1-KY6LVZutxvMRiog">"A look under the cap.pdf"</a>.</p></div><div>You may also be interested in http://www.littlebigharvest.com/2014/07/controlling-mites-in-your-worm-bin.html</div><div><br /></div><div>Also Good Reading: <i>The Worm Farmer's Handbook</i> by Rhonda Sherman - her explanation for high mite populations are a) too much moisture, b) overfeeding, and c) excessively wet or fleshy feed.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-91780997494891657732022-12-02T08:38:00.024-07:002022-12-11T09:16:30.682-07:00May your holidays be golden and sweet!<p><b>I offer to you, <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/be_merry_customizable_card-256039829458070750" target="_blank">these</a>, my favorite cards & one-minute mug cake recipe to help.<br /></b></p><p>Horizontal or vertical, 5x7", 7x5", 3.5x5"… it's your choice. The eggshell texture paper is easy to write on and doesn't smudge. Better yet, customizing the <i>from our hive to yours</i> message makes holiday card writing easy peasy. When you <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/be_merry_customizable_card-256039829458070750" target="_blank"><i>Personalize this template</i></a>, you don't have to do any!<b><br /></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="_a9zs"></div><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxz1Z4JkmFtBSPYkn2GWReR5o57-RphYIHlTwHwkbaWHETlJpABvpX7ughOs79TpG0PUNkoK9tDhbowCn1iUg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></span><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Designed by yours truly, and they're trending on Zazzle! <span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade">💎</span><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Order today and you'll have them in <i>plenty</i> of time to mail your holiday cards to states far and wide. (FYI Dec. 17 is the deadline to mail 1st class in the lower 48.) <span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade">Printed with metallic foil ink & made in the USA. 🇺🇸</span><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade"><b> <br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade"><b>Currently half-price</b> plus you can get up to 10.5% in cash back</span><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade"> with a browser extension like <a href="http://befrugal.com/rs/XLISGBB/" target="_blank">BeFrugal</a></span>, <span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade">Coupon Cabin</span><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade"> or <a href="https://www.rakuten.com/r/HOLLY8152?eeid=28187" target="_blank">Rakuten</a>!</span><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade"><br /></span></p><div class="_a9zs"><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKi1melXkca8y4cX04lN_Jt7Zr7ZzwXWG_KUynl51jziHuKREmHuDkf0s62-iZfYRKXxRsmRmxegQWGM2ACH6W8IH270Epb6OBYel8NlCru2GTELafyqTlK2CHmTihGl8X-DGpFmFdOOV0qdnU4XeYVFSo9UVcxtdWV9IygJ2zeaXRnUuMwH4tBh4w/s3264/IMG_2803.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKi1melXkca8y4cX04lN_Jt7Zr7ZzwXWG_KUynl51jziHuKREmHuDkf0s62-iZfYRKXxRsmRmxegQWGM2ACH6W8IH270Epb6OBYel8NlCru2GTELafyqTlK2CHmTihGl8X-DGpFmFdOOV0qdnU4XeYVFSo9UVcxtdWV9IygJ2zeaXRnUuMwH4tBh4w/w400-h300/IMG_2803.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5x7 card and matching mini mug <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div class="_a9zs" style="text-align: left;">I use my <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/honeybee_honeycomb_queen_bee_espresso_mug-183656870669265950" target="_blank">matching mini mug</a> everyday. It's espresso sized – the absolute perfect size for mug cake (recipe below) – but you'll find jumbo size and bone china, too. Get yours when you order your <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/be_merry_customizable_card-256039829458070750" target="_blank">𝙱𝙴𝙴 Mҽɾɾყ cards</a>.</div><p style="text-align: left;">This link will take you to my Zazzle storefront. I have a lot more bee-themed products designed but I'll be darned if I can get Zazzle to display them. 🥴 <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/store/backyardbee">https://www.zazzle.com/store/backyardbee</a> THANKS FOR LOOKING!</p></div><hr /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h4>Instant Cocoa Mug Cake</h4><p style="text-align: left;">For this recipe, you make "The Mix" and then whenever you're in the mood for warm, soft chocolate cake, you use it to make the batter, right in your mug. One minute later, you've got mug cakes! No eggs needed and if you use a milk substitute, it's completely vegan. Oat and almond milk are delicious partners of chocolate!<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Mix</i><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/8 cup of all-purpose flour (or a heaping cup)<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 packets of instant hot cocoa (the cheap kind from the supermarket)*<br />2 Tbsp sugar<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 t. baking powder<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/8 t. salt<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">optional: 1/4–1/2 c. chocolate chips<br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Mug Cake</i><br />Blend in a small mug or ramekin:<br />1/3 c The Mix (a heaping 1/4 cup)<br />2 Tbsp milk (or milk substitute)<br />1 Tbsp oil<br />Top with 1 large marshmallow or a handful of mini marshmallows (optional).</p><p style="text-align: left;">Microwave for 60 seconds. You can make multiple mug cakes at a time and it doesn't affect the microwaving time.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Here's a printable recipe that you can wrap around your container or premade The Mix.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5vCyGWfFE9SrIY_IVg7sEyAojPjFRM7eOPrnLgJQntMAhy3ZgaIR51UQ_IMHnBHsLRCj0ozRsEi55jqMnPYlZU1adhdO96u6m-YiS5gdywpg5EFAWccqS4MBiXDRlMKbun2EcL9EWIkEnR5ZNahcFreohsUs5FMColXdRo6XGlTEzs_FLIyt2o_-/s2184/minute%20mug%20cake%20jar%20art.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="2184" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5vCyGWfFE9SrIY_IVg7sEyAojPjFRM7eOPrnLgJQntMAhy3ZgaIR51UQ_IMHnBHsLRCj0ozRsEi55jqMnPYlZU1adhdO96u6m-YiS5gdywpg5EFAWccqS4MBiXDRlMKbun2EcL9EWIkEnR5ZNahcFreohsUs5FMColXdRo6XGlTEzs_FLIyt2o_-/w640-h216/minute%20mug%20cake%20jar%20art.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="_aacl _aaco _aacu _aacx _aad7 _aade">𝕄𝕒𝕪
𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕓𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕥.💛</span></p><hr /><div style="text-align: left;">If you want a more <i>from scratch</i> recipe or vanilla mug cakes, here's a link: https://iamafoodblog.com/2-minute-chocolate-mug-cake-recipe/</div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-66316164932909229992022-11-30T09:23:00.006-07:002023-01-08T11:10:52.375-07:00To Super or Nadir<p style="text-align: left;">The Worm Bin at 30 days</p><p style="text-align: left;">A quick update on the worm bin in my kitchen.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5NpxzN_kTPoYJcf4L5GDTX5U6rQDLeEWr3YoVRajDmfTe_o4oIvwtW6EXIuB54lI6_KhD0tpcz2vr9b7JAHTPlaI4-oWF1yAnRPSNejP_mkgLDceaGjv5WLWwLLEoNmUCRmxP1LD13h1cFGbR1-20RckzYSnw2zx8BKY2iGdjcClV_985mamaZZ2/s4032/PXL_20221128_152720362.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5NpxzN_kTPoYJcf4L5GDTX5U6rQDLeEWr3YoVRajDmfTe_o4oIvwtW6EXIuB54lI6_KhD0tpcz2vr9b7JAHTPlaI4-oWF1yAnRPSNejP_mkgLDceaGjv5WLWwLLEoNmUCRmxP1LD13h1cFGbR1-20RckzYSnw2zx8BKY2iGdjcClV_985mamaZZ2/w400-h300/PXL_20221128_152720362.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neem Bliss is neem seed meal. Also known as "neem cake," it is reported to<span> stimulate earthworm activity as well as kill fungus gnats.</span> Preemptively, I inoculated the worm bin with it. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">How much to feed?</h3><p>I've been feeding the worms sparingly and it is disappearing, being processed by the worms. But the contents of the worm bin don't look any different – it doesn't look like compost. If anything, it looks the same but there's <i>less</i> of it. The bedding level has
dropped, significantly, by a good 25% because the worms are processing the bedding as food. This is normal, bedding as food.
Until I learn how much kitchen waste to give them, they'll keep eating the bedding. Not long from now, they'll be able to process as much as 1/2 lb per day!</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How often to feed? <br /></h3><p>There are definitely <i>more</i> worms. They're thick where the food is. They're exploring where there's just bedding. They're moving through the holes in the bottom of the tray. I think they're searching for food so it's time to start feeding more than small handfuls of kitchen waste every few days. At a month old, there should be a decent microbiome established so I'm going to increase feeding to every other day. I'm even putting carrot peels (chopped up) back on the menu.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Where to feed? <br /></h3><p>I'm working clockwise. Food should be covered with bedding, so as I layer feed over the worms, I borrow bedding from an adjacent area. You can simply use the empty space for the next feeding and keep backfilling, but I've borrowed enough to leave an entire quadrant void. The population isn't <i>quite</i> ready for that much food so I filled it with crumbled leaves. Autumn is pretty amazing here, with an absolute abundance of oak trees.</p>Fallen autumn leaves are an excellent food for worms. When fully composted, it's called <a href="https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/leaf-mold/8614.html" target="_blank">leaf mold.</a> It is a terrific soil conditioner, but I don't want to wait a year for it. The worm bin will reduce the wait time to mere months. <br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Should I super or nadir?<br /></h3><p>When the tray is filled with finished compost, what then? Borrowing two beekeeping terms, the options are to super (new tray on top) or nadir (new tray underneath). If I super, I'll need to provide a ladder. (<a href="https://www.303beekeeper.com/2013/06/pyramids-checkerboards-ladders-and.html">Laddering is a technique that beekeepers use to get bees to move into another hive body</a>.) If I nadir, the worms will just drop down. Which way would they prefer to move, up or down?
