And there it is, the old HillBilly problem that's plaguing me since 2018:
Here in WV the ribes-ban is county decision and it is still illegal to own them in 23 out of 55 counties:
https://agriculture.wv.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/WV_Blister_Rust_Quarantine.pdf
And because that is too...
From where did you got that variety? - Am trying to buy this, but always seem to slow because they sell out quickly. The two shrubs that i have are a red variant. And here, i have already digested the two bowls of gooseberry harvest from this year - late May…
The second reason why i will always keep some of the Autumn Olive shrubs it that the ducks love their berries. And its fun to watch the "mighty" drakes stretching their whole bodies as high as possible to snatch some berries.
Here in West Virginia we have at least two autumn olive blooms, the first one in early April, second one in July, and the third one in September, but those berries usually won't fully ripe.
That's the only reason why i have not completely ripped it out. - And the amount of work that would be...😊
None of my ducks ever messed with the bees, not even Blanca Duck who is hiding a black-hole in her stomach. But these five ducknagers are the sassiest - and sweetest - little devils i have ever met.
They cuddle with my legs when i am preparing their food, making sweet chirping and peeping sounds.
My Italian bees taught the Ducknagers some respect today:
First they discovered some dead bees under the hive, then they knocked at the hive-boxes and enjoyed the sudden buzzing from inside. Despite me warning and shooing them away they would come back for that new "game".
When they tried to...
Something as simple as a styrofoam board works just great:
The smaller hive receives more shade from the trees and the brood-box on top of the hive is used as a feed-box, so they won't get too hot.
In Hive #1 i have placed a shim between the outer cover and the added honey super and placed a large styrofoam board on top of the hive for additional shade during the hottest hours of the day. I also will pull out the bottom board during the day. And they will get an entrance feeder with water...
The guy from whom i bought my Russian hive told me repeatedly: »Good quality plastic is your friend! It won't rust or rot nor will it develop holes or gaps where pests can hide from the bees.«
I doubt that any commercially sold frames are still made in the USA now. And i am not so sure about...
What do you guys think about these frames, made completely out of plastic:
Apart from they are quite expensive...
https://www.betterbee.com/frames/plastic-medium-frames-each.asp
I know, but my rescue ducklings have other ideas, so have the weeds in the yard… 🤷🏻♂️ - I will take the tools and the super-parts to the duck-yard and assemble it there while the little ones meet the flock. Then i have to lock them away while dealing with some super aggressive bees.
Unfortunately i don't have a third super (yet). But i will follow your advice and add the second one - after i have assembled it, after i have done physical therapy with my rescue ducklings, after..., after... :confused:
I bit off more than i can chew this year…
I received a new honey super from Hoover-Hives today. It needs assembly which will have to wait a couple of days due to a duckling issue here but the quality of the wood looks fine to me. Everything on that box is coated in wax, the box itself, the frame-parts and the plastic foundation. And to...
So, i just received my anti-rheumatic treatment from the bees:
About a week ago i installed a nuc with russian bees and decided today would be a good day to peek inside that hive and it is looking fine. Plenty of brood in the hive box and they have started to build comb in the honey super...
Almost! - The ban on families of the ribes plant-family was introduced to protect the timber industry, because these plants may spread pine rust spores. The US government fought an outright war against currants and gooseberries in the early 1900's, including the native species: