Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Dane Bramage on July 17, 2007, 12:03:47 am
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Background (for those who don't know): this is my first season and my apiary is in Oregon adjacent wetlands.
The blackberries have 99% finished up and I was expecting a slow down so that I could harvest the unexpected surplus my bees have accumulated thus far. Not gonna happen!! The flow is just accelerating and all the supers I harvested last week are again full and mostly capped. Here are some images as a sort of pictorial documentary on the Mid July "flow that I know" (& don't know, need some help identifying some please!).
First up is this huge tropical looking tree in my driveway:
(http://i17.tinypic.com/6fjr8f6.jpg)
I love the way these flowers look, the smell is just divine and my bees must concur as they are eating this one up (tried to catch a pic of one here, upper right). What is this tree?
(http://i8.tinypic.com/6cdk1lg.jpg)
Next up is another unknown flowering tree in my yard. This one is mostly finished but the bees were all over it as well. Here is a close up of one flower:
(http://i7.tinypic.com/4pwutjs.jpg)
We're getting closer to where the actual hives are situated now. This flowering tree bush (hanging over the hives) smells just so pungent & sweet.
(http://i19.tinypic.com/4tz1rah.jpg)
I have no idea what it is (lil help pls?) but the bees are all over this one as well!
(http://i9.tinypic.com/66xbdlj.jpg)
(http://i16.tinypic.com/4pcd0uv.jpg)
(http://i11.tinypic.com/4r2r8ro.jpg)
Lastly, and this one I actually do know is the purple loosestrife.
(http://i7.tinypic.com/548t1ld.jpg)
You could see this one in the background of the previous hives pic (w/flowering overhanging tree). The wetlands are loaded (but not at all over-run) with these and I'm fairly certain this is the main part of my current nectar flow.. though there are several I did not include.. even the dandelions are still going strong here.
I'm pulling ~ 1/2+lb of this pollen from one hive/trap per day.
(http://i14.tinypic.com/631hbwo.jpg)
It is very sweet tasting and my local beek supply said it must be berry pollen. I have doubts on that (what berry is blooming now here & has dark pollen??). Anyone have pics of purple loosestrife pollen?
That's all the news to report now from my apiary. Hope you all enjoyed and anyone who has an ID on any of the flowering trees, please don't hesitate to reply.
Cheers,
Dane
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Excuse the spelling.
The first is Mimosa
The one at the hives is butterfly bush.
Can't help on the other two
doak
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Brane,
You're lucky to have so much color around your place. Years ago my bees loved mimosa but the trees don't do well here anymore - they succumb to a root fungus and you rarely see them survive after a flowering season or 2. As for the purple loosetrife, ours doesn't bloom until mid August. Hope you have a great season.
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Man, am I jealous! Hoping to get a fall flow here.
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Thanks for the kinds replies all!
& I think we've a winner on the IDs (thx Doak!) ~> Mimosa & butterfly bush.
Zoot ~> Doing a little research, I'm reading that many have experienced problems with the Mimosa. I've just this one huge tree (guessing 30' tall, bit bigger than the adjacent cherry blossoms) that was there prior to my acquiring this property, seems to be doing fine & hasn't caused any problems (no proliferation). Do you have any ID on the loosestrife pollen?
I guess my honey is going to evolve from blackberry to purple loosestrife, Mimosa, purple butterfly bush, etc.,. Should be interesting!!
Good luck, hope you get the flow going too JP!
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nice set of pics.
hmmm, Mimosa you say doak...there are many sub-species of mimosas right?
the plant just can't be tropical. i saw it in hungary last year and it truly is one of the gorgeous trees!!.
the last flower is...well i don't know what it is, but it's a swampy flower, we have lots of it here and we use it to stop diare for cattle.
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I love how beekeeping takes you into so many other interesting areas - definitely those are mimosa and butterfly bush - we have both all over Georgia, but I don't know the big pink flower.
Beekeeping leads me to more flower/tree identification, wax, weather, other insects, plants to grow in my garden, candlemaking, solar wax melting, honey for cooking, etc, etc, etc :-D
Linda T back in Atlanta
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Very nice Dane. I will be lucky to get 1 super full off each hive this year. The April freeze we had really screwed things up around here......
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Funny, my bees ignore the mimosa entirely and use the butterfly bush only in august and after as the flow diminishees and nothing else is available. Also, the bees like the white butterfly bush the most as do yellow swallowtail butterrflies during the summer and monarchs during fall migration. The white gets really big too and is a very low maitanance shrub/border planting. You can hack-it almost to the ground periodically to refresh and reshape during winter. Awesome first year.
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Mici ~> The Mimosa is Albizia julibrissin, also known as "Silk Tree".
The last flower is the only one I actually knew and is called Purple Loosestrife here. I think it is the same as the one you're familiar with as it grows in the conditions you've described and is also used as a medicinal herb.
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Dont forget to let the bees have some of that pollen. Keep the trap closed periodically. What trap are you using? Looks clean and juicy!
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Thx Kona ~> I'm going to keep collecting 100% until late season on the single hive I'm collecting. I will gauge that hive's progress against the others. FWIW I've read loads on both sides of the pollen trap argument. The trap is a top mounted Sundance II and it does allow "enough" pollen to get through. I'm looking forward to a spring feeding supplement of real pollen next year.
I've received confirmation (http://www.beesource.com/forums/showpost.php?p=223184&postcount=3) on the sweet-tasting, dark purple pollen as being from the purple loosestrife (from none other than the Sundance manufacturer himself, lol).
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they say it's ok to keep it on full time, the bees just redirect their workforce on pollen gathering, so it's not a problem, but..feeding is urmmmm appreciated.
at least check if they have enough.
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Nice Nice Nice.
The plants look awesome. One of the nice things about my travels is I get to see all the different plants that grow in different zones.
It really quite amazing. take a picture of some of your honey so we can see what that looks like.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
Currently in Kansas City airport on my way to San Fran.
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My butterfly bushes do not have nearly such dense clusters of flowers...there's quite a bit of space between them. They might be more attractive if they were full like that!
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Dane, you got some serious beautiful pictures going on there. The butterfly bush, I know as Buddleia. I think this was discussed some time ago in a forum here. I grow the white buddleia, I honestly have never seen any bees on it, I will have to take a better look one day when it blooms, which it should be doing soon.
I love the mimosa tree that you have, such pretty pink flowers. I would love to grow it around my home, I am going to touch base with our local nursery and garden forum I belong to and see if it is indigenous to my area. Gotta have it, love that tree.
Keep those pictures going Dane, and what on earth are you going to do with so darned much honey???? Lol, and gleefully at that. Have a wonderful day, keep on keepin' on. Cindi
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My butterfly bushes do not have nearly such dense clusters of flowers...there's quite a bit of space between them. They might be more attractive if they were full like that!
In the middle of winter, hack'em down to about 15-24 inches. Dont be shy, just attack. They will respond w/ renewed vigour quickly in spring. My butterfly bushes now seed like crazy b/c of the bees. I hav'em growing all over the yard this spring in places I have to mov'em from .Oh well, more work to do!
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Konasdad. I know what you mean about the bees spreading seeds. I am sure they must adhere to their legs somehow and get dropped off. I have clover growing like nothing on this earth at my place, in places where one could never dream possible. Too much seed spreading to be coincidence :) Have a wonderful day, great life. Cindi
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Thats awesome! I just planted that same type of butterfly bush, a pink variety and a yellow ball shaped flower butterfly bush. Ive noticed the bees all over the davidii butterfly bush (blue). The monarchs were all over it too. When I went up to it I noticed lots of bees. I have an old one that I didn't chop down till spring and its doing good now too. Your lucky to have the mimosa tree. Ive heard that in south america and in the middle east the mimosa is called the bee tree. It has been immortilized in mythology because of its association with bees. Mimosa trees have an alkaloid that is almost identical to human serotonin. If not mistaken, the worlds most expensive honey comes from the saudi area where there is a cult associated with the tree and the honey it produces. Mimosa trees also figure prominently in the masonic myth of hirim...but i digress...
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So Dane, after your post about your major flow, still think you won't get 112 lbs/hive this year? Sounds like you're gonna be giving it a good shot!
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=9674.msg62991#msg62991
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So Dane, after your post about your major flow, still think you won't get 112 lbs/hive this year? Sounds like you're gonna be giving it a good shot!
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=9674.msg62991#msg62991
heh! Well, I've added 10 more supers. 8-) I'll definitely have to keep up w/the accounting and see. If it were just the blackberry I'd already be done with any surplus & anything near those #'s would be a pleasant surprise indeed! The unexpected bonus is this purple loosestrife. Having no previous beek experience and being unfamiliar with all the good bee-forage plants in my area, I've been a bit concerned about the late season nectar flow. Winters are typically quite mild but can be long and wet here necessitating double 10-frame deep broods (or equiv). Having all these first year hives my primary goal was to ensure they had sufficient stores to survive (preferably THRIVE) unto Spring. The season's not through yet, but I think that has been accomplished. ;) Next year will hopefully really rock!
Thx Cindi ~> what do do with so much honey you ask? You'd be surprised (or perhaps sickened, lol) by how much honey I can eat. Smoothies every morning, blended honey-sweetened fruit juices (honey-aloe-raspberry-kombucha-lemonade, etc.,), teas, lattes, by the spoon mixed with organic raw nut butter (i.e. almond, walnut, cashew, etc.,), sauces (honey & pistachio hummus over salmon, etc.,), honey & milk b4 bed, honey for brewing the kombucha and perhaps mead & blackberry melomel if I've extra. Add all the friends, relatives and... YOU (pm me, I'll send you a sample, lol) and I think I'll soon be longing for next year's harvest. :-D
BEE C~> Your lucky to have the mimosa tree. Ive heard that in south america and in the middle east the mimosa is called the bee tree. It has been immortilized in mythology because of its association with bees. Mimosa trees have an alkaloid that is almost identical to human serotonin. If not mistaken, the worlds most expensive honey comes from the saudi area where there is a cult associated with the tree and the honey it produces. Mimosa trees also figure prominently in the masonic myth of hirim...but i digress...
Ah yes, that would be your classic Sufi Mimosa Satrori honey. Beauty leads to Love and Love to Bliss. All duality melts (in your mouth!, lol). It's a natural anti-depressant. (http://www.wizards.com/global/images/mtgcom_daily_mr226_pic2_en.jpg)
haha j/k ~> thx for the most excellent info. If I weren't in a rush I'd research that presently (truly fascinating).. but it will have to wait until after chores. Btw - I DO feel blessed and lucky for so much!! (loving life!)
Understudy ~> thx! & here's a pic of the honey harvested thus far (mainly Blackberry)
(http://i12.tinypic.com/4zd3uhh.jpg)
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Dane, you have knocked my socks off!!!! Kombucha!!! I once upon a time had the mother. I lost her. I used to drink Kombucha regularly and miss this wonderful drink. Do you know how to get the mother? I don't think it can be made, but do you have insight into this? I bet you could help me out here. Have a wonderful day, great life. I know you're lovin' this life you're livin'. Cindi
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Add Jasmine to the current nectar flow plants. I have several bushes throughout my property which are starting to bloom strong. The bees are foraging them aggressively in spite of somewhat inclement weather (bit rainy).
I am getting really curious as to what the post-blackberry honey harvest will be like: Purple Loosestrife + Mimosa + Jasmine + ??? honey should be interesting! lol. There are acres of dandelions and clover as well... seems no end to the nectar options atm.
Cindi ~> I ordered the mother online from Santa Cruz, Cali about.. hmmm.. 5 years ago now. Unsure if shipping to Canada is a viable option but, as you likely already know, once you're brewing new mushies get created and you can use this as starter culture for new batch. No local brewers who can give you one? If customs isn't an issue I could send you one.
Kombucha made with honey is goooooooooooooood!
:mrgreen:
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Never heard of Kombucha before this thread, did a lil googling and my curiousity is definitely up, will google some more. Dane, since you've been drinking it, you notice a difference? Is it just some type of mushroom you brew?
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Are you guys, like, real live Hippies?
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Greetings JP ~> Kombucha is a fermented tea that is non-alcoholic (<1%) and probiotic, as you've no doubt read by now. Probiotics are likely the main contributing factor to the reported health benefits, though there is other good stuff in there as well. Given what and how the majority of people eat and medicate, and the resulting toxicological effects, this is not surprising. I've been on a 100% living foods (non-cooked, live-enzyme) diet with many probiotic sources (yogurt, kefir, HSO supplements, gardening, etc., in addition to Kombucha) for almost 5 years now so I can't attribute any specific benefits solely to Kombucha personally. I am nearing 40 and in perfect health.
The "mushroom" is actually the culture and composed of bacteria and yeast. Brewing is a very simple procedure though there is room for creativity with different teas and sources of sugar, etc.,. I like to make a rooibos, sencha, jasmine & honey brew mostly atm though I've used a myriad of teas and blends, organic agave syrup, etc.,. Check if your local health-food store carries any of the commercial kombucha beverages available and see if it appeals to you. I like it. :)
Are you guys, like, real live Hippies?
lol! Do I look like a hippie (http://i7.tinypic.com/63h8pip.jpg)?
I'd venture more like Post Apocalyptic Renaissance men & women. Seeking out knowledge and truth where-ever it may be, self-reliant and responsible and taking complete ownership over our lives. One can not get stoned, drunk nor even have an hallucinatory out-of-body experience on kombucha. Shame that. ;)
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One can not get stoned, drunk nor even have an hallucinatory out-of-body experience on kombucha. Shame that. ;)
Bummer.
Edit:
Surfer Dude, maybe.
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Dane, when I fermented the mother, I only used black tea, I loved to drink the Kombucha. It was a staple in our diet. I don't know what happened but the mother one day went by the wayside. I think one of our foster children thought it was some kind of evil old food, living in our fridge. That was a sorry day. I will ask around, probably my cousin, who is very much into alternative lifestyles would turn me onto some of the mushroom.
As an aside, I have never seen anything in my life so ugly as the mother that the Kombucha drink is fermented from. It really does look like nothing on this earth.
Dane, if I cannot get hold of some mother in my area, I will contact customs and if it can be imported from the U.S., I will call on you to help me out here. I appreciate that you are willing to extend yourself like this.
Nope, not hippies, was "one" once upon a time, so many years ago, but these days, just people who know about some very special life enhancing alternatives. Have a wonderful day day, and enjoy our beautiful lives. Cindi
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Really awsome pics. I love taking pics of everything in the wild. Mostly the sky in late afternoon.
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"Hippie" has never been a term that anyone has applied to me, eccentric, now I have been referred to as eccentric. Usually the term is applied by those who are less willing to venture 100% down a path unknown.
Dane, I applaud your spirit, initiative, and more than anything, discipline, to live the way you do. I've tried kefir (just don't like drinking any kind of yogurt drink) My wife is diabetic, and we have the lite, organic argave, its pretty good, I prefer honey though. I shop whole foods markets a decent bit. I'm not wealthy by any means, and I like fair prices, so I pick and choose what I buy there, but I am 100% in favor of organic products, John Robbins's Diet For A New America had a big impact.
Cindi, both you and Dane have stirred the pot on this idea of Kombucha, which now, I have to check into a little more. Also, just wanted to say, I like the way the two of you think.
Ok, perhaps I do have a little hippie in me, I was raised by hippies for God's sake! :-D
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Well, Cindi and Dane, I tried Komucha, and it was nasty! Until, I added some agave syrup to it, and now I like it, very sudsy like a soft drink, but of course better for you. How often and how much do you drink it?
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Hiya JP ~> we should probably split the kombucha off into it's own thread over in general discussion (attn mods: lil help here plz). But to answer your q ~> I usually mix 8oz of kombucha (sometimes + 4oz aloe vera juice) + 8oz fruit juice (orange, etc.,) + 16oz water (or cold tea) + tablespoon of raw honey, blend thoroughly. I have this 2-3 times/day & drink quarts of water otherwise (drink 1 gal total/day). Straight kombucha is a bit strong for my palette. Which did you try? I like GT's synergy kombucha (http://www.gtskombucha.com/) fairly well (not as good as my own though).
Thanks for the kind words on your previous post! It actually does require a bit of discipline to break habits, especially bad ones! lol ~ reminds me of a book by a local (Oregon) author that approaches a living foods diet like breaking an addiction (to cooked foods) (http://www.amazon.com/12-Steps-Raw-Foods-Dependency/dp/1556436513/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-4659785-6318015?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185141966&sr=8-1). After all this time it is a fairly routine practice but the lure (of pizza!) is always there. ;)
"Let your food be your medicine" ~ Hippocrates
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Dane, the kind I bought is indeed GT's. They have different flavors and this one is blueberry, but I am enjoying it with the agave syrup as I mentioned. As Cindi would say, have a healthy day.
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JP, if you ever get a chance to "brew" Kombucha, it is an experience within itself. The mother looks like nothing on this earth, let alone her baby. I am sure that is why one of my foster kids thew the mother probably deep dark into the woods by our place. More than likely into the dark, deep ravine, to slip slide away in the little stream to who knows where. I am sure the mother has had little babies all over the place way down deep in the dark of the woods. Ooops, now I have gone to the other side, the side of embellishment.
I have no clue where mother went, but Dane has also rekindled a "love" of mine of the past. Kombucha....gotta love it, gotta love what it does to one's health.
I agree with you, Dane has an intriguing lifestyle and I admire that too. Have a wonderful day, great life, searching for mother :) Cindi
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Cindi, here's a Kombucha starter kit (http://kombucha.org/products.htm) that can be shipped outside the US. I'm going to Good Health today to buy some of the Millenium brand mentioned by Dane to try!
And Dane, just so you know, I've suffered from dane bramage for years - I love that you picked it for a nym! ;)
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Ann, wonderful, thank you for taking the time to get the site. I am firstly going to ask my cousin. It is her deceased Mother that actually gave me the mother so many years ago. She may even have this mushroom brewing in her fridge.
You made a funny, I think that I have had dane bramage for years too :roll: ;) Have a wonderful day, a beautiful life to boot. Cindi
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Cindi, here's a Kombucha starter kit (http://kombucha.org/products.htm) that can be shipped outside the US. I'm going to Good Health today to buy some of the Millenium brand mentioned by Dane to try!
And Dane, just so you know, I've suffered from dane bramage for years - I love that you picked it for a nym! ;)
OK, I'll have to give it a try. I'm a bit of a "Hoopie". In W. Va. thats what we called the long haired Rednecks that lived off the land. They weren't quite Hippies because of their politics, more like Daniel Boone types that looked and smelled like Hippies.
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If you guys are serious about health the you need to try thebestfoodever.com. What is the kombucha thing?? A tea made from a fungus??? What is the fungus made from??? I am very interested. Please respond.
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LocustHoney. Mysteries to be solved. Cindi2.
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Hi all! Thanques for all the kind words. :-D &, yes, be careful of that Cranial Trauma Dyslexia!! (it hurts!!!, lol)
Back to topic ~> this flow is just not slowing down. I harvested another 18 frames and most of it was identical to the very light incredibly aromatic honey I had previously harvested but I am also seeing (& tasting) some darker honey now. There was even one cell (& only one cell, lol) with red honey, which was interesting. Ok, onto the pics! (I thumbnailed them this time).
First up is the jasmine. I've several bushes of this (some quite large) throughout the yard and they are popular with the honeybees, bumblers, and humming birds.
<img src="http://i10.tinypic.com/4ys7zba_th" border="0"> (http://i10.tinypic.com/4ys7zba.jpg) <img src="http://i16.tinypic.com/68ktim8_th" border="0"> (http://i16.tinypic.com/68ktim8.jpg)
Next up is an unknown wildflower/weed (ID pls) which is growing fairly prolifically and very popular with the honeybees.
<img src="http://i14.tinypic.com/6gsjlm0_th" border="0"> (http://i14.tinypic.com/6gsjlm0.jpg)<img src="http://i13.tinypic.com/4m36smb_th" border="0"> (http://i13.tinypic.com/4m36smb.jpg)<img src="http://i11.tinypic.com/5zenrma_th" border="0"> (http://i11.tinypic.com/5zenrma.jpg)
Here is the Purple Loosestrife which the bees are just attacking! There's loads of this in the wetlands and it looks like it will be long/late-season flowering (hope so!).
<img src="http://i17.tinypic.com/52b89xd_th" border="0"> (http://i17.tinypic.com/52b89xd.jpg)
There's a large section of these (unknown ornamental?) flowers that are being well worked.
<img src="http://i18.tinypic.com/5x5x5d4_th" border="0"> (http://i18.tinypic.com/5x5x5d4.jpg)<img src="http://i15.tinypic.com/63ilp2c_thh" border="0"> (http://i15.tinypic.com/63ilp2c.jpg)
Lastly (for now) is another (unknown) huge flowering bush (I want to call it a tree, lol) - a good 15' tall and 10' wide loaded with big flowers that the bees seem to enjoy.
<img src="http://i17.tinypic.com/54kf08z_th" border="0"> (http://i17.tinypic.com/54kf08z.jpg)
<img src="http://i15.tinypic.com/52em6xf_th" border="0"> (http://i15.tinypic.com/52em6xf.jpg)
I've left out the clover (white & crimson) as well as dandelion and loads of other weeds/wildflowers... There's huge patches of yellow flowers on the far side of the wetlands I need to go photograph. Save those for next update. 8-)
Cheers,
Dane
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Your 'unknown ornamantal" is monarda, or bee balm. My Honeybees are never on it. The bumbles are all over it, as are hummingbirds. Can be invasive in some varities and can be used in teas. Many colors available. Some people call it bergamot. Smells nice when you rub the leaves.
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Last one looks like Rose of Sharon?
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2nd one has leaves like mint family, but never saw purple mint flowers, only white before. Bees love mint. Agree w/ rose of sharon. Another plant i have never seen bees on in my yard.
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I have whats called a sweet mint or its also a pepper mint plant, it has purple flowers , here is one like mine below
(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x236/BjornBee/Beepictures016.jpg?t=1185580630)
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Dane, what you have going on at your place is more than I could ever want to believe, it has astounded me. The second picture that you posted has a very similar look to what I grow called Phacelia Tanacetifolia. They are not the same plant, but the stamens and colour of the flowers look identical. The bees go nuts on them.
I loved your pictures, and gazed at them with astonishment, and the story that goes along with them is cool too. You have probably the biggest honey flow in the world on your property :). You are a lucky dude, yeah!!! Good for you and your bees. If the beekeepers even had a portion of what you've got going on there, the world would be a really happy place for the bees :)
Keep bringing on the pictures. Love to see them.
Ted, that is really pretty that mint flower that you posted. I have spearmint gone wild. I haven't had a chance to check its growth yet, and it has gone to the dark side. BUT....yep, my flowers all over it look similar to your mint plant flowers.
The lemonbalm is going to bloom this year. I planted it last year and it did not flower, this year all the plants are covered in buds that are going to burst into bloom any day now.
I have taken pics of alot of the bee plants out the back, just haven't had the time to post some pics, but I will be doing so one day soon. Have a wonderful day, best life. Cindi
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Thanks for the kind replies and flower IDs. :)
konasdad ~> you're correct on the monarda/bergamon/bee-balm. One of my neighbors whom I asked had mentioned that (but I forgot). I really love bergamot tea. :lol:
The "rose of sharon" is probably correct too, though these flowers don't have the large, central stamen and single-plane petal structure I see on most of the Hibiscus syriacus (e.g. ~> (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bc/Hibiscus_syriacus-2006.jpg/120px-Hibiscus_syriacus-2006.jpg)), the "blushing bride" cultivar looks quite similar.
Cindi ~> Yes, the flower color and structure of Phacelia Tanacetifolia looks very similar indeed. I'm going to collect some leaves and flowers and see if they smell minty later today.
& thanks! I do feel truly blessed and lucky to have such an ideal location. That being said, the extensive landscaping and fact that EVERYTHING GROWS here makes for a lot of work! Yesterday I spent a few hours pulling vines that had become entwined with roses and blackberries and even launched up into some trees from their arbors in a neglected part of my yard. Gah - turn your back for a moment here and you'll get overgrown! :-P
Cheers,
Dane
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I've got a load of that sweet mint Ted mentioned. The bees love it, it seems to bloom forever around here. It is invasive though, Started with a few plants from natural disimination 10 years ago and have it all over nearly a 1/2 acre.
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I think I've an ID on that "purple mint":
<img src="http://i14.tinypic.com/6gsjlm0_th" border="0"> (http://i14.tinypic.com/6gsjlm0.jpg)<img src="http://i13.tinypic.com/4m36smb_th" border="0"> (http://i13.tinypic.com/4m36smb.jpg)<img src="http://i11.tinypic.com/5zenrma_th" border="0"> (http://i11.tinypic.com/5zenrma.jpg)
& mint is the correct family. I think it's some sort of lavender (no idea which species). At least the flowers smell unmistakably of lavender (the leaves are kind of minty).
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The stem of mint and members of the mint family is square - does yours have a square stem?
Linda T in ATlanta
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Hi Linda,
"Square stems"? Hmmm, not that I noticed. Does lavender have square stems? "The Lavenders Lavandula are a genus of about 25-30 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamiaceae),...".
Are you certain that all members of the mint family have square stems? (with "210 genera and some 3,500 species" seems a lot of variety).
"The stems are frequently square in cross section, but this is not found in all members of the family, and is sometimes found in other plant families."
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Hi Linda,
"Square stems"? Hmmm, not that I noticed. Does lavender have square stems?
Yes, Lavender has square stems. "The Lavenders Lavandula are a genus of about 25-30 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamiaceae),...".
Are you certain that all members of the mint family have square stems? (with "210 genera and some 3,500 species" seems a lot of variety).
Yes, all members of the mint family have square stems.
"The stems are frequently square in cross section, but this is not found in all members of the family, and is sometimes found in other plant families."
I have yet to find a member of the mint branch of the family Lamiaceae that doesn't have square stems.
As for your plant being a lavender, it's not, there are no lavenders that have that type of leaf. A lavender scented mint, there does seem to be one, as shown here in the perennial section (http://www.jollylane.com/greenhouse_info/herbs.htm), but I have no idea what the variety name would be.
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Hi Ann,
Thank you! I think we have a winner with the lavender mint! I found a similar looking mint here "Mentha x piperita 'Citrata'" (w/lavender flowers)
(http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/827/50064618.JPG)
& the description (visual, no scent detailed) of this one (http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/menpiperitalavender.htm) fits.
Whew! What a mystery. :roll:
Regarding all mints being square stemmed, I'll have to take a closer look at this one to see if it is an exception. Maybe Wiki is lying to us! (oh the horror!!, lol!). You wrote "I have yet to find a member of the mint branch of the family Lamiaceae that doesn't have square stems.". Is not Lamiaceae the mint family? (not trying to pick nits, just trying to learn).
Thanks again!
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Afternoon, Dane!
I had some of that red honey/nectar before. I actually had several cells full, and finally determined the cause: A hummingbird feeder!!
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Regarding all mints being square stemmed, I'll have to take a closer look at this one to see if it is an exception. Maybe Wiki is lying to us! (oh the horror!!, lol!). You wrote "I have yet to find a member of the mint branch of the family Lamiaceae that doesn't have square stems.". Is not Lamiaceae the mint family? (not trying to pick nits, just trying to learn).
Thanks again!
Well, Salvias are in the Lamiaceae, so are (as you discovered) Lavenders - that's what I meant. Not all Lamiaceae members are known by the common name 'mint'.
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Possibly, catmint, catnip, one in the same? I grew catnip last year, but I think the flowers were white. Wonderful day, great life. Cindi
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Possibly, catmint, catnip, one in the same? I grew catnip last year, but I think the flowers were white. Wonderful day, great life. Cindi
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is the species catnip, it does have white flowers, mine's blooming right now. Those seedheads will be removed tout suite, or I'll have catnip everywhere!
Catmint (Nepeta x faassen is one, Nepeta siberica is taller, there are others) is in the same family but has blue flowers and, I think, is much showier. Cats will go for it, but not as voraciously as they will true catnip.
If it wasn't raining cats and dogs out there (as the scroll across the bottom of my weather station says :lol: ) I'd take pictures of them, maybe later....
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This has been a fun thread to cruise through! I'm not too far from Dane, and am in a more urban area (well, at least three of my colonies are) but it's cool to see how just a few miles can impact honey flow.
Dane, I just now came in from checking out those backyard hives. It's been a few weeks since I've given them any room, but they weren't as packed up as you and I guessed they might be. I added supers to each, though, and noted that I'll have an excellent crop of both comb and extracted honey!
My colonies out in Clackamas County are doing well, but most of them started a bit later, from bare foundation or starter strips. The starter strips get drawn and filled the fastest, but overall, that yard's been a bit slower.
Here in my neighborhood, folks are into "full-contact gardening", so there's always something blooming. My lavender plants and flowering oregano have been covered in bees, as have my mammoth gray stripes.
Interestingly, the honey in these backyard hives is bright, bright yellow. Almost flourescent. Pardon me, but "pee" from somebody who takes too many vitamins comes to mind! :-P Any idea what that could be? I didn't taste it, so can't go there. Hoping it's not all the Queen Anne's Lace, which I hear is nasty-flavored...
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Greetings all! Another gorgeous day here in the PNW for harvesting honey. 8-)
G'day Mountaineerfan ~> hummingbird feeders eh? Are you (or one of your neighbors) dyeing the sugar solution red? I've seen the red flowered and tubed feeders but did not realize people actually dye the feeder syrup (or perhaps it is sold dyed commercially). That would be disappointing (for me) - I was hoping for a natural red nectar source. I guess I can take solace in that it was just one single cell (so far).
Ann/reinbeau ~> gotchya on the common name. I'd personally had not considered lavender, salvia nor any of the other myriad genera of the family Lamiaceae as "mint". But, I'm no botanist - so please forgive my pedantic clinging to the latin classifications.
Love to see the catnip pics when/if you get the opportunity!
Hi Cindi ~> I've got some catnip just starting to flower here. Looking white so far. BTW - did you get your kombucha culture sorted?
Hi Michelle ~> a few miles can impact honey flow indeed eh? I was corresponding with a few other beek neighbors earlier in the season and was surprised at how late they had to feed, the rate of hive development, etc.,. Bees having a reported typical range off 2 miles, I think we definitely could say we deal with "nectar micro-climates".
I imagine those "full contact" (lol!) gardeners surely help! :lol:
Fluorescent yellow honey eh? Yes, that would be the Vitamin B supplement overdose honey! :shock: hahaha! I have no idea on the source of that one (sorry). Are you collecting pollen from same hives? I've found that, although not being definitive, it really helps me with identifying source nectar plants. I still am collecting the dark purple sweet pollen from the purple loosestrife but am getting a steady increase in light yellow pollen now as well. Take a taste of that stuff and report back please!!
Cheers,
Dane
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Dane, nope, no lucky on the mother. My cousin "lost" hers about a year ago, got busy with life and it wasted away. I have googled kombucha and there are some pretty interesting sites.
http://www.kombuchatea.co.uk/how-do-i-make-kombucha.asp
I am heading off to see my oldest daughter, about a 4 hour trip away and bringing back our grandsons who went up there for a visit. When I get back I am going to our local health food store, Roots, and see if they may have kombucha starter or know where I can locally get some. If not, hey, Dane, I'll check out if these organisms can be imported into Canada and maybe you can brew me a baby and send me up one ;). I'd recompensate for any postage (or maybe trade you for some of my honey :)
Have a wonderful day, best of this life we're livin'. Cindi
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Hey Dane!
