On a limb with Claudia

While sitting on my neighbor’s deck, I overheard this conversation:

“Can you believe it? She actually keeps bees?” The woman said.? “She even said that she wanted to GROW her food this year.”

Was she talking about me?? I don’t know her.

“Oh, she’s ridiculous,” the other woman said.? “What does she thinks she has?? An urban farm?”

They laughed.

My neighbor whispered, “That’s not you.? They are talking about someone in Boulder.? They don’t need to know about your backyard.”

Now at least I know what to call our little project.

Here’s a little update.

Beehives:

• We have four beehives.
• One with a beautiful Zia Queenbee.
• Another that is in the process of requeening itself.
• And two swarms. The third swarm did not stay.

Gardens:

• Everything survived the last snow storm and is beginning to grow!
• We’ve planted almost everything.
• We are starting new beds because order 3 get 3 free raspberries plants meant 18 plants and not 6 as I thought.? I’d complain but come on. Who wouldn’t eat more raspberries if given the chance??
• We are still waiting for a blueberry and strawberries.? Our squash and watermelons have not come up yet but we are optimistic.

Bed 1

Bed 2

Bed 3

Hope your weekend is going well!

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Hey folks!

I’m completely wrapped up with the bees, the swarms, the garden, the husband’s comprehensive exams, and every other non-computer time thing.? I’ll return next week with something brilliant – promise!

In the meantime, TT-on!

Claudia

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Or How Claudia spent her weekend.

Love the swarms… love the swarms… love the swarms…. the phone rings and off we go.

Swarm catchers.

This swarm was in a woman’s peach tree. She lived in Central Denver and insists that this is from a feral hive. Of course, we were all over that. (Feral would mean that these bees survived the mites, the diseases, and every other thing to sit in this tree.)

This massive swarm was on our fence. (These are Italian Bees – from someone’s hive.)

The snow followed by 80 degree days cause the bees to swarm. I always say that the bees don’t like bees. But that’s a weird vague joke about Navajos that almost no one gets.

I did learn a few things about catching swarms that I would like to share with you. Michael C, at the Wonderful World of Nothing Worthwhile, shares his weekly lessons, so I thought I might share my lesson’s here.

1. Poking a swarm with a stick, or in my case a tube, is not a good thing.
2. Make sure the Bee Vac is actually vacuuming before you try to retrieve the swarm. Why? See #1.
3. When the bees line up on the bee vac? You have the queen.
4. Make sure the tube is attached to the vacuum. It works better that way.
5. Your neighbors? They are not as excited about the bee swarm as you are. When you brightly say, “I’m catching a swarm” while standing in their backyard? It doesn’t make them happy.
6. You simply cannot get all the bees. Get over it.
7. If it’s just been really really cold and now is really really hot? You should put the divider in because it’s only a matter of time before someone calls for a swarm pick up.
8. When you’re standing in some strange woman’s backyard vacuuming a tree? The neighbors will come and ask “What the hell are you doing?” They even say things like, “I’m calling the cops.” Fun fun fun.
9. No one cares how sexy you look in your usual bee outfit. Not. One. Person.

I hope you learned as much as I did. I’ll keep you posted on how these swarms do. I don’t have any brood to encourage them to stay so it’s 50/50. Last weeks swarm is already working on making a home. Yea!

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