Archive for September, 2014

Fennel Attracts Bees, Butterflies. and more

Posted in Bee Video, Bee-loving flowers, Butterflies, Natural Beekeeping, Videos, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 24, 2014| 8 Comments »

We planted fennel this year to attract bees and butterflies.  We never saw the butterflies, but we spotted the caterpillars and later on the bees.

August 22, 2014...we started seeing caterpillars on the fennel.

August 22, 2014…we started seeing caterpillars on the fennel.

Caterpillars are voracious eaters. Michael Marlow has an up close video of one eating a stem. It doesn't waste any time. I started noticing my fennel branches were getting bare, then I saw the caterpillars.

Caterpillars are voracious eaters. Michael Marlow has an up close video of one eating a stem. It doesn’t waste any time. I started noticing my fennel branches were getting bare, then I saw the caterpillars.

This is could be one of the earlier stages of growth. More information about the many stages

This is could be one of the earlier stages of growth. The life cycle of the Black Swallowtail Butterflies can be found here.

Fennel can grow quite tall. This one is at least 7 ft. tall.

Fennel can grow quite tall. This one is at least 7 ft. tall.  I wonder if the chrysalis will be hidden in the undergrowth.

The honeybees have been visiting the fennel since early September.

The honeybees have been visiting the fennel since early September.  I don’t know what the insect at the top is, but it’s very colorful.  My wife thinks its a Great Golden Digger Wasp.

This shows the color of gathered pollen.

I’m happy the bees like fennel too.

The parsley muncher

October 8...more caterpillars seen last week and today. I hope to see many Swallowtail butterflies next spring.

October 8…more caterpillars seen last week and today. I hope to see many Swallowtail butterflies next spring.

 

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Following a Tree—September

Posted in Follow a tree, Tulip Tree, tagged , , , , , on September 12, 2014| 8 Comments »

September 10, 2014...Tulip tree is starting to turn color.

September 10, 2014…Tulip tree is starting to turn color.

Yep, they are definitely changing color.

Yep, the leaves are definitely changing color. According to Portland (OR) Parks and Recreation, fall foliage color is gold-yellow.  Featured is  a tulip tree that was planted in the 1890s.

Looking up into the umbrella, even those leaves are yellowing.

Looking up into the umbrella, even these leaves are yellowing.    A member of the Magnoliaceae family, these trees are native in the US, east of the Mississippi.  The record height is 200 feet (61 meters), but many grow to over 100 feet.

The seed pod is just starting to show a little browning on the tips. I never noticed the seed pods before because they are hidden in the foliage, but because of this "tree following" project, I'm pushing leaves out of the way to find them. Luckily, the pods are within reach.

The seed pod is just starting to show a little browning on the tips. I never noticed the seed pods before because they are hidden in the foliage, but because of this “tree following” project, I’m pushing leaves out of the way to find them. Luckily, the pods are within reach.

 

According to Wikipedia… “The soft, fine-grained wood of tulip trees is known as “poplar” (short for “yellow poplar”) in the U.S., but marketed abroad as “American tulipwood” or by other names. It is very widely used where a cheap, easy-to-work and stable wood is needed. The sapwood is usually a creamy off-white color. While the heartwood is usually a pale green, it can take on streaks of red, purple, or even black; depending on the extractives content (i.e. the soil conditions where the tree was grown, etc.). It is clearly the wood of choice for use in organs, due to its ability to take a fine, smooth, precisely cut finish and so to effectively seal against pipes and valves. It is also commonly used for siding clapboards. Its wood may be compared in texture, strength, and softness to white pine.

Used for interior finish of houses, for siding, for panels of carriages, for coffin boxes, pattern timber, and wooden ware. During scarcity of the better qualities of white pine, tulip wood has taken its place to some extent, particularly when very wide boards are required.[3]

It also has a reputation for being resistant to termites, and in the Upland South (and perhaps elsewhere) house and barn sills were often made of tulip poplar beams.”

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Bee Math for Bee-atrice

Posted in Log hives, Natural Beekeeping, Swarms, tagged , , , , , , , on September 8, 2014| 19 Comments »

September 8, 2014...Post swarm day 33. There's a shadow across her face. I hope that's not a bad sign, but the bee math doesn't look good for her.

September 8, 2014…Post swarm day 33. There’s a shadow across her face. I hope that’s not a bad sign, but the bee math doesn’t look good for her.

