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 We (well mostly Randy) spent the past weekend getting honeybees into hives. First, we picked up two 3 lb. boxes of bees (the picture below is of one 3 lb. box), and hive parts:
Next, the hive parts that will be exposed to the elements were primed and painted. It would have been better to have this step done before picking up the bees, so they could immediately be hived, but they survived:
Hive stands were constructed to get the hives off the ground, and help protect the honeybees from predators:
The picture below shows the hive assembled – waiting for the bees. Note the “shoes” on the bottom of the [...]
Continue reading Hiving Honeybees
 Rooster 38 at 18 Weeks
The Buckeye roosters are driving us crazy with their crowing and fighting (they’re now 24 weeks old), so we need to select two roosters to keep. And, it’s important to pick the best two, because they’ll be the foundation for the flock.
I get a lot of questions about why anyone would want roosters. The first question is often, do you need roosters for eggs? And no, roosters aren’t necessary for eggs; but they are necessary for fertile eggs. That leads to one reason for keeping roosters; in our case, we’d like the hens to go [...]
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 Before we could get goats, we had to fence some pasture area; but in addition to keeping the goats in, we wanted a fenced area for the chickens, the predators needed to be kept out, and the garden needed fencing to keep out deer (the garden was being completely devastated!). Since fencing is a long term investment, it pays to do some homework and make sure it’s done right the first time. So,we had several fencing companies review the work, make suggestions, and submit bids. In the end, we went with an Amish company and fenced in three areas – two [...]
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 Getting day-old chicks and raising them is fun and rewarding; they seem to grow while you watch, and their behavior is fascinating. But they’re a lot of work too, and it’s not a job that should be taken lightly. They require frequent monitoring and care for the first five weeks, so someone needs to available every day. There are no vacations or days off during those critical first few weeks. I’ve debated over writing about the experience, it’s been written about well and often before; but there are some important concepts I never picked up on until actually doing it – so [...]
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 Adult Potato Beetle
Almost overnight, they’ve attacked our Yukon Gold potatoes, but thankfully they haven’t found the Purple Viking potatoes, peppers, eggplants, or tomatoes. Every gardener growing potatoes is likely to run into this beetle, as it’s a devastating pest of potatoes. Both the yellow, black-striped adult and the black-spotted, red larvae feed on potato leaves, and can completely consume them thereby greatly reducing tuber yields and even killing plants. The potato beetle can also be a serious pest on tomato, eggplant, and pepper; and the damage is so severe, the beetle must be controlled.
Life Cycle
Adult potato beetles overwinter in [...]
Continue reading Controlling Potato Beetles
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