Occasionally, one or two worms will climb up the walls of the tray, but I
consistently find them underneath it. So I am inclined to nadir. At the rate the worm bin is establishing itself, I should have an answer for you in another 30 days.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-64336437268752770742022-11-11T13:14:00.060-07:002022-12-17T14:46:53.677-07:00A New Colony<h4 style="text-align: left;">…of worms!</h4><p><small>This post if for the 86% of my IG followers who said, "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17967581704847393/" target="_blank">I want worms to eat my garbage, too!</a>"</small><br></p><p>Back in the 90s, we had a good landlord who let me put a composter in the corner of the
property. It was shaded, though, and there were only two of us generating waste, so it never got "hot" enough to really work. I'd seen <span>Mary Appelhof's </span>"<span><i>Worms Eat My Garbage</i>" somewhere and gave worm </span>composting in my apartment a go. I filled a Rubbermaid bin with shredded newspaper, added worms, and fed them kitchen scraps. The bin worked pretty well. Until I made two mistakes which sent me running out the door and dumping the entire contents into the outdoor composter. Afterwards, that thing kicked butt!<br></p><p>It worked so well, we ran two full size composters in Colorado. Now we live in a condo with no place for even one! I've had to peel carrots, potatoes, shuck corn over the garbage can. Painful! It was time to revisit the indoor worm bin. The memory of running out of the house with cold, gooey worms stuck to my hands still vivid, I wanted something I knew was designed well, compact, and portable for our next move. And having just invested in a new suite of stainless appliances, it also had to look stylish in my kitchen. So here it is, my <a href="https://www.gardeners.com/buy/wow-worm-farm-composter/8612430.html" target="_blank">Wow Worm Farm from Gardener's Supply Company</a> with lots of pictures. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">I hope you find my experience getting started with vermicomposting helpful.<span></span></h3><a href="http://www.303beekeeper.com/2022/11/a-new-colony.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-84810539116442491572022-09-13T13:03:00.005-06:002023-07-29T16:36:09.942-06:00The Accidental Lepidopterist: Monarch Butterfly Edition<p>Mid-August and my garden is a sandy strip of nothing-going-on. We've had weeks of 90s and oppressive humidity, and the stubs of golden alexander and parsley left by the Swallowtails are struggling to grow back. Yet I keep finding fresh eggs and caterpillars on them! Off to the nursery we went to find host plants. The herbs were wiped out so I headed for the clearance tables hoping to get lucky. There was nothing for Swallowtails but I found a table full of Tropical Milkweed (<i>Asclepias curassavica</i>) for $2.09. It was buy 2 get 1 but<i> A.curassavica</i> isn't native, so I picked a small 2 1/2" pot that, once home, totally surprised me with two Monarch butterfly eggs. I scrambled online to learn as much as I could as fast as I could. I basically had their four days as an egg to prepare.</p>
<p>The first thing I learned was that eggs laid after mid-August comprise the 5th generation of the year, the one that makes the incredible journey southward to overwintering grounds. Recently listed as endangered, I felt doubly pressured to ensure their survival.* <br></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGNXSeZg_DLL6xOjGtBzPt0t3WEkW2PK0EPxUz6z7xV5uBm22B6x03TAHUdsILF_7LP3P2L7wGDfY1cBmpEZb6wo3Ptz40O4sJF8A8c3xe042E2Vli8dKu_SZ0Lut2mkA4CjXCSIbspkV7vuPJazDvvNnsHqYPGTfmmoKIDP2u__jio64DJuPXy4R/s4032/PXL_20220816_181656486.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGNXSeZg_DLL6xOjGtBzPt0t3WEkW2PK0EPxUz6z7xV5uBm22B6x03TAHUdsILF_7LP3P2L7wGDfY1cBmpEZb6wo3Ptz40O4sJF8A8c3xe042E2Vli8dKu_SZ0Lut2mkA4CjXCSIbspkV7vuPJazDvvNnsHqYPGTfmmoKIDP2u__jio64DJuPXy4R/w640-h480/PXL_20220816_181656486.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a picture of a fresh Monarch butterflyegg. When mature, the egg doesn't turn
solid black like a swallowtail's. <br>Only the tip does, unless it's been
parasitized by Trichogramma wasps. </td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Day 1 as caterpillars.</b> I have to say, raising Monarchs is very different from raising Black Swallowtails. The method is the same (feed them their host plant, enable them to pupate, release a butterfly) but the experience is at a different pace and the details – the clues that tell you what to do next – are all different. </p><p>To begin, newly hatched Monarch caterpillars are impossibly small, and it's frustrating trying to see if anything is happening. Turns out it isn't much, and they are completely boring at first.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiY3NCgrO15Br9xQ4qbhsMnmuRtuQbd-jl9gf-OtKnUUAQW8awD8ZaZyzppoVCsm9a-3bQG4PPT6-MdZLRNGV2A6AZ19vpwGISfI458-XUcT-mOr_RJ0InSHbXXY8FBp4NLbYdZw3w8MmyBqF5902yW1KVszAvnnoxb_NiQs0yyBtdZUYap2snh2zw/s4032/PXL_20220817_150859509.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiY3NCgrO15Br9xQ4qbhsMnmuRtuQbd-jl9gf-OtKnUUAQW8awD8ZaZyzppoVCsm9a-3bQG4PPT6-MdZLRNGV2A6AZ19vpwGISfI458-XUcT-mOr_RJ0InSHbXXY8FBp4NLbYdZw3w8MmyBqF5902yW1KVszAvnnoxb_NiQs0yyBtdZUYap2snh2zw/w640-h480/PXL_20220817_150859509.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you see both Monarch caterpillars?</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Day 3 as caterpillars.</b> They finally molted and wear black stripes, making them a little easier to find but I still needed a magnifying glass to find them. That's how I
noticed little brown spots on the undersides of the leaves. Rust is a fungal plant disease that is host specific (won't jump to other plants) and doesn't harm the caterpillars. It is less of a problem for plants when moisture is managed properly. Next year I will look for a rust resistant variety but it would help if I knew what I had to start. I'm fairly certain the nursery
mislabeled the plant I bought. Orange blossoms, fine
hairs on the small leaves and stems, this narrow-leafed milkweed is most likely Butterfly Weed (<i>A.tuberosa</i>). N<span>ative to eastern and southwestern North America,</span> I kind of wish I <i>had</i> bought three.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEn7nTw95CBv67t3YqAypYN-f2ie5RcxdEwK143vsSqqaeyt5Gx9e9jdQFAFxyxTFF0hZQ1mgMe_4p3KCKg6dU7huJaOIBrY2UYdTTS8z0XI4Zb-hZgX8BPNCwog0eeT_2ienQ8JqiBbK8KmkUvLxQAXJw3uV9YEHrepKEZKqbPh4hIP9HhuI1j1H/s3024/PXL_20220819_201819463.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEn7nTw95CBv67t3YqAypYN-f2ie5RcxdEwK143vsSqqaeyt5Gx9e9jdQFAFxyxTFF0hZQ1mgMe_4p3KCKg6dU7huJaOIBrY2UYdTTS8z0XI4Zb-hZgX8BPNCwog0eeT_2ienQ8JqiBbK8KmkUvLxQAXJw3uV9YEHrepKEZKqbPh4hIP9HhuI1j1H/w640-h480/PXL_20220819_201819463.jpg" width="640"></a></div><p>Swallowtails neatly eat entire leaves and stems but 2nd instar
Monarch caterpillars need to avoid releasing the sticky white sap
milkweed is known for. At their size it can glue their mouth parts shut.
The leaf above is a good example of their skeletonizing method of eating. <br></p><p><b>Day 5 as caterpillars.</b> Still a second (of five) instar. A terrific reference to determine which instar your caterpillar is, is <a href="https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/150661" target="_blank">A Field Guide to Monarch Caterpillars (Danausplexippus) by Karen Oberhauser and Kristen Kuda.</a></p><p><b>Day 6 as caterpillars. </b>With yellow stripes and tentacle nubs, they're finally starting to look like Monarch caterpillars. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq9RDRyPosJEfKDHP0WaMEUW9FDJEHdCHa9-qISVjGDmCWrr6RT81NnOW2z4NujJa0Dju529uOEsal-ulEZ0ZDmrobiPRwH8PfP0btbbyLm9r8_tgRaIV8nAFkH22928qAqg6d4PFIBnQc_9hfyLo6WdZ9w9S6nwLagYJMynhhcsU6BoTcsXlH5Ok/s4032/PXL_20220820_225718573.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq9RDRyPosJEfKDHP0WaMEUW9FDJEHdCHa9-qISVjGDmCWrr6RT81NnOW2z4NujJa0Dju529uOEsal-ulEZ0ZDmrobiPRwH8PfP0btbbyLm9r8_tgRaIV8nAFkH22928qAqg6d4PFIBnQc_9hfyLo6WdZ9w9S6nwLagYJMynhhcsU6BoTcsXlH5Ok/w640-h480/PXL_20220820_225718573.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half a centimeter in the morning.<br></td></tr></tbody></table><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeGei4CQLXxk4lEW9_vWMxcT7IwJlpDqY99nvn8T7Grfy3jXxcMrJN9_3Xdfk9cWkPUZbDOBFsjrY3fUz_wncRp1Hu_Ln9TtoBQtkjrLarjeS9xxYsqmsiCzp10kMvx4OWXa6Gjjguv2TNnhm0tA9Oguf6eFFRARLtw8gQyfAp72-w9FcUkYisyf9/s4032/PXL_20220821_190557977.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeGei4CQLXxk4lEW9_vWMxcT7IwJlpDqY99nvn8T7Grfy3jXxcMrJN9_3Xdfk9cWkPUZbDOBFsjrY3fUz_wncRp1Hu_Ln9TtoBQtkjrLarjeS9xxYsqmsiCzp10kMvx4OWXa6Gjjguv2TNnhm0tA9Oguf6eFFRARLtw8gQyfAp72-w9FcUkYisyf9/w640-h480/PXL_20220821_190557977.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Doubled in length in one day! <br></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 7:</b> Third instar caterpillars are less wasteful but still won't eat the central leaf vein. One site I referenced said they will snip the vein to stop the flow of sap. Then they can eat all of the leaf after the snip. Mine just left unsightly midribs. <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59bNB7i16hsGQ0ihU310bH76HqB14Z2npCyxQxwOripuY-3pZWrKqeHEK7Dq7WrTp2BljG4KwSqfBvQAOP3AJbcKcffSI9-_6JvWerWiVt0UEJyJ282LSXaoCZYUg3ssXhPVwPlPiCTrB5RxWGugrd79zVwEUnF_uHb9kXxIAp2AlJ5MV0Sc_BDVS/s4032/PXL_20220823_144837705.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59bNB7i16hsGQ0ihU310bH76HqB14Z2npCyxQxwOripuY-3pZWrKqeHEK7Dq7WrTp2BljG4KwSqfBvQAOP3AJbcKcffSI9-_6JvWerWiVt0UEJyJ282LSXaoCZYUg3ssXhPVwPlPiCTrB5RxWGugrd79zVwEUnF_uHb9kXxIAp2AlJ5MV0Sc_BDVS/w480-h640/PXL_20220823_144837705.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rather than skeletonizing, week old caterpillars eat more leaf but not the midrib.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Day 8:</b> Through the 3rd instar, two sprigs of butterfly weed has been enough for both caterpillars. This 4th instar is eating full leaves, including the midrib. Milkweed sap is full of the toxins that make Monarch caterpillars mildly poisonous to predators. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwq8606nf1URShuSMbfBajZ0Yx4VaO02NDjhFwviLblVE3BA2Qqg3r81Y2yFadACbxPirVIHutgcjEyK8v6mg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Just like Instagram, I'm experiencing upside down posting with Blogger. 🤷🏽 <br></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjeI7OnmFPVAHxUZay_9xBIb8BkfsSoG_frLk5aUo6Q7VZ7tzbxAjVsIix86oanTZtwoMiZcx66lDI2tx0P3d5zea-m67Zx8dFFMAqtZP3TfR7bdDXRXXTS764bFa7nBXHC_o60OpX84DCF3x7TIENuRO2rn5dCKSxV43TrMF1B37Q7Q2JZwpR0w6/s4032/PXL_20220824_173235140.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjeI7OnmFPVAHxUZay_9xBIb8BkfsSoG_frLk5aUo6Q7VZ7tzbxAjVsIix86oanTZtwoMiZcx66lDI2tx0P3d5zea-m67Zx8dFFMAqtZP3TfR7bdDXRXXTS764bFa7nBXHC_o60OpX84DCF3x7TIENuRO2rn5dCKSxV43TrMF1B37Q7Q2JZwpR0w6/w640-h480/PXL_20220824_173235140.