Yes, I believe the "hummingbird food" that is sold with the feeders is red. At least the last batch my wife mixed up came out like that. Reminded me of kool-aid. I don't know if the color attracts the birds, or if it just lets you know when the solution is getting low. Oh well!
Have a great day!
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There is no need to buy any prepared hummingbird food, and the red dye is actually not so good for them. Boil one cup of water and add 1/4 cup sugar. Boil for one minute. Cool. The ratio is 4:1.
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I have had problems with wasps until some of my elders told me about getting rid of, or coloring red, the yellow plastic flower shapes and bee proof cages on the feeders. Now a lot of hummers and almost no wasps. The bees are getting all kinds of nectar still so they ignore the hummer food.
Is it bad to use the 1:1 mix I use for bee food?
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Yes, 1:1 is way too high a ratio, it's too rich. 4:1 is what they require.
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Ann, that is so interesting. I always thought that the hummers required a very concentrated nectar, I will have to re-think what I have always fed in the past. Good info, listening, learning. Have the wonderful day, beautiful life, with best of health. Cindi
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Harvested 2 more supers yesterday (only 18 more to go, lol). I was expecting to get that typical, darker wildflower honey but this batch is the lightest color yet. It doesn't have that explode the tastebuds fruity/floral flavour of my first harvests, but is very delicate... I need to spend some time with it to properly critique the flavour, it's subtle and nice. I'll get some side-by-side photos to compare these honeys soon.
I've read that some in my area are already putting the supers away in preparation for over-wintering. Local beek supply advised same. I'm not honey-greedy at all and definitely want my bees to thrive (w/minimal to no feeding, just like they have been) but I'm just seeing no reason to put away the supers. They are refilling them as fast as I can put them back and all their double, deep 10 frame brood chambers are packed full. There is just sooooo much still blooming I can not see any advantage to removing the supers as yet. Any thoughts?
This is turning out to be quite a bit of work! I'm going to have to figure out a better way to situate my uncapping procedure. As it is, I'm kind of hunched over so that the cappings drop into a bucket. As if I needed another torture for my spine after hauling the supers up 50 steps! :-P & I burnt my lil finger :'( - that elec. uncapping knife gets HOT! :shock: Actually - the temp does seem to fluctuate on it more than I'd prefer. I hooked it up to a voltage monitor and it's draw was really erratic and inconsistent - sometimes too cool, sometimes too hot. Oh well, once I got in the rhythm it was working Ok but I think 2 supers per session is good for me... then it's break time. 8-)
re:hummers ~> i had tried to feed them a few times at both of my places but they were only marginally interested (I did use proper sugar/water ratios, and no dyes). I'm content to just let them fight it out on the jasmine bushes... 2 of them were really quarreling today! :lol:
Back to the honey-mines!
Cheers,
Dane
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Dane, I cannot believe what is going on over at your place and the honey harvest. Every time I read something from your thread, it intrigues me and find it so interesting. I would not put the bees down for the winter yet, let them do their thing. I am thinking that you should get the amount of honey that you know they will need for the wintertime ready, maybe separately, and let them collect all they have. The only drawback to doing this may be that the fall honey may crystalize and I think that it makes it difficult for the bees to consume it. Why don't you ask Michael Bush directly about this matter? He could surely advise you.
Now Dane, something that I think that you should do soon is perform a mite count. It sounds like your bees are really healthy, but from my point of view I think that it imperative that you check out the mite numbers, if any. If there are high mite counts, you need to figure out your plan for mite control, soon. I don't know when your bees cluster down there, but if you decide to use anything like formic acid (which is my preferred method) for the fall mite kill, you must have the pads in the hive for not less than 21 days before the bees cluster for winter for it to be really effective. Bees cluster around 50 degrees, or so (I think). Anyways, some food for thought now Dane, but honestly, it is early August, and there is still lots of flow going on at your place, that is plain to see.
Here, I will be applying formic acid the first week of September, I know here I still have a good flow going on in September. I will be feeding them s.s. come this time of formic acid application. I will not take any more honey off the bees after this treatment, the rest will be for the bees. Have a wonderful day, beautiful life. Cindi
My husband got me a new laptop with Vista, and I am kind of fumbling around, don't know how it will fare with me, but I am checking it out. C.
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Thanks Cindi :-D It's been a very interesting experience for me as well! Thank you kindly for the advice. I'm with you on leaving the supers for some time yet. With all that is blooming, and the nectar obviously still coming in, it definitely does seem premature to remove them. We can add echinacea purpurea to the list of flowers here the bees enjoy (there is just a small plot of those blooming now). I also noticed a few large clover fields in bloom nearby.
(http://www.oregonclover.org/images/Red%20Clover%20Flower%20(200).jpg)
Here in the Willamette Valley, clover seed is harvested in August and September. But I don't think that my bees are venturing over there. Too many good & easier flowers closer.
Good warnings/reminder on the mites as well. I actually did treat my first 4 hives (from Nucs) in early spring with formic acid as the beek I'd purchased them from had not treated them as yet (& they did have some mites). One of these hives is my most prolific producer (4 supers full so far). I will be doing some thorough inspections in preparation for overwintering. Even though the winters are fairly mild here (seldom dip below freezing) I think I'm going to rig a tarp above the hives to keep them a little protected.
Good luck with Vista. (http://www.crn.com/white-box/201202492) I hope it's performance (slow!) doesn't drag you down too much.
Cheers,
Dane
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Formic acid treatments must be applied at least 45 days before the anticipated honeyflow. This is one of the biggest lessons we were taught in our Beekeeping I and II. Never, ever applied after that time, unless there is no anticipated honey gathering for that year. Never, never, never.
This statement is directed to anyone who keeps bees
Dane, when I look on the forum and I still see your thread going strong, I am astounded. Did you look to see how many responses and views you have had. Simply amazing!!!!! YOu have something good going on (and I bet your know it).
So....what about the eggs :-D
Our summer has been so weird. So many days of overcast, sunny, rainy days inbetween, I don't doubt the flow is strong, moisture certainly makes the plants revel in the sunshine that follows. One of the most incredible things that I have seen so far is the amount of beneficials and honeybees on what is known in layman's term, "Sea Holly", it is in the thistle family, eryngium planum. I have gazed in absolute wonder, many honeybees on each flower head. Incredible. It reminds me of the accounts of the myriads of nectar loving insects that many forum members have posted accounts of. Each locale has its own "blow ya' down" accounts of their nectar plants/flowers/shrubs/subshrubs.
What I find the most interesting of all is the (identified on our forum) is the soldier bugs (I think Robo referred to them as "love bugs"). Surely they are indeed and they are in numerous numbers. I think that they really like the shape of the flower of the thistle-type plants. Go figure!!!!! I have never, ever before saw them in such wild numbers.
Any clue what their purpose is? They surely must be some kind of beneficial. I wish that they would perform a "fight" against the yellowjacket, then my girls would not have this adversary to deal with :)
We have a wildflower that is beginning to bloom. It is in the impatiens family. Called "impatiens capensis". I have spoken of this before in different threads. It seems this wildflower grows all throughout the USA and Canada. Watch for it. It will be surfacing its beautiful orange flowers soon. It provides the late season nutrients for the honeybees. Dane, I bet you have a mountain of it on your property. Yeah!!! More nectar/pollen for your girls.
Enjoy this wonderful day, this beautiful life that we're all livin'. Cindi
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Hi Cindi,
Good reminder on the Formic acid application considerations. I only treated my first four hives (in early April) as I mentioned... approx 90 days before honey flow. I plan to do it even a bit earlier (weather permitting) next year.
