Tag Archives: bees

Busy Bees

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Standing in front of 23 hives, it becomes bleedin’ obvious where the saying “busy bee” comes from. Check out this row of boxes. You can zoom in to any square centimeter and see bees. The air is thick with them. … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Chickens | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Moving the Bees

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Before we moved into the farm, the bee hives were all over the place, generally within spitting distance of the house. (Check out the vines working their way across the porch in this photo.) They simply had to be moved … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Nature | Tagged | 24 Comments

And then there were none

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Our little Chatswood apiary was incredibly productive and we adored our bees. Those girls worked their hearts out and really flourished. But, with the move to the farm and the 50 or so hives based there, we decided we’d all … Continue reading →

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Patterson’s Curse

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Until recently I knew 2 things about Patterson’s Curse (Echium plantagineum): 1) It is a noxious, introduced weed that is overrunning the grazing lands of Australia and is poisonous to some livestock. 2) It produces beautiful, small, purple flowers in … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Garden, Nature | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

They’re fine and now ready for winter

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

My bees gave me a bit of a scare recently, but all is well. Hive 1 is amazing and the workers zoom in and out as if it’s spring-time rather than autumn – with major honey stores to prove it. Hive 2 … Continue reading →

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First Season Honey Harvests

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Brag alert! This post is all about my fantastic honey harvests. I’m unashamedly blowing my own horn while modestly giving a nod to my hard-working bees who actually did all the work. To those of you who struggle with harsh … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Nature, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | 28 Comments

Pest Control

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

My chickens are good at many things. Laying eggs is the obvious one. Being down right adorable is another. The 3rd, and less often praised talent that my chooks posses, is as pest controllers. On more than one occasion, I’ve watched … Continue reading →

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Queens, Princesses, Assassinations, Coronation, Abdication and Other Royal Chaos

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

On Monday we checked our hives. Hive 1 is fine. The other 2 are a worry. The requeening of Hive 3, done 16 days prior, seems to have taken. 2 bits of evidence supporting this are: The 2 emergency cells (example … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Nature | Tagged | 14 Comments

Types of Honey

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Who knew there were so many ways to classify honey? Before I became a beekeeper, I sure didn’t! As I’ve studied more about my new hobby, I’ve discovered there are a lot of things that can be done during the production … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Garden, Nature, Sustainability | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

Feeding my bees

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

When we made the decision to requeen our swarm hive, we decided that it wouldn’t hurt to feed them a little sugar-water at the same time. Basically, feeding never hurts and just might help in pretty much any bee situation. This hive … Continue reading →

Posted in bees | Tagged , | 13 Comments