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="gvxzyvdx aeinzg81 t7p7dqev gh25dzvf tb6i94ri gupuyl1y i2onq4tn b6ax4al1 gem102v4 ncib64c9 mrvwc6qr sx8pxkcf f597kf1v cpcgwwas m2nijcs8 hxfwr5lz k1z55t6l oog5qr5w tes86rjd pbevjfx6" dir="auto" lang="en">Older caterpillars will eat slices of cucumber, zucchini or butternut squash. You can also offer watermelon rind but feed them these alternatives <i>only</i> in a pinch.†<br></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Eating so much more, I began to <i>really</i> wish I'd bought three plants. Several sources said a single caterpillar eats an entire plant so I did the newbie panic thing of driving from nursery to nursery looking for milkweed plants, only to find none. Or a sad excuse for a plant, merely sticks and leaf remnants complete with more eggs or caterpillars. Already the accidental lepidopterist, I didn't need to buy more problems; I just needed <i>food</i>. <p></p><p><b>Day 10:</b><br></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-MivWo_6aYrnY95dmHJtCI3UjBrtU7zzxQQdziEeAl8H0Ql3wTfyLbOE1ZfUWMu3O0CZQ3G2PAwlq3gDFCgEqmFdDUmLao_KqMGF8njnYZKRWVnMPiVG-yRa3Do89UNYSmeiqlyyWGE5oSYuBW7VyW8G7cjyrL65NLnxjdInH1wEfZ513C8JnO9l/s3289/PXL_20220826_174508976.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2467" data-original-width="3289" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-MivWo_6aYrnY95dmHJtCI3UjBrtU7zzxQQdziEeAl8H0Ql3wTfyLbOE1ZfUWMu3O0CZQ3G2PAwlq3gDFCgEqmFdDUmLao_KqMGF8njnYZKRWVnMPiVG-yRa3Do89UNYSmeiqlyyWGE5oSYuBW7VyW8G7cjyrL65NLnxjdInH1wEfZ513C8JnO9l/w640-h480/PXL_20220826_174508976.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At <3cm<span></span>, not the "huge, finger thick" caterpillar we often hear about.</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 13:</b> As it turned out, I panicked for nothing. They abruptly stopped eating and shunned the food they had no matter how many leaves I placed them on. Monarch caterpillars do not do a purge, the telltale sign that a Swallowtail is ready to pupate. Nor do they go on a walkabout like Swallowtails. I had to take the refusal to eat as the sign and left them to do their thing, what ever it might be. After a few hours, they'd taken the j-formation side-by-side.<br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ahJkUmTFFSZ3EqwfIUf5LboB779DX0VdEx6U0EPuVxsoqdM0C5r_Y-neVFQx4eGltS4frhaJRiBZQsOVQE7TbvZuDOMxBSK-BRiNnsgaYRAhh-U6QOrsxLip0D8JmsD1Yn3jdIGRTp5zuxi3friRkFWmZ6eB_U_d9JCMMsFnEG3Ze6gUtCqUY8o3/s4032/PXL_20220830_121531224.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ahJkUmTFFSZ3EqwfIUf5LboB779DX0VdEx6U0EPuVxsoqdM0C5r_Y-neVFQx4eGltS4frhaJRiBZQsOVQE7TbvZuDOMxBSK-BRiNnsgaYRAhh-U6QOrsxLip0D8JmsD1Yn3jdIGRTp5zuxi3friRkFWmZ6eB_U_d9JCMMsFnEG3Ze6gUtCqUY8o3/w480-h640/PXL_20220830_121531224.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging in J-formation, opposite to Swallowtails which suspend themselves head up, feet down.<br></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 14:</b><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKo1Ax7LVlYgc_jnGMysMTWLT6M0YmiJr4vpT81eoklpF6J8GCLb4_UNwrsXje8A6ZD61RsIop5n3jKdhZPH5xM5LI2KmG4TTi9BTcmME7EHGhi4_-lrTuUnLoeN-7jalqgz-qfuH_Q4merFXqGB4_1UmTh8QUcsW4dMfhCCziVNQtbd-Hijd8eNJ/s4032/PXL_20220830_164702491.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKo1Ax7LVlYgc_jnGMysMTWLT6M0YmiJr4vpT81eoklpF6J8GCLb4_UNwrsXje8A6ZD61RsIop5n3jKdhZPH5xM5LI2KmG4TTi9BTcmME7EHGhi4_-lrTuUnLoeN-7jalqgz-qfuH_Q4merFXqGB4_1UmTh8QUcsW4dMfhCCziVNQtbd-Hijd8eNJ/w640-h480/PXL_20220830_164702491.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fifth instar Monarch caterpillar, ready to begin the final molt.</td></tr></tbody></table>Like the Swallowtail, they spend a full day in the pre-pupal position, not moving, and there are indicators that the final molt is imminent. When you see the caterpillar straightening out and tentacles go limp, it is ready to begin the final molt to chrysalis. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRnloQF7lD-5Lk8Rl64biKtvNdoHA4cNl3MA4GUvq3U1BErIrBjdJE6HlM9CaI3mgNJrPL6p4Unp4XZZVXY2yVw4hbjm2e4gXQZjFRJ9rl-bSD50X5dwTncnl-uGoCWuPeW3-eOTSjKRLvNPfMW50v0Jv-L18bWHye9r5TZwEip1nwXGPNvRwQcua/s3024/PXL_20220830_173922762.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2903" data-original-width="3024" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRnloQF7lD-5Lk8Rl64biKtvNdoHA4cNl3MA4GUvq3U1BErIrBjdJE6HlM9CaI3mgNJrPL6p4Unp4XZZVXY2yVw4hbjm2e4gXQZjFRJ9rl-bSD50X5dwTncnl-uGoCWuPeW3-eOTSjKRLvNPfMW50v0Jv-L18bWHye9r5TZwEip1nwXGPNvRwQcua/w640-h614/PXL_20220830_173922762.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorsal view of the final molt to become a monarch chrysalis.</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 15:</b><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3YSnStHX8zabg50mtIOJmk-i3AA8t_BuRqpCvaI0uBL_VamanxtiSlQeWSbra7zLNQ7kVu_ZPqY_op76_kxfZTpnJSu-zpSPfBf1ba7t55VHtPxJeGvMyamk7W_hGPH9ZoOZ_n7ZDYABVXgl_qeEY4dK_e1yekX8YUk5fHYdSYk5TUHj2Rt-W5Rn/s4032/PXL_20220831_140859068.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3YSnStHX8zabg50mtIOJmk-i3AA8t_BuRqpCvaI0uBL_VamanxtiSlQeWSbra7zLNQ7kVu_ZPqY_op76_kxfZTpnJSu-zpSPfBf1ba7t55VHtPxJeGvMyamk7W_hGPH9ZoOZ_n7ZDYABVXgl_qeEY4dK_e1yekX8YUk5fHYdSYk5TUHj2Rt-W5Rn/w640-h480/PXL_20220831_140859068.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 day old chrysalis, wing veins already visible</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 21</b>: In the evening, they turned really dark. I am beginning to think all butterflies time it so they eclose early in the morning, to warm as
the sun rises. A few hours in the sun's warmth helps their wings dry and harden.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtIm8zIzHFprs9OBE7VckDAuMQWj6Z-qjP8e1vmSdFbSASrRt5dfdjeuIiq7WMK4uxS3_8lIS44h7iTl5VT-J_FBjXnG4-PFTFjBirXeYOBuRNGxflFMmGmJuk6b8YSFVGiQmRzgcCRgtx4h2QAsns0kNStAsthdR-QPk1skLSQdrQagLhCyClje2/s3583/PXL_20220908_032247692.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2687" data-original-width="3583" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtIm8zIzHFprs9OBE7VckDAuMQWj6Z-qjP8e1vmSdFbSASrRt5dfdjeuIiq7WMK4uxS3_8lIS44h7iTl5VT-J_FBjXnG4-PFTFjBirXeYOBuRNGxflFMmGmJuk6b8YSFVGiQmRzgcCRgtx4h2QAsns0kNStAsthdR-QPk1skLSQdrQagLhCyClje2/w640-h480/PXL_20220908_032247692.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p>Late night after 8 days as chrysalids, the famous orange and black wings clearly visible.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 22</b>: As with our Swallowtails, we awoke to find an already eclosed butterfly still clinging to it's chrysalis shell, its sibling ready to burst out of its own. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj091bz4nMfQ8TFLEcX5ad0Z4RD9u0tHo-RGdh7PnsqB5KjdnVgGFKsoJIh6mdQlAqQCzz7LrEcS4X-W44wTuNIHsyOlWr0hj4N0g1OQUmrwRf69AanMAbR98VryZLrpweom3VXHOWhW_MUz_S4_gbFp5XF6azMiejsUBhr1pTPWsLRuiT3ZOv4i1Qg/s4032/PXL_20220908_115449287.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj091bz4nMfQ8TFLEcX5ad0Z4RD9u0tHo-RGdh7PnsqB5KjdnVgGFKsoJIh6mdQlAqQCzz7LrEcS4X-W44wTuNIHsyOlWr0hj4N0g1OQUmrwRf69AanMAbR98VryZLrpweom3VXHOWhW_MUz_S4_gbFp5XF6azMiejsUBhr1pTPWsLRuiT3ZOv4i1Qg/w480-h640/PXL_20220908_115449287.jpg" width="480"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good morning 9-day old monarch chrysalis and brand new butterfly!</td></tr></tbody></table>I don't know if it is just the migratory generation that does this because they need extra strong flight muscles for the journey to Mexico, but ours beat their wings pretty regularly and slowly, giving us ample opportunity to determine their sex. These are both males.<p>Monarch wings are translucent. The stripes visible when the wings are folded are the same as those when their wings are spread open. This is different from swallowtails, whose wing spots in open and closed positions are different and you can only tell the sex when they're open.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuA9wE7zSuD7qjuipYDjTMxZUKYo33Cnnib2jMQbjoUl6VrSIn-qsFPIHckHaKVtva6jaUfKE0tL17MKr2Rcvb9Xnu13O3lBs1qxNl5UUuVVrwcNQdIt8oSCeof36n0qbeuCkRzNQ5x8wFb7ChrFN1cMzFfX1HzV231Vr_Hz7L2z9XMyFUm8b6HSh/s3024/PXL_20220908_210559017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuA9wE7zSuD7qjuipYDjTMxZUKYo33Cnnib2jMQbjoUl6VrSIn-qsFPIHckHaKVtva6jaUfKE0tL17MKr2Rcvb9Xnu13O3lBs1qxNl5UUuVVrwcNQdIt8oSCeof36n0qbeuCkRzNQ5x8wFb7ChrFN1cMzFfX1HzV231Vr_Hz7L2z9XMyFUm8b6HSh/w640-h480/PXL_20220908_210559017.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p>The wings being translucent surprised me.<br></p></td></tr></tbody></table>The outlook was for rain (as it often is here) so we held them overnight. In the morning, they could see the outdoors just on the other side of the mesh and were eager to get out. So eager that there was no placing them
on a flower for a <a href="http://www.303beekeeper.com/2022/08/butterfly-pool-results.html">beauty shot, like I do with our Swallowtails</a>. The instant we brought the hamper out, they flew out the opening, up into the forest canopy, and thus began their incredible journey to Mexico.<span></span></div><a href="http://www.303beekeeper.com/2022/09/the-accidental-lepidopterist-monarch.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-8390659463777586702022-08-18T14:08:00.002-06:002022-08-29T17:56:34.112-06:00Butterfly Pool ResultsEarly in the morning, the side by side chrysalides no longer looked like twins. After 9 days as a chrysalis, the first to pupate (left) will be the first to emerge as a butterfly.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQRAM6jzryxpvvdwZKqXJ7bEJoPov0dBKudttFOXv6VP6AtK6y8peWKHN4Nz_7gmrCYQjwXBJQpQs2vDdAW2mbbfawJ8Oakqta2EuK2lGkLp5L7LWSMupenhobF9LGJPFFz6F8fuwKAYa-FdQMIiRZj19hv575zLRfvUTuWprTdbnjDvK3weFWI5B/s2548/PXL_20220816_122438139.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1911" data-original-width="2548" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQRAM6jzryxpvvdwZKqXJ7bEJoPov0dBKudttFOXv6VP6AtK6y8peWKHN4Nz_7gmrCYQjwXBJQpQs2vDdAW2mbbfawJ8Oakqta2EuK2lGkLp5L7LWSMupenhobF9LGJPFFz6F8fuwKAYa-FdQMIiRZj19hv575zLRfvUTuWprTdbnjDvK3weFWI5B/w640-h480/PXL_20220816_122438139.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the color change.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>A side view of the mature chrysalis shows the butterfly inside is arching, putting pressure against the outer skin.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivobAT-lIAskT9Wf0M3fJV59A2nneSI49iKg-8wstEA_j4fBz9URwJ8vfB22HgZ_YQ8KLBZ6kq5hOssAt-fsmkiDY99hD4-6TvyVedihyqtihU3bUJFs0tkcSlNJ9H745g0UoL_1FRPTzwsBMA8sM2717zAsA8_FTm8xgGXEQ2SbFVgoFnmwqU6BD7/s3126/PXL_20220816_133021801.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2344" data-original-width="3126" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivobAT-lIAskT9Wf0M3fJV59A2nneSI49iKg-8wstEA_j4fBz9URwJ8vfB22HgZ_YQ8KLBZ6kq5hOssAt-fsmkiDY99hD4-6TvyVedihyqtihU3bUJFs0tkcSlNJ9H745g0UoL_1FRPTzwsBMA8sM2717zAsA8_FTm8xgGXEQ2SbFVgoFnmwqU6BD7/w640-h480/PXL_20220816_133021801.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Translucent = will eclose very soon.