Friday, May 9, 2014

Long Live the Queen(s)!

I hived the bees last Friday afternoon, and checked them today to be sure the queens had been released from their cages.  They were both out.  Hive One had eggs.  I didn't find any in Hive Two, but only looked in the top deep (yes, they each have two deeps, because I had that much built comb and honey left from the hives that died this winter.  I left them only the smallest entry, so they could defend themselves.  There has been no evidence of robbing - I think every hive in a two mile radius is probably dead.  I don't hold out much hope of catching any swarms this year, but hope springs eternal...I'll check Hive Two again on Monday for eggs.  If there are none, I'll give them a frame of eggs from Hive One and they can make themselves a queen.

The blueberries are planted.  The highbush cranberries MUST go in tomorrow, because I have sea berries and kiwi and passion flowers and I forget what else that also must go in this weekend (they arrived on Wednesday).  I will pick up more peas to plant when I get duck feed tomorrow, too, since either nothing came up, or it got eaten immediately.  I'll slap row covers on everything this time, and hope that takes care of it - it's getting mighty late to be planting peas here, and I want enough to freeze for the winter, too.

I wish I could find my Five Year Line-A-Day Journal.  I would like to have entered the sand cherries blooming last weekend, and the dates when the daffs and tulips bloomed (I can't even remember when they started).

We've had asparagus for supper three times now (Yum!), and the rhubarb in the hoop house is about ready to become rhubarb crumble.  I wish I had gotten around to moving the five plants the previous owner put in the middle of the yard (?!)

The garlic is doing well so far.  I am debating ordering some types we haven't tried yet.  It's going to be a pain tilling more space for it, though.  At least I don't have to think about that til Labor Day.

1 comment:

  1. I went back and checked my bee journal and with the exception of one or two early April swarms that seem to be very abnormal I almost never see a swarm here until Mid May and most of them come in June. SO hang on I bet you see some yet.

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