Category Archives: Natural Food Sources

First 2021 Honey Extraction

We knew we had a good amount of honey in the hives, but we were not expecting quite as much as we found yesterday. We extracted 2.5 5-gallon buckets of honey , and we still have half-capped frames in some hives. The first sourwood tree is about to burst into bloom, so if we getContinue reading “First 2021 Honey Extraction”

Sourwood Trees and Honey

Sourwood trees put on quite a show at this time of the year with their feathery white fronds of flowers, especially when the sunlight hits them just right. I spent much of last year wandering through our woods trying to find one that I can see from my desk late afternoons but never did findContinue reading “Sourwood Trees and Honey”

Fall Nectar Flow

While temperatures and humidity remain unbearably high, the fall nectar and pollen flows are on.   We’re lucky to have a spring-fed creek running along two sides of our property as our evening and night-time temperatures are lower than the local average and we have heavy dew every morning.  We’ve had a very dry week, butContinue reading “Fall Nectar Flow”

Sumac, not Devil’s Walking Stick

While checking our recent buckwheat and sunflower plantings, I noticed a plant that we’ve assumed was Devil’s Walking Stick covered in bees and other pollinators.  Most of these shrubs/trees on our land are inaccessible, but this small one is right next to a trail.   Bees were zipping from one flower to the next in aContinue reading “Sumac, not Devil’s Walking Stick”

50 Hives and Counting….

According to Hubby’s spreadsheet, 50 hives going into the spring nectar flow is the magic number at which the apiary will become financially viable, based on honey sales alone.    We weren’t there at the start of spring this year, and probably won’t harvest any more honey this year as we’re letting our hives keepContinue reading “50 Hives and Counting….”

The cucumbers are abuzz!

It’s June 9, and we’ve already surpassed May’s 3.9-inch rainfall total; most of the rain has fallen in the last three days and there is more to come.  My heart goes out to all of the people who were already living with floods and certainly did not need this rain, but at the same timeContinue reading “The cucumbers are abuzz!”