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The changes happen quick. We went for a pre-breakfast walk and missed the butterfly coming out of the chrysalis. And while I was making an afternoon smoothie, I missed a second butterfly emerge!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlbVSnl9p7I21JdAevYkBqjQVH4cv5DtzRGLdhh0pRomBoEKxvVe4lM4E-5Bm7T6OFDJR_7upU9K0j6OJWB1VRgUylWkFqEL_LhkcX2pbrt5v1Wj3L1ZZNW7qoUuQUqDa-m5Qhw5Z-JbzFIyXkEb3_IAI070vPdtWjgLAXXqFQCVNgUpqL2XfA68o/s4032/PXL_20220817_115516312.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlbVSnl9p7I21JdAevYkBqjQVH4cv5DtzRGLdhh0pRomBoEKxvVe4lM4E-5Bm7T6OFDJR_7upU9K0j6OJWB1VRgUylWkFqEL_LhkcX2pbrt5v1Wj3L1ZZNW7qoUuQUqDa-m5Qhw5Z-JbzFIyXkEb3_IAI070vPdtWjgLAXXqFQCVNgUpqL2XfA68o/w480-h640/PXL_20220817_115516312.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottom butterfly's wings are still wet and floppy. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>When they first emerge, their wings are crumpled from being crammed in the chrysalis. The butterfly stretches and strengthens its wing muscles by slowing moving its wings. They quickly expand, dry and harden. <br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWtnOApoyo6_3S-B1kDPZ1YJql-87pkNY1go_LoB5AUmQEQf7miZy_K4cgAkyOfdtq73_KnbRUnscovds9N_v7NhaymFKBxBJEsdGAOJxqX2uEsMK3WVfYfdwaEaEV1onaY9n50Oe2JSC6151jG5ogFLMUOfJrqND6brJStoaFlAuJPNWay-nG9Ai/s3079/PXL_20220816_153214092.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3079" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWtnOApoyo6_3S-B1kDPZ1YJql-87pkNY1go_LoB5AUmQEQf7miZy_K4cgAkyOfdtq73_KnbRUnscovds9N_v7NhaymFKBxBJEsdGAOJxqX2uEsMK3WVfYfdwaEaEV1onaY9n50Oe2JSC6151jG5ogFLMUOfJrqND6brJStoaFlAuJPNWay-nG9Ai/w629-h640/PXL_20220816_153214092.jpg" width="629" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new butterfly likes something to climb up. I'd forgotten that they purge after eclosing. No solids like the last stage as a caterpillar, just a cloudy liquid. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>I always try to set new butterflies on a flower. They don't need nectar yet, but I hope it helps them identify our yard as a good food source so they come back.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMAjdKzXnEOnhDu47g0yv45lbs6JsLGK5g4i1z7NVWxHvt_1vj8J5eNGPG91aB-qNHoO3slXU7XB3BVbFemb253aHXPONhXNmtiyDW4cuvGLHSCphmXbWa6ZRO_ZTKp-DW9Y1udBggcRPaRKizEt4dlJkHSi4GKQJtGCVfpxx5TZwGrUYBCT6p65K/s3024/PXL_20220816_153801622.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMAjdKzXnEOnhDu47g0yv45lbs6JsLGK5g4i1z7NVWxHvt_1vj8J5eNGPG91aB-qNHoO3slXU7XB3BVbFemb253aHXPONhXNmtiyDW4cuvGLHSCphmXbWa6ZRO_ZTKp-DW9Y1udBggcRPaRKizEt4dlJkHSi4GKQJtGCVfpxx5TZwGrUYBCT6p65K/w640-h480/PXL_20220816_153801622.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still early enough that some morning glories are still available for offer.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Warmed by the sun, wings fully hardened, I think the butterfly must complete its purge before taking flight. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqx8HYdPgwxrvtt2Ye7ZAiZdg6JWrpKJE7_OYvJj5IaiBiSvSHLT6-f_PB14XtZ31CtBJI3ejCAXXWLk8PMngoY6-q3v9WieM8N-MnnZ36JxgZYEXZYcGJ2Xnzk0x92gAWhCvGICorG6e-LCikwGbIp3sqyfA7PlNz65Pxsfs_nukccf3ThvI42n2/s4032/PXL_20220816_160929335.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqx8HYdPgwxrvtt2Ye7ZAiZdg6JWrpKJE7_OYvJj5IaiBiSvSHLT6-f_PB14XtZ31CtBJI3ejCAXXWLk8PMngoY6-q3v9WieM8N-MnnZ36JxgZYEXZYcGJ2Xnzk0x92gAWhCvGICorG6e-LCikwGbIp3sqyfA7PlNz65Pxsfs_nukccf3ThvI42n2/w640-h480/PXL_20220816_160929335.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally, a dorsal view! This one's a male.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0O-X_NzH2abxV9YqjyRguVSwEvOCf79Ds3Yq1FP22tKVYYUlv8LSzD7hdi2Xlob97Lm-ZaUXCZVAlh6OR6_HRt9ZbezWObePTqM6q6koXUSyYQIp4nuNL-AsITCFv4Em2HfLNaZ4loun1rB24BozvfAwRd71p1F7oJ6CetueGCFQQ2bUdzoRhILqX/s3326/PXL_20220817_121102205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2495" data-original-width="3326" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0O-X_NzH2abxV9YqjyRguVSwEvOCf79Ds3Yq1FP22tKVYYUlv8LSzD7hdi2Xlob97Lm-ZaUXCZVAlh6OR6_HRt9ZbezWObePTqM6q6koXUSyYQIp4nuNL-AsITCFv4Em2HfLNaZ4loun1rB24BozvfAwRd71p1F7oJ6CetueGCFQQ2bUdzoRhILqX/w640-h480/PXL_20220817_121102205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another male. If you compare their dots you'll see that their patterns are unique.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Our third chrysalis turned out to be male as well. All three were in chrysalis form for nine days.<br /></p><p>I wish one would've been a female so I could show you the difference in appearance. You have to look at their top side, which can take patience since they spend more time folded up than exposed. When you finally glimpse of the dorsal view, look for the amount of blue. Males don't have a lot of blue. Females have more blue (which displaces the yellow). I found three more caterpillars on the parsley, so I'm still hoping for a female to show you soon. <br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-23807674143292990032022-08-09T12:27:00.007-06:002023-07-26T12:51:49.912-06:00Went looking for bees but found this instead.<p>The little garden space I asked for your help designing includes dill,
parsley and Golden Alexander, all host plants for Swallowtail
butterflies. Our backyard is so small, the entire potager is literally three steps out my kitchen door – a giant glass slider – so that's how I happened to see a butterfly laying eggs.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxHHJsV74EkgLDPnYBMrz2rxMOJCt9MQ6IljrbmHSlmadYVKNHCNwXGnj5LIgjTtADK4oqJIhMz5uoRTu6v143dktvHhydZ7GVgfNNhCKC2gm1Mz0NJlYKeRw9g8EkvNAsCrK6_rGEv3oLNQiewDQIeCvcdq84Ohnm7qiGKhU2xj-N_NX4e1ARAP7/s4032/PXL_20220722_204141021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxHHJsV74EkgLDPnYBMrz2rxMOJCt9MQ6IljrbmHSlmadYVKNHCNwXGnj5LIgjTtADK4oqJIhMz5uoRTu6v143dktvHhydZ7GVgfNNhCKC2gm1Mz0NJlYKeRw9g8EkvNAsCrK6_rGEv3oLNQiewDQIeCvcdq84Ohnm7qiGKhU2xj-N_NX4e1ARAP7/w480-h640/PXL_20220722_204141021.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small carpenter bee (Ceratina) foraging on dill weed. 07/22/2022<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Do you see the butterfly egg? I didn't see it until I was going through my bee photos. I know this is a Ceratina because it has a small yellow mark on its face, not visable in the photo.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjtcGemxEypJpIoTADxzBRF_sVeZzAX9BbVx-A_5Lryr3i4y_A-KsTFUJ4ZA7Ta0kDL9P4UZ-DUTTP0WxsK1ycv0Qk3xYv3d_WJnjHOOXotTaMpyVCr7A-Ci9zKksPGv6mjdh1A9AyKdjeS6ATdIoMPJ3UldGzNpiZ5ZgoYlNpUB0OCuMrJNbXsVd/s4032/PXL_20220730_120711433.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjtcGemxEypJpIoTADxzBRF_sVeZzAX9BbVx-A_5Lryr3i4y_A-KsTFUJ4ZA7Ta0kDL9P4UZ-DUTTP0WxsK1ycv0Qk3xYv3d_WJnjHOOXotTaMpyVCr7A-Ci9zKksPGv6mjdh1A9AyKdjeS6ATdIoMPJ3UldGzNpiZ5ZgoYlNpUB0OCuMrJNbXsVd/w480-h640/PXL_20220730_120711433.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3rd instar caterpillar on Italian parsley. 07/30/2022</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After finding a caterpillar in the jaws of a spider, I brought every caterpillar I could find inside and set them up with Oui jars <a href="http://www.303beekeeper.com/2019/08/raising-black-swallowtail-butterflies.html">like I did in 2019</a>. This time, though, we had to go out-of-town for three days so instead of a daily top up, I had to guess how much food they needed. Turns out not much, just a few sprigs each. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPQ5YasDsKpvBKLcTAnWRKHjVfZWWqFYGqtSQMYsYohQjlOhJBtStu50dwenLXHlLkiYi43bx4y6DZC5UHQCR5a-lc1WWTY1_BFe-nL4DnPn5o5YKRstsedqOuYIbb5hoSTg_q6rs_RFzdbYRqBWo4KLlI-Ap3v_WdrX_cS7fFDbgJZGVYeKzoMnl/s4032/PXL_20220805_152906435.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPQ5YasDsKpvBKLcTAnWRKHjVfZWWqFYGqtSQMYsYohQjlOhJBtStu50dwenLXHlLkiYi43bx4y6DZC5UHQCR5a-lc1WWTY1_BFe-nL4DnPn5o5YKRstsedqOuYIbb5hoSTg_q6rs_RFzdbYRqBWo4KLlI-Ap3v_WdrX_cS7fFDbgJZGVYeKzoMnl/w640-h480/PXL_20220805_152906435.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5th instar caterpillar on Golden Alexander, which is native to the eastern US. 08/05/2022</td></tr></tbody></table>We left with four 3rd instar caterpillars and returned to find three 5th instar caterpillars. It seems the natural mortality rate is high. This time they're the green variation. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1K7p13zxhsgYsxVZAthx7ciT5R34AbmHtvRbpD0rdztekqo2L3EeTNCIPPSRNU0Wz-LQsy6sgU2tpsdB0tFONMJBcj3z66Pkhj1ams6SR7FK2gkvZkja9mRyFpkCfkZJGuE0bQuZZRdkQEM0p6kiV7l1FCG8HmMfMQ0eNThU6qxfXkeEy0az-Kq_/s4032/PXL_20220807_140953145.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1K7p13zxhsgYsxVZAthx7ciT5R34AbmHtvRbpD0rdztekqo2L3EeTNCIPPSRNU0Wz-LQsy6sgU2tpsdB0tFONMJBcj3z66Pkhj1ams6SR7FK2gkvZkja9mRyFpkCfkZJGuE0bQuZZRdkQEM0p6kiV7l1FCG8HmMfMQ0eNThU6qxfXkeEy0az-Kq_/w640-h466/PXL_20220807_140953145.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prepupa showing signs of final molt, small cracks in the cuticle (the lining of the trachea tubes are being pulled out of the spiracle openings) and loss of color. 08/07/2022<br /><p style="text-align: left;">Attached to the inside corner of popup hamper, I could only get a dorsal view video but I'm just elated that we got to see it happen! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='319' height='265' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dymQcq6mGnEkFSllrRjj_eFN5H-gxkMmeRME9yjAVUkTe6dvCZCW10QrcrvntpLqiYK4qpSLh-8pnszuvRzWQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></td></tr></tbody></table>The transformation from prepupa to chrysalis took about 6 minutes, the last 3 being a whole bunch of wiggling until the shed skin fell to the floor. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTu5BMr0Y468jWWs0GpcXlbTSAmm7QMmFAOffoOs9dYyFhpee4MVZZ8c73B_OS6mAK72HwGyzeoQk6e6T2CF99BO1aBmSHWlNXMv9jB5Lwregxp7IgIXtCwZmOBqP4eWkO4MFK46g6TUqowFsQ3ISsK7oEsuO1_UmQASuMaWO4GfPfMFxg4YqodOpL/s4032/PXL_20220807_222123293.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTu5BMr0Y468jWWs0GpcXlbTSAmm7QMmFAOffoOs9dYyFhpee4MVZZ8c73B_OS6mAK72HwGyzeoQk6e6T2CF99BO1aBmSHWlNXMv9jB5Lwregxp7IgIXtCwZmOBqP4eWkO4MFK46g6TUqowFsQ3ISsK7oEsuO1_UmQASuMaWO4GfPfMFxg4YqodOpL/w640-h480/PXL_20220807_222123293.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swallowtail chrysalis color-matched to its environment. 08/07/2022</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We've got three chrysalides in the hamper, and I'll post an update when they emerge. The Internet says anywhere from 7-20+ days. <b>How about a Butterfly Pool? I think Monday the 15th and there will be 2 males and 1 female. What are your guesses?