Hummmmm...doesn't look good

Monday afternoon...Veteran's Day...Sunny skies, chilly temps.  A quick look and a chance to feed the second of the three hives leaves me wondering if the design of this feeder is flawed. Must figure something out soon!  The other hives are ready for winter with honey and pollen stored by the bees.  This hive, on the other hand, is week going into November so feeding is a must. 

Early Evening in the Garden...Halloween!

Lots of great colors going on in the garden and the bees are still active.  Rain tomorrow and cooler temps headed our way so the bee activity may change. 

    

 
 



Mixed lettuce  

Chilly Temps!

Chilly temperatures this week kept the bees inside for the most part but sunshine on a chilly Saturday was too much to resist....so out came the bees one by one through the small openings of the entrance reducers placed on each hive to keep critters and cool breezes out. 

 

 

This picture was taken on October 20, on a warm Sunday afternoon.  Hive number three is the smallest in number but appears to have plenty of honey for the cool months ahead. 

Still picking zinnia's and loving this painted variety. 

Happy, Happy, Happy!

 

Bees were busy gathering pollen this weekend.  No sun, but warm temps.  Lots of activity in the apiary! Happy, happy, happy!

 

Ever Wonder What Bees do in the Winter?

Honeybees head to the hive when temperatures drop into the 50s. As the weather becomes cool, the honeybees gather in a central area of the hive and form a “winter cluster.” A winter cluster is much like a huddle you may have seen at a football game — except it lasts all winter! Bees have one main job in the winter — to take care of the queen bee. This means they must keep her safe and warm. In order to do so, worker bees surround the queen and form a cluster with their bodies. The worker bees then flutter their wings and shiver. This constant motion and continuous use of energy is how the bees keep the inside temperature of the hive warm. In order to keep shivering, the bees must have enough honey. This is how they get their energy. One of the most important jobs of the beekeeper in the winter is to make sure the honey supply stays full so the bees can keep shivering. Though the queen is always at the center of the cluster, worker bees rotate from the outside to the inside of the cluster, so no individual worker bee gets too cold. The temperature of the cluster ranges from 46 degrees at the exterior to 80 degrees at the interior. The colder the weather is outside, the more compact the cluster becomes. In order to produce body heat and stay alive, honeybees must rely on honey for energy. Some studies have found that hives of honeybees will consume up to 30 pounds of stored honey over the course of a single winter. On warmer days, bees will leave the cluster briefly in order to eliminate body waste outside the hive. Fun facts about bees: Honeybees are the only insect that produces food eaten by humans. Worker honeybees are female. The average worker bee produces only 1/12 teaspoon of honey over her lifetime. A worker bee lives about 6 weeks. The queen bee can live to be 5 years old. Honey never spoils. To make one pound of honey, bees must visit 2 million flowers.
 http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-do-bees-do-in-winter/#sthash.JfiDwEe4.dpuf

HONEY... this was DELICIOUS!

Honey-Tomato Bruschetta with Ricotta

Shared this yummy treat with neighbors!  It was great to use our honey in this recipe...it was honeylicious!

Contributed by Susan Spungen

SERVINGS: 6

In this amazing appetizer, two types of honey serve two distinct purposes: Mellow, slightly spicy clover honey intensifies the sweetness of the tangy tomatoes as they slowly roast. After the bruschetta is assembled, a drizzle of robust buckwheat honey balances the creamy ricotta cheese.

1. 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2. 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 2 tablespoons clover honey
4. 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
5. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
6. 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
7. 12 baguette slices, cut 1/2 inch thick on the bias
8. 1 cup fresh ricotta (8 ounces)
9. 1 tablespoon buckwheat or chestnut honey
10. 6 basil leaves, thinly sliced or torn

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, honey, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Scrape the tomatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and turn them cut side up. Bake the tomatoes for about 1 hour and 25 minutes, until they begin to shrivel and brown. Let cool.
2. Preheat the broiler. Spread out the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Broil for about 30 seconds on each side, until the edges are golden brown.
3. Spread the ricotta over the baguette slices and top with the slow-roasted tomatoes. Lightly drizzle the tomatoes with the buckwheat honey, sprinkle with the sliced basil and serve with additional buckwheat honey on the side.   YUM!

Make Ahead The roasted tomatoes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

 

Shades of PURPLE & GOLD!