I’ve looked at various charts explaining Bee Math, but I like the way Michael Bush puts it best…”If a hive just swarmed today, how long before the new queen is laying? Assuming this was the primary swarm, it usually leaves the day the first queen cell gets capped. So that means a new queen will emerge in 8 days. That queen may leave with another swarm or the workers may allow her to kill all the others and stay. Assuming she kills all the others (which are staggered in age, so they will emerge at different times if they do afterswarm) then she should be laying most likely two weeks later. So that’s about three weeks give or take a week. (two to four weeks).”

Bee-atrice swarmed a month and two days ago.  That makes it 33 days…(well past four weeks) She had built up fast having gotten occupied by a wild swarm only two months prior on June 6, 2014.

July 27, 2014...The most advanced stage of comb building before the swarm on August 7. (I had planned to post a two month update on her strong progress, but she up and swarmed on me)

July 27, 2014…The most advanced stage of comb building before the swarm on August 7. (I had planned to post a two month update on her strong progress, but she up and swarmed on me)

 

August 8, 2014...Bee-atrice through the observation window exactly one month ago. This shows how much comb was built in the two months the wild swarm occupied her. This is the day after she had swarmed.

August 8, 2014…Bee-atrice through the observation window exactly one month ago. This shows how much comb was built in the two months the wild swarm occupied her. This is the day after she had swarmed.

August 8, 2014...Temperature holding steady at 93F.

August 8, 2014…Temperature holding steady at 93F…good for brood rearing.

September 8, 2014...And this is today. Doesn't look like any more comb has been built, The number of bees hasn't increased.

September 8, 2014…And this is today. Doesn’t look like any more comb has been built, The number of bees hasn’t increased, and…

...and this is the awful final sign that things are not going well. 62F (16C) means there is no brood being laid.

…and this is the awful final sign that things are not going well. 62F (16C) means there are no eggs being laid.

Maybe I’m wrong, but math is math, and the numbers don’t look good for Bee-atrice.

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Late Summer Blossoms

Posted in Bee to Flower relationship, Bee Video, Bee-loving flowers, Log hives, Natural Beekeeping, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 4, 2014| 8 Comments »

As soon as the nectar flow quit (blackberries), the bees started working the Phacelia. It was then that I noticed the blue pollen. I can see why they preferred blackberries...these blossoms are hard to work.

As soon as the main nectar flow quit (blackberries), the bees started working the Phacelia. It was then that I noticed the blue pollen.
I can see why they preferred blackberries…these blossoms are hard to work.

A bee works the borage in late July.

A bee works the borage in late July.  A second batch of borage has reseeded itself and will hopefully bloom during autumn.

August 22, 2014...I finally visited Barbara's Mock Orange tree. It was everything she said it was. Covered in white blossoms with bees all over it. Note: this might NOT be a Mock Orange. See below what Carol Quish of University of Connecticut had to say.

August 22, 2014…I finally visited Barbara’s Mock Orange tree. It was everything she said it was. Covered in white blossoms with bees all over it. Note: this might NOT be a Mock Orange. See below what Carol Quish of University of Connecticut had to say.

 

Two bees on Barbara's Eucryphia Tree

Two bees on Barbara’s Eucryphia Tree

August 29, 2014...When I think of summer, this is what I picture. SUNFLOWERS. Last year we had precious few. This year we grew a few more for the bees.

August 29, 2014…When I think of summer, this is what I picture. SUNFLOWERS. Last year we had precious few. This year we grew a few more for the bees.  It was hard to stay in the shop during the blue sky, bee-flying, sunny days.

September 1...I'm soooo glad I planted these Autumn Joy sedums a couple of years ago. The bees get nectar from it from late August through September. How many bees do you see? It's easier to count them in the video. When we first got the notion to buy these Autumn Joy sedums, it was mid September, 2012. My wife was unloading the potted plants and the bees found them as she was carrying them out to the garden. If you have some space, buy some right away. Your bees will thank you. :)

September 1…I’m soooo glad I planted these Autumn Joy sedums a couple of years ago. The bees get nectar from it from late August through September. How many bees do you see? It’s easier to count them in the video.
When we first got the notion to buy these Autumn Joy sedums, it was mid September, 2012. My wife was unloading the potted plants and the bees found them as she was carrying them out to the garden. If you have some space, plant some right away. Your bees will thank you. 🙂

A Ctenucha Multifaria partakes of the nectar too.

A Ctenucha Multifaria partakes of the nectar too.

 

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