</b> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-2482455444284731932021-12-28T20:14:00.032-07:002022-11-25T11:51:02.319-07:00I've got a blank space, baby…<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPJHenI1sbbSmnVAhBsB501LgbWktQE-XH4uYx4HxcMuL3FgQKAZMvXrDC8GO2eTwthd3zHm9VGhwh6W2WjFyc9-NswosG3kSBugoRAGGu17PGzlzZjDlkMQ3uGqR-RSGs54Wrf30L4PyqJVl5DqGKFlmZL2ZFdflGPcgaKyZ92KcckeTN3bZrFYcI=s3968" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pond with fountain" border="0" data-original-height="2242" data-original-width="3968" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPJHenI1sbbSmnVAhBsB501LgbWktQE-XH4uYx4HxcMuL3FgQKAZMvXrDC8GO2eTwthd3zHm9VGhwh6W2WjFyc9-NswosG3kSBugoRAGGu17PGzlzZjDlkMQ3uGqR-RSGs54Wrf30L4PyqJVl5DqGKFlmZL2ZFdflGPcgaKyZ92KcckeTN3bZrFYcI=w640-h362" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Coastal Virginia, gardeners enjoy 247 frost-free days. Even in late November, it feels like Autumn is <i>just</i> beginning. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><h2 class="_6lAjh"><div class="qF0y9 Igw0E IwRSH eGOV_ _4EzTm ItkAi"><span class="Jv7Aj mArmR MqpiF"></span></div></h2><p>After 15 months without a kitchen or a garden, we followed our bliss and bought a little place with this lake view. In under a half hour, we can be at our pick of beaches. </p><p>My new garden space is right off the kitchen, so of course I need a potager. And it needs to be a pollinator garden that feeds hummingbirds, since I can't put honeybees in the backyard. (We're looking for an outyard or community apiary.) With a frost-free growing season of 247 days, I want to grow just about <i>everything</i>.</p><p>The only limit I have is that my space is restricted to a skinny mini border garden, so I have to be pretty selective. Already mentally exhausted from buying a condo and moving again during the pandemic; sleeping on an air mattress for two weeks before our hurry-the-promo-code-is-expiring selected bed arrived; hurriedly picking a washer and dryer before the Black Friday deal ended, I'm feeling a bit daunted. Now paralyzed just by the color choices we have for painting our new home, going native with a blank slate feels like an impossible task. So as much as I relished crafting my Colorado garden, I am seriously considering taking an easy no-brainer route here in Virginia.</p><p><span title="Edited"><b>What do you think about <a href="https://www.nativewildflowers.net/grab-bags/" target="_blank">Native Wildflower Nursery's grab bags</a>?</b> </span>Bare-root notwithstanding, the "Wildflower Garden" (100 wildflowers comprised of 4-5 perennial varieties, $140) looks pretty ideal to me—although I actually might not have enough room even using containers on the porch. The condo association says I can only have four pots, or just two if they're 20" pots. <i>Crazy, huh!?</i> <br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nativewildflowers.net/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="123" data-original-width="270" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCnDOGBtLRc0dkVzsJD6fVWXU4_LJ-GVVON87ABUwIXEQ_tKDpuR3eXBk0w4Whpktac2KjqqwGvzhzVRMgtdIe6YYc0wUJ56SwJo9_gEqZpnzydGA6oVMqAbVnkjsDcP15P_QnoflPo1w1kvo_w7b-0PQxPSaFuq9al8cYtskIYNWX5mInK2iBcCyt=w154-h70" width="154" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">SPONSORED POST: In exchange for displaying the NWN logo and link to their website, Native Wildflowers Nursery will be giving me some ferns and spring ephemerals.</span><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-44775203026247879182021-11-09T22:00:00.000-07:002023-12-13T09:19:35.959-07:00My Colorado Beekeeping Calendar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
A Phenological Calendar for Colorado Beekeepers</h3>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?height=500&wkst=1&bgcolor=%23ffffff&ctz=America%2FDenver&src=MzAzYmVla2VlcGVyQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ&src=MHFrOGJuYTVlZzY2MzJldG42Nmc1b2phNmtAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&src=cHAzOHA3ZmxncDI4bTJjODEzcDk1aTNyMWdAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&color=%237986CB&color=%23F6BF26&color=%234285F4&showPrint=0&showTabs=0&showCalendars=0&showDate=1" style="border: solid 1px #777;" width="720"></iframe><br />
<br />
By undergoing <a href="http://bbhb.blogspot.com/search/label/VIT">VIT</a>, I successfully reduced my sensitivity to honeybee venom to safe levels! After taking several years off, my interest in beekeeping has not waned, and I'm anxious to restock our hives. I will definitely let you know when that happens.<br />
<br />
<b>Meanwhile, what about you? What are your plans for this season?</b> If you're in the Denver metro, maybe my Colorado bloom calendar will help you think them through. ☝️ Yellow bars = mason bee tasks, blue bars = honeybee tasks. The green bars in the calendar are what's blooming now. Keep in mind that the dates can shift a couple of weeks in <i>either</i> direction depending on weather conditions. For example, the excessively warm 2017/2018 winter had elm trees blooming well before Valentine's Day. The snow storm on President's Day, though, cut short its blooming period. You can click on any of the events for more details and additional reading. I hope you find it useful.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />And don't forget, Marty Hardison's booklet, "The Appropriate Beehive" is available at right. If you like <a href="http://bbhb.blogspot.com/2009/03/list.html">The List</a> he wrote for when to do what for one's bees, please consider making a donation. It'll ensure "The Appropriate Beehive" remains available through this website. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've been working with Marty on an update for what seems like forever and hope to post it here soon. Until then, may your hives be humming. — BB & HB<br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top">
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-41368399694771517022021-10-20T17:29:00.005-06:002021-10-21T08:53:05.293-06:00The Bears and the Bees<p>Right in the middle of our nation's capitol, the Smithsonian Zoo gives quite a bit of attention to the honey bee! First, there's the Bending Hives sculpture that invites you to "Look closer – from different angles – at the world we share with bees." Maybe we needed this impetus in 2018, when these hives were created. Who could've predicted that just two years later, we'd all be looking at the entire world from a different angle, through a different lens?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D6PlF149s6Y/YXB8lQC7Q3I/AAAAAAABKCk/-X73c0zaepEk7i3_Ro1QeXjGEKKi5-T3gCPcBGAsYHg/s3024/PXL_20211019_200328599.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3024" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D6PlF149s6Y/YXB8lQC7Q3I/AAAAAAABKCk/-X73c0zaepEk7i3_Ro1QeXjGEKKi5-T3gCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20211019_200328599.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No bees here. For those, you only need to visit a garbage can.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bee swarm mural is a must-see, even if you don't go into the Great Ape House. Every kid entering the ape house asked their parent(s), "Why are there bees on an ape house?" Every parent said, "I don't know," and through the dark doors they went. I read the answer and it's so much of stretch for me, I could not summarize it here for you. Follow this link and leave a comment if you can boil it down to a couple of sentences. https://www.thegoodofthehive.com/zoo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yw6hD9-u4Cc/YXBweosc02I/AAAAAAABKA4/KBda-BR96I0eAzH44O5sISk800EYlIG8wCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20211019_164847238.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yw6hD9-u4Cc/YXBweosc02I/AAAAAAABKA4/KBda-BR96I0eAzH44O5sISk800EYlIG8wCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20211019_164847238.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good of the Hive mural of 351 worker bees and more. What else do you see?<br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-guXPvcw-8Tc/YXBygrP9csI/AAAAAAABKBY/33gES8AUozAovkinM5iy2a7xQKk3FOgIACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20211019_164929458.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-guXPvcw-8Tc/YXBygrP9csI/AAAAAAABKBY/33gES8AUozAovkinM5iy2a7xQKk3FOgIACPcBGAsYHg/w480-h640/PXL_20211019_164929458.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An eye-level worker bee enables you to appreciate the hand-painting up close.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zAbegIDdOqs/YXBtQSMCdDI/AAAAAAABKAk/ydn-Gh99fuklWSD7o4BFDwVNdWSI_U6ugCPcBGAsYHg/s3178/PXL_20211019_164901101.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2383" data-original-width="3178" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zAbegIDdOqs/YXBtQSMCdDI/AAAAAAABKAk/ydn-Gh99fuklWSD7o4BFDwVNdWSI_U6ugCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20211019_164901101.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The queen's entourage.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><p style="text-align: left;">Then there's the playground surrounded by a pollinator garden. It's close to Lot D, just past the Bending Hives.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0-sh1-j0UU/YXBpKaNrp7I/AAAAAAABJ_k/ysvHc0y7GmAUlZCk1ZwTbUwsgRSonoTfwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20211019_163516801.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0-sh1-j0UU/YXBpKaNrp7I/AAAAAAABJ_k/ysvHc0y7GmAUlZCk1ZwTbUwsgRSonoTfwCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20211019_163516801.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the Bee playground</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IFbj9_DWyLA/YXCf4RJW3mI/AAAAAAABKDM/OnQrVzoFI9E2Z8h3-A57Xb2lqpxc8OnUgCPcBGAsYHg/s2804/PXL_20211019_163715575.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2103" data-original-width="2804" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IFbj9_DWyLA/YXCf4RJW3mI/AAAAAAABKDM/OnQrVzoFI9E2Z8h3-A57Xb2lqpxc8OnUgCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20211019_163715575.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possibly a Blue Orchard Bee<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">
