When you live on a farm in the country, sharing your space with wild creatures comes with the territory, and for the most part that is a good thing, but this year, it sometimes feels like we are at war and the wild life is winning. I guess I should be pleased that the deer …
Author Archives: rpgreen61
Swarm Catchers
The best laid plans of mice and men, or in this case beekeepers, often go awry. And when it comes to swarms, this year my bees have definitely had a mind of their own. I don’t entirely understand why they are having such a hard time sticking with the plan. I talk to them regularly …
The Buzz about Beeswax
Before I became a beekeeper, I had never done anything with beeswax, or even owned a beeswax candle. But since I started keeping bees, I have learned that beeswax is pretty amazing. Around 2-3 weeks of age, worker bees develop 4 pairs of wax producing glands on the underside of their abdomens. These glands secrete …
Chicken Chat
So far (thank goodness) we seem to have avoided any bird flu, and the ladies are thriving, and laying well. The first broody hen has long since moved back into the regular coop, leaving her three teenagers to fend for themselves in their little “private shed”. They are getting pretty big, and I have started …
Harvesting Honey
Although a couple of hives did decide to make swarm prep in June, and July, for the most part the bees are now satisfied to stay put, and are focusing on making honey. It looks to be a good honey year so far, and I am busy collecting the bounty of their work. With the …
Baby goats!
After anticipating their arrival since early June, the kids are here. It has been a bit of a rocky start, including: Today, having weathered the rough patch, the kids are thriving (and are acting like typical baby goat “jumping beans”), Mama goat is slowly getting back to normal, and I expect to be able to …
Madly multiplying bees
What a spring the bees have been having. After an exceptional winter, with 100% overwinter survival, the honey bees at Green Acres Farm continue to exceed expectations. Or maybe I should say that they have completely disregarded the bee instruction manual. My normal spring routine is to split strong hives in early May, as swarm …
Broody chicken mistakes
It all started a couple of weeks ago, when one of my hens decided she wanted to be a mother. When a hen’s mothering instinct kicks in, she “goes broody”. A broody chicken wants to sit on eggs, and once she has decided to do so, she can be pretty determined! She leaves the nest …
Swarm season
As we pass through these last crazy days of yo-yoing temperatures, I have been taking advantage of the warm days to assess my beehives. I love being back with the bees. And it is wonderful to find that this year I beat the odds. My honey bees had a great winter. Of my twenty hives, …
What to do about bird flu
I was so excited to be adding ducks this year….. but I have put that plan on hold. You may have heard that a very pathologic strain of bird flu is circulating this year. It is in Michigan, and has been detected in wild birds and in kept flocks, both commercial and backyard. What does …