Millions of years of those
Tail end of June, and the tail end of the blackberry. In the valley low, its pretty much 3/4 done-I am guessing- and though its been warm until now- its suddenly cool, even cold, and cloudy. The bees are still flying in the cold- but there is a bit of rain- and I am not sure how it works with the nectar.
This year is - so far- going great with my hives I think- best they've ever done- its not 100%, and production is on a bell curve- but they seem healthy, with queens, and I haven't seen swarms. Not at all like they haven't happened- I have out-apiaries, and I am sure there has been more than a few swarms.
Which I think is a result of the last few years of marking queens-what a great thing to do! It's opened up a whole new level of understanding I think. What I am finding- and surprised about- is how often that a queen switches out- even a year old queen. That case, I think, means a the hive swarmed. But I don't know for sure-but it makes me pause. Before, I didn't know so much- if I found a queen- if I even looked for one- it didn't tell me anything. So I would assume that it was the old one- but it may very well have not been. It made me make different decisions than I make now.
Last year, I pulled off 40 gallons (1/4 ton) of "Maple" honey. I can't recall from how many hives. I think the year before, but a similar number.
This year-with some powerful hives- I pulled off....40 gallons. Same damn thing! We just sold - like a few weeks ago- that last of last year's Maple honey- and that's because when you pull it, you lay out the buckets-then pull Blackberry and stack it on top- then Knotweed- and stack that on top. So the last thing you get to, is the first thing you got. Weird. You'd think that wouldn't be a problem one would contend with-the universe would sort it out somehow. But no. Another damn thing to sort out, to get the entropy right.
As far as I am aware, right now, I have 40 colonies in health and with good, young, queens. I don't see Varroa (blind to it), but know its there, I don't see EFB as some good folks up north have suffered with, I don't see missing queens. or queenlessness. Its like this glorious window- unreal really- the shoe will drop- of course, but I get these few weeks of thinking its OK. I read that Greenland is melting, that the air is worse, that we have an idiot egomaniac for a president, and I get this short winded high of thinking the creatures under my care are having a good life. Totally absurd- I know- but a calm spot for me. When these hives go down- to EFB, or some new kid on the block, I am not sure what I'll do.
In this short window- I live in this glorious valley-green and lush and with a winding broad river- and young farmers moving in- and its the best place I have known. That it is doomed, I well know. And well on its way- nothing good in this world can survive adulation- and as the liveable places shrink-the Self Storage Facilities in beautiful places increase. Being an old guy- and invisible and inconsequential- I see the intrusions as "not a good thing"- but as I am totally disconnected from the way young people see the future- and the way social media replaces what seemed to me deeper and more meaningful communication (yet- they thrive!) - I have no idea if this is really a bad thing. Just a lost thing, and there's millions of years of those.
This year is - so far- going great with my hives I think- best they've ever done- its not 100%, and production is on a bell curve- but they seem healthy, with queens, and I haven't seen swarms. Not at all like they haven't happened- I have out-apiaries, and I am sure there has been more than a few swarms.
Which I think is a result of the last few years of marking queens-what a great thing to do! It's opened up a whole new level of understanding I think. What I am finding- and surprised about- is how often that a queen switches out- even a year old queen. That case, I think, means a the hive swarmed. But I don't know for sure-but it makes me pause. Before, I didn't know so much- if I found a queen- if I even looked for one- it didn't tell me anything. So I would assume that it was the old one- but it may very well have not been. It made me make different decisions than I make now.
Last year, I pulled off 40 gallons (1/4 ton) of "Maple" honey. I can't recall from how many hives. I think the year before, but a similar number.
This year-with some powerful hives- I pulled off....40 gallons. Same damn thing! We just sold - like a few weeks ago- that last of last year's Maple honey- and that's because when you pull it, you lay out the buckets-then pull Blackberry and stack it on top- then Knotweed- and stack that on top. So the last thing you get to, is the first thing you got. Weird. You'd think that wouldn't be a problem one would contend with-the universe would sort it out somehow. But no. Another damn thing to sort out, to get the entropy right.
As far as I am aware, right now, I have 40 colonies in health and with good, young, queens. I don't see Varroa (blind to it), but know its there, I don't see EFB as some good folks up north have suffered with, I don't see missing queens. or queenlessness. Its like this glorious window- unreal really- the shoe will drop- of course, but I get these few weeks of thinking its OK. I read that Greenland is melting, that the air is worse, that we have an idiot egomaniac for a president, and I get this short winded high of thinking the creatures under my care are having a good life. Totally absurd- I know- but a calm spot for me. When these hives go down- to EFB, or some new kid on the block, I am not sure what I'll do.
In this short window- I live in this glorious valley-green and lush and with a winding broad river- and young farmers moving in- and its the best place I have known. That it is doomed, I well know. And well on its way- nothing good in this world can survive adulation- and as the liveable places shrink-the Self Storage Facilities in beautiful places increase. Being an old guy- and invisible and inconsequential- I see the intrusions as "not a good thing"- but as I am totally disconnected from the way young people see the future- and the way social media replaces what seemed to me deeper and more meaningful communication (yet- they thrive!) - I have no idea if this is really a bad thing. Just a lost thing, and there's millions of years of those.
Do you ever teach classes on beekeeping? I am pretty sure I know where your hives are, and I just got some equipment for Christmas to start beekeeping, but not sure where to start...
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