And, yes, there are real bees, too. Unfortunately, every single garbage can has rummaging honeybees, and they have learned to excitedly inspect you if you're nearby. Same goes for the benches and tables scattered throughout the park. Remember to bring your epis… and never swat.<br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQWHFfyeVmc/YXB-A9MKGCI/AAAAAAABKCw/GlwUBfffyAY_k3WkuLXhJVz1E_LxQjqEgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20211019_182551950.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQWHFfyeVmc/YXB-A9MKGCI/AAAAAAABKCw/GlwUBfffyAY_k3WkuLXhJVz1E_LxQjqEgCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20211019_182551950.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you bring a picnic lunch, expect company.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's quite a bit of bonus fun, considering the real reason to go to the national zoo is to see the "Little Miracle" cub Xiao Qi Ji. If you want to see him before being separated from Mei Xiang, you'll need to go in the next few months. In February, he'll be at the age that pandas naturally go solo.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mBsImJxAnC8/YXB4uM2oxlI/AAAAAAABKCE/q8ceBwBJON0cFiu3U0lV2jADfQRr6DB3wCPcBGAsYHg/s1024/PXL_20211019_180552110.LS_exported_10772_1634760721101.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mBsImJxAnC8/YXB4uM2oxlI/AAAAAAABKCE/q8ceBwBJON0cFiu3U0lV2jADfQRr6DB3wCPcBGAsYHg/w480-h640/PXL_20211019_180552110.LS_exported_10772_1634760721101.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji and mother, Mei Xiang. Feeding time's around 2:00?</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i3J_kzggAUw/YXB5ZWBZafI/AAAAAAABKCU/Cpn4JmxqDKQqK5_tFyIF6GSNcoKEU7S0QCPcBGAsYHg/s2978/PXL_20211019_170059255.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2233" data-original-width="2978" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i3J_kzggAUw/YXB5ZWBZafI/AAAAAAABKCU/Cpn4JmxqDKQqK5_tFyIF6GSNcoKEU7S0QCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20211019_170059255.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Panda Trail offers great views if they're outside.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The zoo is free, $30/car to park. Not not crowded by any means but with the pandemic still gripping, opportunities to get people-less photos can be found with just a little patience. You'll need at least 4 hours to see the whole park, more if you want to linger at any exhibit or wait for the people-less moments to snap a selfie. 🐼<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-84327791920709208302021-04-05T13:28:00.010-06:002021-10-11T09:41:23.310-06:00Cherry Cherry Boom Boom – it's the best time to see the National Cherry Blossoms!<p style="text-align: left;">Last time I spoke to my sister, she asked if being "homeless" and without belongings made us feel ungrounded. Quite the opposite, I responded, as we feel free to explore and roam at will. Untethered, we can go anywhere we want. I'll say it again; the world is too big to spend all your time in one place. Now may be the last time we're in the DC area, so I was adamant that we witness the famous Cherry Blossoms, pandemic be damned. I'm so glad we did because road and parking lot closures designed to discourage the usual crowds made street parking a breeze!</p><p style="text-align: left;">Eleven varieties of cherry tree surround the Tidal Basin, where the most famous, oldest, and numerous are. Mostly white, they are Yoshino cherry blossoms. The cherry trees in NoVA neighborhoods are popular with all sort of bees, the canopies alive with activity. But the only bee we saw at the Tidal Basin was a lone Eastern Carpenter.<br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJh9UgWVq_c/YGtFKm1VyQI/AAAAAAAA6EY/gBijyerH1D4DN9FsVva1HbbJqxK747OLQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20210331_152124434-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2688" data-original-width="4032" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJh9UgWVq_c/YGtFKm1VyQI/AAAAAAAA6EY/gBijyerH1D4DN9FsVva1HbbJqxK747OLQCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h426/PXL_20210331_152124434-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road and parking lot closures are keeping crowds at bay.</td></tr></tbody></table>The main cherry blossoms have already peaked, but if you have FOMO you might
still be in luck with the Kwanzan cherry blossoms. If you're hoping for pink, the Kwanzans are what you're looking for anyway. Their blossoms are multi-layered like a little rose, which is not great for bees but very pretty if not prettier than the simple Yoshinos in my opinion. They should peak on April 12. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/2VKSNcrV6Wo8NWbv5" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1613" data-original-width="9682" height="106" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Tld_OvbmNo/YGtFKomc7BI/AAAAAAAA6EY/TieMaI5y9v4FYLW4R7MDlnlvOz1OHTLDgCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h106/PXL_20210331_151106168.PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/2VKSNcrV6Wo8NWbv5" target="_blank">Panoramic experience of the Tidal Basin.<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table>If uncomfortably crowded at the Tidal Basin, you can enjoy cherry trees and other spring bloomers just a few blocks away. <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ccmegwShjoo/YGtFKqgXYlI/AAAAAAAA6EY/jTQE2S4UIu4idp61mMzsw8OGPncgZYUQACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20210331_140820438.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ccmegwShjoo/YGtFKqgXYlI/AAAAAAAA6EY/jTQE2S4UIu4idp61mMzsw8OGPncgZYUQACPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20210331_140820438.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grouping of daffodils, candytuft, squill and pansies looking lovely albeit barely established. The catmint behind is waking up nicely, and this garden will surely be abuzz this summer.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The Smithsonian Gardens are open, and with everyone at the Tidal Basin you'll find peaceful space, mostly to yourself. By now, the utterly magnificent saucer magnolias will have yielded the
show to Redbuds, a fantastic source of both nectar and pollen for bees.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bthcfcVqPpM/YGtFKme5FgI/AAAAAAAA6EY/YnH8a30x78Q7ctc3g1YQgKNtl1DhYU2_QCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20210331_140631598.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bthcfcVqPpM/YGtFKme5FgI/AAAAAAAA6EY/YnH8a30x78Q7ctc3g1YQgKNtl1DhYU2_QCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20210331_140631598.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White camellias and Lilac daphne are peaking while the witchhazel behind is already done blooming.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fm1Nm9Vz88s/YGtFKhedlgI/AAAAAAAA6EY/SLLq453MfY0-OkiW5XVHBZSJqnj1Ui2rwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20210331_140133792.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fm1Nm9Vz88s/YGtFKhedlgI/AAAAAAAA6EY/SLLq453MfY0-OkiW5XVHBZSJqnj1Ui2rwCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h480/PXL_20210331_140133792.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art in Bloom at the Enid A Haupt Gardens. The Downing Urn is in the foreground.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oT_ocYaWWz4/YGtFKhCo2QI/AAAAAAAA6EY/VEEv2YdLB18o-MbrZgntFRKNOg7AioJ0gCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20210331_140251906.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oT_ocYaWWz4/YGtFKhCo2QI/AAAAAAAA6EY/VEEv2YdLB18o-MbrZgntFRKNOg7AioJ0gCPcBGAsYHg/w480-h640/PXL_20210331_140251906.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chiyogami Compilation by Peijisan Art<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3FsWtSBJ3WU/YGtFKoWnaOI/AAAAAAAA6EY/XYX7bPUWwY0lx0XgCQPebJYNnE32fXEyACPcBGAsYHg/s3834/PXL_20210331_135537942.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3834" data-original-width="2875" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3FsWtSBJ3WU/YGtFKoWnaOI/AAAAAAAA6EY/XYX7bPUWwY0lx0XgCQPebJYNnE32fXEyACPcBGAsYHg/w480-h640/PXL_20210331_135537942.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saucer Magnolia trees are <i>all</i> about the garden.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fOAyZ4nmC-E/YGtFKn0UdFI/AAAAAAAA6EY/xG6jjYU_URQ8y0ReAxcU5nnNRgrv1r3WACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20210331_135339816.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fOAyZ4nmC-E/YGtFKn0UdFI/AAAAAAAA6EY/xG6jjYU_URQ8y0ReAxcU5nnNRgrv1r3WACPcBGAsYHg/w480-h640/PXL_20210331_135339816.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daffodils and pansies with unknown yellow flowers in between.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLGxgk3mA54/YGtFKiahHqI/AAAAAAAA6EY/xdYpaZEKMUIN1RLvqyVpJqRQWWTmROCzQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/PXL_20210331_152653312._exported_1232_1617237508408.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLGxgk3mA54/YGtFKiahHqI/AAAAAAAA6EY/xdYpaZEKMUIN1RLvqyVpJqRQWWTmROCzQCPcBGAsYHg/w480-h640/PXL_20210331_152653312._exported_1232_1617237508408.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Men and nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of
the resources of nature throws out of balance also the lives of men." ~
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, January 24, 1935</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SEN048_R2JU/YGtFKjR9TQI/AAAAAAAA6EY/_7LwUrSFeyswbdlRN5bae-PIjr6lnjJAgCPcBGAsYHg/s3963/PXL_20210331_160307462%257E2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3963" data-original-width="2972" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SEN048_R2JU/YGtFKjR9TQI/AAAAAAAA6EY/_7LwUrSFeyswbdlRN5bae-PIjr6lnjJAgCPcBGAsYHg/w480-h640/PXL_20210331_160307462%257E2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forsythia provides a splash of yellow among the cherry trees. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Regardless of type, the cherry trees are peaking early</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> (perhaps explaining the lack of bees) </span>even in Japan where the gifted trees are from. In fact, peak bloom date for the cherry trees is trending earlier, exacerbating my concerns about climate change. If bees don't adapt to it, we
will be in serious trouble. More than we already are. The impact of
shifting bloom times on pollination – a different type of silent spring – and food security isn't talked about
enough.</span></p>What worries you about climate change? More intense
heat/cold? Catastrophic weather events? We fled Colorado because of its
extreme heat and drought. And wildfires. And snow. But now I'm freaked out about
coastal flooding. We're still at my in-laws', looking for a place of
our own. I miss having a garden and a place to put our beehives. If
you're not affected by climate change tell me! I want to move to where