This is the thread that wouldn't die eh? heh - I can let it go... I'm just waiting for the flow to stop and this thread will go with it. hahaha That being said, I harvested four more supers yesterday. The others I've examined have many frames ready and fully capped, but also some uncapped - so I am leaving them for completion. Who knows how many to go at this point. Yesterday was also my first experience with a honey-robbing, feeding frenzy... :shock: I'll move the supers directly in the garage and shut the door from now on!! lol
Attempting to categorize, I'm sort of on the 3rd harvest of the season. The first was blackberry, my favourite thus far. The flavour just explodes more than any honey I've ever had. bassman1977 has tasted a sample, perhaps he'd be kind enough to chime in with his impressions if he happens by this post. I lagged a bit on getting all of the blackberry in at once/exclusively (as much as can possibly be done anyways) and have a blackberry/wildflower/purple loosestrife mixed batch (= harvest #1.5, lol).
Then, the true 2nd flow appeared, even lighter than the blackberry (which was very light by all comparisons I've been able to make). Very sweet and delicate. I believe this to be purple loosestrife dominant, based on the pollen collected at same time but I've read that purple loosestrife honey is green and has an undesirable taste... neither are the case here.
Now the pollen and honey taste have changed again as the Canadian goldenrod is coming on strong. No longer the dark pollen of the purple loosestrife (though it is still blooming proliferately, and there is some of this pollen coming in) but the lighter golden and bright & red yellows are dominant. The honey has darkened a touch and now has a slight butterscotch flavour to it.
So this first season has been really spectacular and such an enriching experience. I think my favourite aspect is... the HONEY! :-D & I think you're 100% correct Cindi, each locale has it's own unique blend of nectar sources (I guess except for those mono-crop scenarios) which can yield some truly amazing honeys!
I'll have to do some more research on Soldier Bugs.. I'm unfamiliar with them.
impatiens capensis eh? Pretty!
(http://www.delawarewildflowers.org/impatiens_capensis.jpg)
I'll keep an eye out for them. In fact, I'm overdue for another flower photo expose' on this thread... There's quite a few flowering of which I, of course, have no clue as to their nomenclature. lol!
Cheers,
Dane
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Thought I'd add something to give the humming bird feeders on here a laugh. I had mixed a batch of feed that was with the red dye and put the left overs in a kentwood springs water bottle in the frig. The next time I went up to our property it was missing, and I asked my wife if she had seen it. She said it tasted pretty good when she drank it! Guess I will have to watch out for her next time and label the bottle. :-D
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JP, what a hoot and a hollar!!! I bet your wife just loved the sweet drink!!! he, he, he.
Dane. What on earth you got goin' on at your place? I know Ann said you live in a swamp, but it must be the swamp of all swamps. Every time you write about the amount of honey that you are getting it blows my mind!!! I'm started to wonder if you are telling tall tales (LOL). Good for you!!! Yeah!!!! You are a lucky man, and your girls are even lucker!!!!
The picture that you posted is the lovely impatiens capensis. It grows like nothing on this earth in the uncultivated parts of my property, particularly on the edge of the ravine and down behind a cabin that we have, close to the old horse paddock and barns. They like moist conditions for growing and all the run off of years of horsey poopies have made it a very nutrient rich area. It is on a lower part of our property and the moisture from higher places drains to their and it loves to grow.
I have myriads of newly germinated phacelias and borage blooming now, along with the impatiens capensis in this area, they all seem to love the moisture of this particular spot, so I have another flow going on. The beauty of the self-seeding annuals, they just keep coming and coming.
The comfrey plants I chopped down about a month and a half ago, they had grown to well over 7 feet, finished their bloom. They all grew back and bloomed again. This plant is the most beneficial for the bombus, honeybees leave it alone. Comfrey the perennial cousin to the annual borage, both have the beautiful droooping blue flowers that are great for my climate because of the moisture and rain, always lots of nectar and pollen inside the blossoms, yeah!!!! Have a wonderful day, beautiful life. Cindi
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Heh - that is funny JP! Though I imagine humming-bird feed is not a remedy for diabetics. :-\
Swamp eh? :-x Wetlands sounds better. ;) I'm unsure if my wetlands meet the definition criteria of swamp ("A swamp is wetland with more open water surface and deeper water than a marsh. In North America, it is used for wetlands dominated by trees and woody bushes rather than grasses and low herbs, but this distinction does not necessarily apply in other areas, for instance in Africa where swamps may be dominated by papyrus."). The wetlands here are on a "floodplain" with a large creek going through. They are only seasonally flooded (winter).
Here's the satellite view:
(http://i13.tinypic.com/2aiq0px.jpg)
I can walk right up to the creek without getting my shoes wet all summer but the water definitely does flood the whole area throughout the winter season. Maybe it is more of a freshwater "marsh"?
Tall tales eh? heh, no but I can try and get a harvest tally (estimate) thus far. I don't think I am anywhere close yet to the 200#/hive that I often read about. I've got 10 hives and have not harvested anything from 2 of them. I've brought in 12 supers so far, 3 from one hive and the rest mostly from my other three hives of the first 4 I started from nucs in April. To get that 200#/hive I'd have had to harvest 5+ supers from each. I'll probably get that on the top production hive (it's almost done capping the 2 supers it's got on now) but the other 3 will be 4 supers tops, the package will yield 2 (just harvested first one from this hive the other day), and the other 3 producing late-start nucs 1-2. So I'll likely finish the season with ~ 24 supers harvested if they fill and cap all they have started now. I'll keep replacing the ones I harvest - both so they can clean them up and just in case this late flow produces more surplus.
That averages out to less than 100#/hive max. Nothing to brag about from what I've read but definitely exceeded my expectations for this (starter) year. Next year though? I think there is some scary potential at this locale if I start the year with strong hives and the weather cooperates.
I guess there are some advantages to living in a swamp!
(http://www.cadetstuff.org/images/shrek.gif)
Cheers,
Dane
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Dane, I detect some anomosity, did not ever intend to bug you. You are doing great for your first year, I admire this. Can you imagine getting 200 pounds per hive? I hear of it too, and it staggers me to think that that much can be obtained from a colony. I think that you are well on your way. Wait until next year!!! yeah!!!!
I still have absolutely no clue what will come of my colonies. Our weather has been really not very good this summer. With all my aspirations this early spring.....if the weather had been similar to last year, I think that I may have harvested at least 100 pounds per hive. Hey, but one never knows, we still have a good two weeks (or more) of work for the bees. If only the rain would stop. We are donning our gumboots these days. Have a beautiful life, great day. Cindi
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Cindi, I don't see any anomosity in Dane's post, I see him as just being Dane, being very specific in answering whether or not he lives in a swamp. He was just being clear in reference to your post. :)
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JP, cool, sometimes I simply read things that are not there, get rather sensitive about some things, :) Have a wonderful day, Cindi
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Hey Cindi - any animosity was tongue-in-cheek... you know, feigning being offended for comedic effect. Now, if you start saying things like "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" - we're gonna have an on-line tussle. :lol: But, regarding the swamp/wetlands, I will make one clarification. I live next to them, not actually in them. lol
On the honey harvest - no worries there either. I just wanted to throw some actual numbers out in case it did seem like I was exaggerating. Indeed, 200#/hive seems phenomenal (& a lot of work!!) but possible.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/Shallotman/11storyhive-1.jpg)
I took a few more photos of some good blooms going on at the banks of the creek, etc., but left my usb cable at the other house. I'll download them soon and post it up here. Meanwhile, all I have is this old photo of one my relations.
(http://www.virginia.edu/insideuva/2000/32/images/creature_from_black_lagoon.jpg)
Cheers,
Dane
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Dane, holy carumba!!! Now I really hope that wasn't your Dad!!! You ativar shows you much better looking :)
Can't wait to see more of your pics. I have been held up trying to get all my pics onto my new computer, running on Vista. Haven't quite got it all ready yet, too much to do outside still.