Happy 22nd BIRTHDAY Nick and Way to Go ECU...What a wonderful weekend!

ECU 55-UNC 31 and Nick 22!

 

Spinach on the vine...lots of berries means lots of volunteer spinach plants next spring!

Lots of shades of PURPLE and GOLD in the garden for the honeybees right now.  They have a preference for the Obedient Plant and Golden Rod  but all in all there are plenty of options for the bees.  Yesterday I stood and watched the bees and it looks like they are busy storing up pollen for the winter months.   



                                                                         

Honey bees collect four substances, nectar to turn into honey for their food source, pollen as a protein source to rear the baby bees, propolis to seal crevices and coat the inside of the hive with an antimicorobrial coating, and water to mix with the baby bees' food and also to cool the hive.
 

PURPLE!
Beauty Berry

GOLD!

PURPLE!
Obedient plant

 

Marla Spivak and the Plight of the BEE

...maybe another good reason to consider being a bee keeper. :)

Honey...I SHRUNK the Hive!

A beautiful day in September and some time in the hives.  As the weather is getting cooler, it's important to make sure the hives are strong and have just enough room but not too much.  Moths and hive beetles can make a mess of things quickly if they have a chance.  Hive #1 still has a honey super on top but two and three are only 2 boxes strong.  Might take the honey super from number one in the next month...reluctant since it is full of honey and the bees need honey for the winter but think it might be creating too much room for the bees to keep at a constant temperature when winter rolls our way.

Lots and lots of larvae...just what we want to see this time of year. 

Queen of Many and oh so big!

Nothing finer than a busy QUEEN...Hive #2

Honey stores for winter.  Looking good!

Game Day Wedding Wear...Thank goodness the bride and groom are Pirates! 

Looking fine...Nick and Dave at Ethan and Rachel's wedding, Saturday, September 14. 

Had to include the over the top table arrangements...Hydrangea Happy!



Tailgate---BLACKOUT Thursday evening game.  ECU 31 FAU 13!  Arghhhhhhhhhhh!

Where Did August Go?

August in the garden means lots of VERY HUNGRY caterpillars on my parsley, Sweet 100's on the vine, Box Turtles, and Honey Bees.  August came and went quickly but while it lasted we enjoyed a nice visit with the Cipot's and Bea's at Emerald Isle, our first Pirate Football game of the season with a "W" and some time with the boys.  Life is good!

From the deck at EI...Sunset ready!

Pack Mule???? Give a girl some gym time and she thinks she Hercules! Nice work Liz!

Look who was hanging out in the garage this morning...



Creative Bees making comb from the bottom box up.  Not sure how much I squished when I put the top box back on following my inspection.



29 and Counting...

29 years and counting...so much more to do and see.  We are lucky, indeed and feeling blessed.  Things in the bee yard have been a bit rocky of late and not so great.  We discovered wax moth larvae in are strongest hive but decided to see if we could beef things up by feeding the bees to build up the colony.  It seems as if they were out of MOJO when we initially went into the hive about 2 weeks ago & the honey stores were all gone.  As of this afternoon, we are optimistic that the bees have rallied and fought off the moth. We saw fresh larvae but never spotted the queen...we are assuming we missed her and hope to spot her the next time we dive into the hive. 

August 17, 1984...oh so young!

August 18, 1984...The BIG Day!

....and 29 years later...still smiling!



Loaded Tots...this is what you get after 29 years of wedded bliss!

  


A great little place to check out downtown...lots of choices at Busy Bee Café like TOTS!



This looks like great fun...next time!  

 


 

A few shots from the garden...too much rain this year but a few highlights despite what seemed like a monsoon season.

 

Rose of Sharon with a big bumble bee...

I thought this was a Ginger Lilly but am not sure...

Shade loving plants and volunteer Impatiens

Need to read as I already devoured the cookie in honor of HONEYBEES...thanks Anne and Bill for keeping me in the know and my sweet tooth satisfied!

Something to think about...lots of grass in my yard...perhaps I should add that to a plant based way of life...not sure where the cookies would fit in here but still intrigued. 

 

 

Indulged!

An unexpected visit from a dear friend, more wonderful friends at the sea, blueberries for the picking and a few yummies from the garden.  Feeling lucky, indeed! 

 

 

 

Crisp, NC at the farm.

 

 

What's for dinner tonight?