𝙮𝙤𝙪 live. 💬<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-9510700621132490802021-03-15T12:55:00.028-06:002021-10-11T09:34:14.452-06:00Hive Notes for Virginia: the chorus of peepers and wood frogs announce, "It's Spring!"<p style="background-color: #d9ffdd; color: #4f2096; font-family: interstate, -apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, ubuntu, cantarell, "fira sans", "droid sans", "helvetica neue", sans-serif; font-size: 0.8em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="font-weight: bolder;">What's Blooming </span>(in order of appearance) : snowdrops, Maple trees, daffodils, crocus & common violets; boxwoods, Japanese andromeda and yew, hellebore, winter heath, forsythia, hyacinth, Callery pear trees, Cherry trees, Magnolias, eastern redbud, dogwood, azalea, rhododendron, afterwards "it's just green*"<br /></p><p>Here's what's blooming in northern Virginia or, as the locals call it, NoVA.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7x3i3dkDvlk/YF-bWoYEYtI/AAAAAAAA46Q/7w0HKYQiD10p7BPThG3aUoplXled-aBTACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/PXL_20210327_194034593.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1669" data-original-width="2048" height="522" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7x3i3dkDvlk/YF-bWoYEYtI/AAAAAAAA46Q/7w0HKYQiD10p7BPThG3aUoplXled-aBTACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h522/PXL_20210327_194034593.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 11: I quite like how daffodils look interplanted with pachysandra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7W99bkiKtg/YE5bA7FP8gI/AAAAAAAA3rk/6PvAL_o-yiMmO_kxThdjgapmdp96Ohv6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/PXL_20210312_175538465.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7W99bkiKtg/YE5bA7FP8gI/AAAAAAAA3rk/6PvAL_o-yiMmO_kxThdjgapmdp96Ohv6wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h406/PXL_20210312_175538465.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 12: Overhead, maples explode into bloom. A good source of both nectar and pollen, this is the wax flow for strong overwintered colonies.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The solstice is when the queen begins laying again, so I thought I's start planning for the year ahead. I always start my beekeeping calendar with <b>December</b>. 2020 Averages were: 53°F hi / 30°lo; Precip 6.3" (above ave) with 1" being snow. No arctic cold like we had in Colorado 😊 but 2020 was <i>way</i> wetter than normal <i>and</i> it snows here. Winter hardy pansies bloom unfazed but there are no flying days, for sure.<br /></p><p>The coldest day of the year occurs in <b>January</b>. 2021 Avg Temperatures 42 hi / 27 lo ; Precip 1.6" (above ave). In Colorado, currently enjoying 2 feet of snow as I write, there'd invariably be a 60° day to sneak a peak and check on food stores. Here the weather isn't schizophrenic; it doesn't snow as much but once it gets cold it just stays cold. (And once it warms up, it just stays warm.) Another thing I've noticed is the wind. In Colorado, we'd have wind
events. Big, blow-the-fences-over events every so often. Here, so close to the coast, the winter winds are mostly
constant or gusty. Layered with the hum of air traffic from Dulles, I'm not a fan. Bottom line, there's no opening a hive to pop in emergency feed so you better have winterized properly back in the Fall. </p><p><b>February</b>: 2021 Avg Temperatures 48 hi / 27 lo ; Precip 3.7" (above ave) with 1" being snow (<i>booo</i>). I haven't seen a honeybee since November and can't tell if I'm depressed from the lingering gloomy weather or the lingering global pandemic.</p><p><b>March</b>. Quite abruptly, Spring begins to assert itself, announced by the chorus of peepers and wood frogs. The ground must finally be thawed! Flowering bulbs, <span class="aCOpRe"><span>Japanese </span></span>andromeda, and maples of all sorts have burst into bloom. Great for the bees but my allergies are out of control! With each Puffs, I'm reminded why we left the east coast in the first place. 🤔 As with CO, I think this is when colonies die from starvation. Growing population and diminishing food stores aside, it's isolation starvation I'd worry about most. Unlike CO, there's <i>no</i> solar gain for the bees to break cluster and move about during cold spells. The stable weather is gray mixed with mostly cloudy, and it's still going below freezing overnight. Flying days do occur, though. There are beehives not far from us, 10 in the bottom photo, and there's definitely some orientation flying. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3MDG5-UKpKw/YFykoW7u2SI/AAAAAAAA4nc/3xqeeh2gnoAPCRrP5eYWdiQaSA38ytqHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_6157.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1680" data-original-width="2048" height="525" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3MDG5-UKpKw/YFykoW7u2SI/AAAAAAAA4nc/3xqeeh2gnoAPCRrP5eYWdiQaSA38ytqHQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h525/IMG_6157.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 19: Snow crocuses parade across the lawns.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcDZJ40QWeM/YF-E80ePDKI/AAAAAAAA438/HmVzrlxFrT8osZhIUt-eFxmGt7EBR5-3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_6167.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcDZJ40QWeM/YF-E80ePDKI/AAAAAAAA438/HmVzrlxFrT8osZhIUt-eFxmGt7EBR5-3ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_6167.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 20: Anubis among hellebores at Lake Anne.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aOIzQQ4fmkQ/YF982nrEq-I/AAAAAAAA43g/ZtEDOWqvR6QZF80YpOHHUcsbjTc9ujSDACLcBGAsYHQ/s1617/PXL_20210327_180901374%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1617" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aOIzQQ4fmkQ/YF982nrEq-I/AAAAAAAA43g/ZtEDOWqvR6QZF80YpOHHUcsbjTc9ujSDACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/PXL_20210327_180901374%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 27: Forsythia and Andromeda. Yeah, they bloom together but personally I wouldn't plant them together. Frankly, the landscape design around here leaves <i>much</i> to be desired.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gxbTt341l8E/YF-4mpEqYSI/AAAAAAAA48E/Rkh1Xtt6W6wtJKFHoIIxTFetQdE4OD0JQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/PXL_20210327_180531533.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gxbTt341l8E/YF-4mpEqYSI/AAAAAAAA48E/Rkh1Xtt6W6wtJKFHoIIxTFetQdE4OD0JQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/PXL_20210327_180531533.MP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the road absolutely lined with Callery Pears can't compete with the showstopping 'Royal Star' magnolia. Its pristine white floppy petals flutter in the slightest breeze to catch and hold your attention.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Projecting Forward (because a large part of a beekeeper's job is anticipating their bees' needs): </h3><p><b>April</b>: 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸 Oh, how I want to hop across the river into DC to see <i>the</i> Cherry blossoms, but the barricades from the capitol insurrection are still up. Based on this article by George Imirie, <a href="http://pinkpages.chrisbacherconsulting.com/1999_Mar_-_Retard_Swarming_By_Making_A_Split.html" target="_blank">Retard Swarming By Making A Split</a>, I'm guessing April will be the ideal time to acquire local bees from someone doing a preventive split. It'll have to be a shook swarm unless we can find a local top bar beekeeper. Doesn't matter what part of the country you're in, that's a hurdle. <b>I'll post any VA TBH resource I find for you ASAP.</b><br /></p><p></p><p>A full month ahead of Colorado, April into early <b>May</b> is <a href="http://pinkpages.chrisbacherconsulting.com/2004_May_-_Swarming_disaster.html" target="_blank">SWARM SEASON</a>, again based on Mr. Imirie's knowledgebase, so it could be a good time to re-stock the hives. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tL1bltR69Gw/YFFaU8nLaeI/AAAAAAAA32E/e881m5QhtoU5WEqiXreUti_yMEcoDCumgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/PXL_20210314_200440618.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1407" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tL1bltR69Gw/YFFaU8nLaeI/AAAAAAAA32E/e881m5QhtoU5WEqiXreUti_yMEcoDCumgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h440/PXL_20210314_200440618.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About a mile into the Pipeline Trail there is a house with 10 beehives and another with 7, including 2 nucs. We haven't met their beekeepers yet, but it's only mid-March and it looks like they're doing splits already!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><hr /><p><small>Additional Resources: https://www.jmu.edu/arboretum/whats-in-bloom/whats-in-bloom.shtml</small></p><p><small>https://carroll.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/carroll_ext_vt_edu/beekeepers_year_va_apiary.pdf</small></p><p><small>https://buzzwordhoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Northern-Virginia-Honeybee-Annual-Cycle.pdf<br /></small><br /><small>Weather almanacs: www.wunderground.com/history/monthly/us/va/chantilly/KIAD/date/2020-12</small></p><p><small>* the Channel 5 weather guy said it, and it makes me sad.<br /></small></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-44326870986968593562021-02-22T18:00:00.005-07:002021-10-11T09:45:45.280-06:00How many hives to start with. A little goes a long whey.<p style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #05a0c4; font-family: interstate, -apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, ubuntu, cantarell, "fira sans", "droid sans", "helvetica neue", sans-serif; font-size: 0.8em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="font-weight: bolder;">IN SUMMARY: Two's company. </span>Or possibly a crowd. <br />Plus read through so you don't make the same "get two hives" mistake I did.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">A little goes a long whey. </h3><p>I bought my first beehive in 2008 and the second in 2012. I treated my first hive with tung oil a couple of times but quickly gave up on it. Even when blended with citrus oil to carry it deeper into the wood, tung oil <i>stinks</i> and still doesn't last, so there was no point. Afterwards, I paid no attention to my woodenware because rotting out in Colorado with it's mere 14-inches of rain (in a <i>good</i> year) just doesn't happen. But here in the DC area with its 43-inch average and "<a href="https://statesummaries.ncics.org/img/styles/va-figure-5-1200.jpg" target="_blank">extreme precipitation events happening more frequently</a>," my hives started to mold almost on arrival. Fuzzy white mold. Polka dots of black mold. The entrance side of my top bar hive was turning black. Ugh. Something had to be done. In the photos below (taken last Fall), you can see how my cedar Warré hive and pine Top Bar Hive look before and after being coated with PolyWhey, a waterproof stain that's ideal for beehives. Don't they look great? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XAUPvlyASKI/YDRUrjjh8xI/AAAAAAAA2us/SknSZOpE7A4vDl_nbncBvRkZGUoofAQNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/2020_10_04_17_28_36_349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XAUPvlyASKI/YDRUrjjh8xI/AAAAAAAA2us/SknSZOpE7A4vDl_nbncBvRkZGUoofAQNwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/2020_10_04_17_28_36_349.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><small>Left: untreated cedar. Right: stained with PolyWhey made by <a href="http://vermontnaturalcoatings.com" target="_blank">Vermont Natural Coatings</a>, in Golden Cedar (mostly).</small><p></p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yedgbNpeWg4/YBiZHpo3jbI/AAAAAAAA2J8/og8Zh8-LsBokKuCdVVx10-6N3rEAr67EwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/vnc%2Btbh.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yedgbNpeWg4/YBiZHpo3jbI/AAAAAAAA2J8/og8Zh8-LsBokKuCdVVx10-6N3rEAr67EwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/vnc%2Btbh.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /></p><small>Left: untreated pine. Right: Brackish Brown reminds me of my childhood violin.</small><br /><p>PolyWhey is a stir-it and apply-it dream to use. It's non-toxic,