I am annoyed that so far I can't get MS Word on my new laptop for word processing. I don't like the program that came with Vista and will probably need to buy an upgrade for my old MS word on my old laptop, that bugs the crap out of me too. Oh, oh, I think I am having a buggy day, maybe I should venture out in the rain and take some bug pictures to get the bug out :roll:
Have a wonderful day, beautiful life, Cindi
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Sorry to hijack, but Cindi, have you heard of the open source office suite called Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org)? It'll open all MS Office documents, edit them, save them, etc. Might be worth a looksee.
And Dane, that's an incredible pile of supers! I think you're just bragging :evil:
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Ann, send me a PM, I have clue what you are talking about. Cindi
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Cindi ~> I tried to warn ya about Vista. & I must take after my mother's side (heh - remember how the creature from the black lagoon always snagged some bathing beauty?)
Ann ~> that's not my pile!! lol... just put that in for "crazy stuff". 12 supers stacked?! :shock:
I'm off to uncap and spin a couple more supers, pick some of the blackberries (just ripening) and take some more photos. I'll post them up when I get back tonight. I spent quite a bit of time last night attempting to identify these late-summer blooms online and compared to the little LCD display on my cam. I think what I've identified is:
Aster - this is some sort of freshwater marsh aster that is lining the banks of the creek. Could be Almutaster pauciflorus
(http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/128x192/0000_0000/1102/0797.jpeg)
Heracleum lanatum (Cow parsnip) - this one isn't in the wetlands but is ALL OVER the sides of the roads, people's (unkempt) yards, etc., etc.,. Does anyone know if this is a good nectar producer? &, if so, what quality of honey it produces?
(http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/128x192/0000_0000/0604/0512.jpeg)(http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/128x192/0000_0000/0506/2113.jpeg)
So I can add those + three more unknowns (maybe more if I find some this afternoon, pics coming next post) to the nectar list.
Vive le miel!!! :mrgreen:
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Lets take a stroll into the wetlands, Aug 21, 2007.
<a href="http://i14.tinypic.com/508jxc7.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i14.tinypic.com/508jxc7_th[/img][/url]
Just entering and looking back, the purple loosestrife is still very much in bloom, willows are behind. Further behind still and up to the hill left is home. The apiary is to the right.
<a href="http://i18.tinypic.com/6bteyxg.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i18.tinypic.com/6bteyxg_th[/img][/url]
Down a little further North, around a huge bunch of blackberries we can see the creek.
<a href="http://i15.tinypic.com/5xzcnbn.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i15.tinypic.com/5xzcnbn_th[/img][/url]
Follow it a little further upstream
<a href="http://i10.tinypic.com/63w2hhg.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i10.tinypic.com/63w2hhg_th[/img][/url]
The creek bends to the East and continues on, but we'll stop here.
<a href="http://i14.tinypic.com/53rbih2.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i14.tinypic.com/53rbih2_th[/img][/url]
The view to the West.
So thats a bit of an overview. Now it's time for a closer look at some of whats currently flowering.
Some sort of aster?
<a href="http://i10.tinypic.com/4yzixqs.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i10.tinypic.com/4yzixqs_th[/img][/url]<a href="http://i15.tinypic.com/6h6hm5w.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i15.tinypic.com/6h6hm5w_th[/img][/url]
No idea on these, but the bees do seem to be loving them!
<a href="http://i11.tinypic.com/5y2nygo.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i11.tinypic.com/5y2nygo_th[/img][/url]<a href="http://i11.tinypic.com/4yj8hi0.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i11.tinypic.com/4yj8hi0_th[/img][/url]<a href="http://i11.tinypic.com/4zjjfhd.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i11.tinypic.com/4zjjfhd_th[/img][/url]
Unknown bunch of yellow flowers
<a href="http://i19.tinypic.com/5ytsdqb.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i19.tinypic.com/5ytsdqb_th[/img][/url]
Interesting clover, always popular with the bees.
<a href="http://i14.tinypic.com/5x6myr6.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i14.tinypic.com/5x6myr6_th[/img][/url]<a href="http://i10.tinypic.com/6cgmurq.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i10.tinypic.com/6cgmurq_th[/img][/url]
They were also foraging the white dutch clover that I found blooming close to the ground.
Here's what I'm guessing is that "cow's parsnip".
<a href="http://i16.tinypic.com/6fi31op.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i16.tinypic.com/6fi31op_th[/img][/url]
There were some of these pretty fuschia ones that are popular with the bumblers.
<a href="http://i13.tinypic.com/52x8faq.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i13.tinypic.com/52x8faq_th[/img][/url]
Whew.. that's about it for now. My assistant and I need a rest. ;)
<a href="http://i11.tinypic.com/62fpvh2.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i11.tinypic.com/62fpvh2_th[/img][/url]<a href="http://i19.tinypic.com/4l599hj.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i19.tinypic.com/4l599hj_th[/img][/url]
I'll post some macro images of the pollen being collected now. It is almost all light and bright - oranges, yellows and tans. Sweet and yummy!!
Cheers,
Dane
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Great Pictures Dane
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Dane, your thread is growing leaps and bounds!!! Look at what you have created ;)
Beautiful pictures, that stroll through the wetlands was wonderful, wish I could be there to see it, beautiful for surely.
Vista. Ah, Vista. What can you do? (probably lots if you go something different I guess). Dane I remember your comment about Vista, I listened, but nothing I could do about it. But Windows XP is not available here any longer when you purchase a new laptop, it is all Vista. According to Microsoft, XP is going, going, gone by the end of this year, unavailable, completely. Oh brother. Vista is a weird one, so completely different than XP I was running for so long. I don't like alot of the actions, stuff, but then holy crow!!! The pictures that I have downloaded yesterday onto my laptop. I have never even thought that crystal clarity could be so clear. I see things in the pictures that I can't even see in the real life. Oops. Off topic. Have a wonderful day, beautiful, beautiful life. Cindi
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Thank you both kindly. :)
Anyone have any ID on the unknown flowers? I'm at a bit of a loss on them.. especially curious about this one:
<a href="http://i11.tinypic.com/4zjjfhd.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height= alt=" border="0" height="" width="]http://i11.tinypic.com/4zjjfhd_th[/img][/url] (loads of them and seemingly good nectar producers atm)
TIA,
Dane
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Definitely a legume of the pea or bean varity by the leaf and flower configuration. Vetch looks like that but with a purple flower, edible peas have a white flower, and sweat peas have various colors on the same vine. It might be milo, a small pea type grain used in pigeon feed amoung others. Post a picture after the seed pods have developed. I remembering seeing it a lot back when I was a kid on the farm but that was over 50 years ago and my memory grows dim.
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>Anyone have any ID on the unknown flowers?
Looks like birdsfoot trefoil from what I can see.
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Hey, looks like you're both correct: birdsfoot trefoil, a legume. Thank you very much!
I found one place that offers birdsfoot trefoil honey (Ames Farm). It is reportedly very good.
(http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/images/honeysbirdsfoot.jpg)
"Birdsfoot trefoil: very light amber, strong quintessential honey aroma, sweet flavor with a hint of detergent, slight medicinal after taste."
So I think my fall nectar flow/honey is mostly purple loosestrife, birdsfoot trefoil, aster, goldenrod, and clover (best guess at diminishing order). Though the Jasmine, butterfly bush, mimosa, rose of sharon, etc., etc., are still blooming, though definitely past their peaks.
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i see bumbles, butterflies, and hummers on my rose of sharon but no honeys. didn't last year either.
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i see bumbles, butterflies, and hummers on my rose of sharon but no honeys. didn't last year either.
I guess my bees are both ravenous and promiscuous. ;)
I've been busy (harvesting honey, blackberries, "day job", etc.,) but thought I'd post a little update here with some images contrasting the three distinct honey-types harvested thus far this year.
<a href="http://i6.tinypic.com/4r71ldy.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height=]http://i6.tinypic.com/4r71ldy_th[/img][/url]
I've categorized them, from right to left, as July (Blackberry), August (Wildflower Light) & September (Wildflower Amber) harvest honeys.