barely has an odor, and cleans up with water. There's a LOT to like
about PolyWhey, too much to write about here, and I've already not answered your question about how many hives to start with for long enough, so here's some bullet points. <br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It comes in over a dozen colors. Samples from <a href="https://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/All-Products/Paints-Coatings-Wood-Stains-Sealers/Vermont-Natural-Coatings-PolyWhey-Exterior-Penetrating-Stain-Finish?matrix=114207" target="_blank">Green Building Supply</a> are really cost effective!<br /></li><li>It penetrates the wood yet an 8-ounce sample size is plenty for a three-story hive with some left over. <br /></li><li>Water sheds off the hives <i>beautifully</i>. Time will tell how long it lasts, and I promise to update the blog when/if they need retreating.</li><li>There is a temperature/humidity window. I treated my hives back in September when the rain stopped for a hot minute in Virginia.</li></ul><h3 style="text-align: left;">A little goes a long way. <br /></h3><p><i>Finally, to answer, "How many hives to start with?"</i> If your budget only allows for one, that's how I started. It's a totally fine way to start but when my singleton swarmed it sure would've been handy to have an empty hive on hand. Especially with the recent jacked up cost of lumber, woodenware is not cheap but it is a long-lasting, good investment, so <b>buy two if you can</b> even if you can only populate one at first.<br /></p><p><b>Do not get two different hive styles</b>; that's the mistake I made. Even though both of my hives are "top bar hives," one is managed vertically and the other horizontally. The differences are enough to stymie your progress as a new beekeeper, which in turn can stymie the progress of your bees. Remember, your job first and foremost is to give the bees what they need, when they need it. In fact, it's best to anticipate their needs and have a plan in place, plus contingency plans, so their progress <i>never</i> loses momentum. That gets tricky when you're simultaneously new to bees and working different style hives. The less you're standing around scratching your head wondering what to do, the better off your bees will be. <br /></p><p>I'm realizing just now that you may be wondering about more than woodenware, and probably want to know how many <i>colonies</i> to start. Many veteran beekeepers say to start with two or even three but I don't subscribe to that, at least not for the typical backyard. The ability of the environment to handle a large bee population should not be ignored. Honeybees are not native to the US, so every colony you keep puts competitive pressure on the native pollinator population. Especially in suburban backyards, even if well planted, there are limited nectar and pollen sources for the
hundreds of native bee species with similar
dietary requirements, like bumble bees. Starting with just one or two hives limits the competition while giving you time to find your footing, and an outyard for when you're ready for more.</p><p><b>If you're already a beekeeper, how many hives or colonies did you start with? And are you a native bee keeper, too?</b><br /></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95448057582700929.post-56000323474041719522020-09-05T15:24:00.033-06:002023-08-17T12:40:37.207-06:00We sold our house and moved across the country during COVID19. And now we live in Opposite World.</>The idea of moving had been in the works for years (really since Amendment 64 passed) but we waited until our 6-lb anchor gained her furry halo before hopping on a plane. We were working with a realtor in California when the pandemic broke, derailing the 5-year plan we'd so carefully laid out. I'd always known that I'd have to come out of retirement to afford a higher cost of living, health insurance, and possibly a mortgage. But how do you get a job when businesses are shut down? Even if there was a stable job market, how does one move during a pandemic? Not just the physical moving part, could we house shop or find an apartment without being exposed to the virus? Some properties offered virtual showings but who rents or buys real estate without first stepping foot inside the place? Meanwhile, one of our driver's licenses expired as did one of the car's registration, and the DMV was shut down. (I could write a whole 'nother post on that alone.) The list of questions and pandemic-associated complications grew so long, we were paralyzed.
<h3 style="text-align: left;">And then a crazy thing happened. COVID became the catalyst that spurred us into action. </h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBD_IHghKCMNQtcukYjJevuCFneLdIS9lZRiwIuyzcFHMFPcBbC_vJ7zhN3RR_ccGl6kJh8a8zbuZamvpDkcs4byM-OQ1kABJsh2cVagmizWpZk9R6GXmT8fOC8v6VDtU7FFKDr-M7VVrHulSVCx9A1pCNZl7pOtAkyqZySzvH0g-u_avQ3_PYQtFN0g/s4032/IMG_20200822_140327.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBD_IHghKCMNQtcukYjJevuCFneLdIS9lZRiwIuyzcFHMFPcBbC_vJ7zhN3RR_ccGl6kJh8a8zbuZamvpDkcs4byM-OQ1kABJsh2cVagmizWpZk9R6GXmT8fOC8v6VDtU7FFKDr-M7VVrHulSVCx9A1pCNZl7pOtAkyqZySzvH0g-u_avQ3_PYQtFN0g/w480-h640/IMG_20200822_140327.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honeybee on crepe myrtle, neither are native to the US. Virginia is rife with nonnatives and invasives.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Had the state not been the first to legalize pot, we might still be breathing Colorado's dirty air (they don't put <i>that</i> in the brochure) and enduring the fry-or-freeze weather. But the Green Rush made our house the best investment of our lifetime (while also creating an impossible homeless problem for the Denver metro). Real estate is the obvious solution to the cash-only basis of the pot industry. The more money dumped into a house, the faster the money is laundered. Overpaying for and flipping a house became SOP, and housing prices have risen steadily since 2012, when Amendment 64 passed. Then COVID19 made it to the US in January, and the Denver metro saw a <i>meteoric</i> rise in house prices. We decided to capitalize on the situation and be one of the few sellers brave enough to risk exposure and put our house on the market. The house sold in less than a day, but we allowed additional <i>in-person</i> showings to drive up the offer. And it paid off. Hindsight is 20:20 so if you're looking to capitalize, too, and want to know what we learned, what we regret, how to avoid the things that totally sucked about selling during a pandemic, just ask!<br /></p><p>We're off to a fresh start because in addition to selling our house, we got rid of 'most everything in it <i>and</i> both our cars. If you're struggling to declutter whether to move or to just have more space, ask questions! We Ebay'd. We donated. We gifted. We recycled. We didn't quite get to how things were when we first moved in together back in '88, when we had just two nickels to rub together and everything fit into a hatchback. But we stripped the house, indeed our lives, down to fit in a 16-foot moving truck that we would load and drive ourselves. And we're proud to say we did it without using a dumpster! An enormous feat, fraught with inordinate complications, but necessary because it just doesn't make sense to tote a bunch of replaceable stuff. Especially if you plan to move again. (2022 update: unfortunately the pandemic redefined "replaceable", so give some thought to if you'd regret letting something go before letting it go. Which reminds me: don't use Let Go. It's a terrible platform.) Anyway, back to the story…<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The world is too big to spend it all in one place. </h3><p>In a split-second decision, we threw the 5-yr plan to the wind, did a 180° and decided that the right thing to do was head <i>east</i> and ride out the pandemic, or at least the winter, with family. Two weeks in, there are moments when I wonder, "Did we make a huge mistake, giving up our 🦄 home?" We went from mortgage-free DINKs with <i>no HOA</i> and our pollinator-friendly yard, to living with people I barely know, a baby, a big smelly dog, and an essentially flowerless yard. We traded sun and high UV for humidity and heat index, sunscreen for insect repellent. Drought for hummingbirds! And fireflies!! It's Opposite World here. This morning I awoke achy from a bed that's not mine – yep, we even recycled our mattress – and I nearly had a breakdown. From what we eat to what we watch on TV, I am not in control of <i>anything</i>. We still don't have a car but even if we could leave the house, it won't stop raining. Two weeks in, and I think I hate Virginia already. I think the beehives are in a semi-dry spot but my native bee hotel turned moldy. <br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/andthentheresdenver/" target="_blank">#andthentheresdenver</a></h3><p>Hottest August on record, most days ever over 95°F, and <i>both 99°F and a freeze (with snow) in the 48-hr forecast</i>. I see my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CExI3IKgKQl/" target="_blank">friends on Insta</a> stressing out about their bees and their gardens, and I <i>know</i> we did the right thing leaving Colorado. Besides, this is just a temporary home, maybe <i>really</i> temporary if we can't survive the Republican v. Democrat friction, not to mention they use <a href="https://usrtk.org/pesticides/glyphosate-in-chicken-poop-used-as-fertilizer-is-hurting-food-production-researchers-say/" target="_blank">RoundUp</a> <span class="emoji">😞</span>. Hopefully we'll knock some things off the bucket list (like ride the Blue Ridge Parkway) while figuring out where we go next. California isn't off the table but the effects of climate change there are especially alarming. I'm truly worried about the welfare of my family and the people who live there. <br /></p><p>After driving 1,700 miles across the US, we're thinking it's isn't entirely crazy to jettison the rest of our belongings (except maybe the beehives 😅) and keep heading east. Depending on how the election goes, maybe we'll cross The Pond and set up a Mediterranean apiary. Beekeeping seems hugely popular in Greece. <b>What do you think?</b></p><small>#itsallabouthebees #crapemyrtle #Lagerstroemia #beesofig #feedthepollinators #abeilles #abejas #bees #蜜蜂 #bienen #μέλισσες #TeamPixel #beesandmacro #beesandblooms #Siruimacrolens #flowersandmacro #macrolove #inbloomVA</small><div class="blogger-post-footer">We're on Instagram as @backyardbee</div>HBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.com0