I came up with a name for the apiary, designed logo and labels since last post. I decided to put "Oregon Wetlands" on the label after all. I previously had thought to not (since the bees do in fact forage all over) but I think even when naming varietals (nectar source) honey the convention seems to be a generalization, with the primary/majority nectar source being named. The bees are predominately foraging the wetlands so I thought it helpful and not inappropriate to use that in the name (I like the way it sounds too). Oh well.. a name's a name & "Would not this honey by any other name taste as sweet?" ;)
The previous image was side lit. Here's one with the sun shining through, backlit:
<a href="http://i8.tinypic.com/4pdlz82.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height=]http://i8.tinypic.com/4pdlz82_th[/img][/url]
& one last of the very light (almost watercoloured) August Wildflower honey:
<a href="http://i4.tinypic.com/52zlqvc.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height=]http://i4.tinypic.com/52zlqvc_th[/img][/url]
I plan to take some macro images of the pollen collected and match that up with their respective honeys. Next time. 8-)
Hope everyone's well and having an excellent harvest season.. or Spring, if you're down under. :-D
Cheers,
Dane
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Dane
I absolutely love your labels. Did you do this at home on your computer??? Are they water resistant???
The honey's look beautiful all different colors like that. I guess those wetlands are a paradise for bees.
You seem to be having so much fun.
Take care
Annette
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Go Dane Go!!!! Yeah!!!! Love your name. Now, when I see Oregon Wetlands on the shelf in my health food store, I can put a face to the honey and know where it came from :) Just kidding. All seriousness put aside. You have done well this year with your girls and the harvest, yeah!!!! I still read in awe when you tell us about your nectar/pollen experiences with your girls. You certainly live in a paradise for the bees. Yeah!!!!
Those pictures of the honeys were lovely, you should be proud.
I still have a strong nectar flow going on here too. The bees are very strong and going strong. What I have blooming en masse here right now is:
Anise Hyssop (perennial) (grown from cuttings this spring)
Anise hyssop (Agastache anisata) Licorice Mint Blue (annual, I think, I grew from seed)
Myriads of broccoli that I let go to flower this year because of such stressed out plants, no good for broccoli harvesting
Canary creeper vines (everywhere)
Heliotrope -- Marine cultivar
Impatiens capensis
Sea Holly (Eryngium planum) )(covered with bees and beneficials, beyond amazing)
Borage (new plants have self-seeded all summer, many still setting their blooms now)
Phacelia Tanacetifolia (new plants have self-seeded all summer, many just setting their blooms now too)
Bachelors buttons (blue cornflower)
Perennial asters that are just coming into bloom
Lobelia (crystal palace) (bees love it)
Nictotiannas (Sensation Mix, blooms stay open during the day), covered in bees
Many other annuals the bees enjoy too
That is basically what I can think of what is here for bee forage that I cultivate, other plants that I have had growing have past their time and have been cut back. All the above plants are still blooming strong and will be until at least middle of October.
One that I found the bees really really loved was the Figwort, that was covered in bees too, but only bloomed for about 3 weeks. So, I am pretty sure that my bees will have plenty of food for the wintertime, I will be starting to feed a little 2:1 s.s. soon, just to ensure high food stores, if they don't need it, they won't use it, but best "be prepared". Have a wonderful day, best of this beautiful life. Cindi
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Oops, forgot probably one of the most prolific of annuals right now, the Sunflowers, everywhere, self-seeded ones from last year and mountains that I have plant everywhere in groves. The bees go nuts on them too!!!! Covered in yellow pollen from head to toe!!! Best of this beautiful day. Cindi
(http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/4144/beesnflower2tn7.png) (http://imageshack.us)
And then the bombus, they loved the Fuller's Teasel, as much as the bees, such a beautiful plant, stood over 12 feet tall, but back the main flowers and it is in full blooming again. Amazing plant, and the dried flowers are a striking inside plant arrangement, all on their own.
(http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/681/teaselbombus2rv3.png) (http://imageshack.us)
Beautiful day, Cindi
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Cindi
Your home must also be a paradise for bees!!! Beautiful photos of those sunflowers and others. Thanks for sharing all this good info on what the bees love.
Have a great day
Annette
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Thanks Annette! I did design the labels myself (except the Archangel Apiaries logo, had help w/that) on my computer. Here's a better image of one ~> <a href="http://i18.tinypic.com/2nixn5d.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height=]http://i18.tinypic.com/2nixn5d_th[/img][/url]
This first batch I just printed off on label stock from my printer. They're not waterproof. I really wasn't expecting any surplus this year so... I'm a bit behind the 'game', as it were. I'm going to get some type of more appropriate labels made up soon.
Definitely having fun. Really fascinating stuff and I guess my little corner of the world is indeed quite conducive to honey production. 8-)
Thanks Cindi! Glad you like the name of these honeys. Maybe later, when/if I expand, I'll have some other area honeys. Yeah - look for the angel bee in a store near you! ~> (http://i2.tinypic.com/4m379lv.gif) :-D
Wow! I need to make a nectar list as well. Yours looks awesome! Plenty of room on those big sunflowers! I still have a lot of what I posted much earlier on this thread blooming; lavender mint (I'm going to clone/propagate this one) & Mimosa still strong, butterfly bush, rose of sharon and Jasmine starting to finish. I think the goldenrod, birdsfoot trefoil, purple loosestrife and aster are the major producers at the moment.
Hope the season finishes up strongly for you!
Cheers,
Dane
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your lable is very nice, but you know the only difference between a swamp and a wetland is land use laws :evil: how about oregon swamp honey?????
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your lable is very nice, but you know the only difference between a swamp and a wetland is land use laws :evil: how about oregon swamp honey?????
Use laws dictate the definition? :? I had thought it was physical characteristics that defined if a wetland's type was a swamp, marsh, moor, bog, bayou, etc., etc.,. And, seeing as how a swamp is a type of wetland, I should be all good with the legalese. ha! :lol: "Oregon swamp honey" just doesn't have a good ring to it. I do like the Florida Swamp honey though = Tupelo! :-D So how many quarts can I put you down for Kathy? ;)
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So how many quarts can I put you down for Kathy?
thats it. rub it in..... i have some left from last year, thank you.
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thats it. rub it in..... i have some left from last year, thank you.
hahaha - nahhh, I just thought you were lusting after the swamp honey. :mrgreen:
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I'm lusting after your label. Where do you plan on getting these made up into waterproof labels??? Let me know how and where you do this. I have found it to be so expensive everywhere I looked.
Thanks
Annette
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Dane, OK, I think that Oregon Wetlands is the name that you should go for. It has a beautiful connotation, depicts entirely where you live, moisture -- nectar -- that is what makes lots of honey. I am sure that dry areas provide honey, but, holy crocadoolal, nectar from wetlands!!!!! I still think that I want to sample your honies, let's try and figure out a very economical way of getting it to my place. I would be your first taster, tester -- and honesty you would receive.
I have worked really hard today to get my apiary cleaned up, (with the intention of installing the 72 hour sticky boards for mite control) (this did not happen, by the way, it took too long to make the apiary user-friendly, the area (only several inches) infront of the colonies cleaned of grass, and all the areas beside, and then mowed. It helps to keep my feet drier in ths wet climate. No gumboots yet... only a few stings when I grabbed some grass that had the older bees giving up their lives. I know that by the whollop of the sting that they gave to me. About 5 on my fingers, only one on my bicep. That one really stung hard, no swelling, no reaction, only that burning glow that is the true sign that you had a poor little girl give up her life, thinking that you were doing harm. Little did she know,I meant no harm. The girls that buzzed around, trying to find out the intruder. I fooled them, when I heard them coming on hard with their buzz, I moved narry a motion, I waited until they had gone on their merry way, still searching for this intruder, and then I began again, pulling out the grass that I know would make my life so much easier when working their hives. If only they knew, my intentions were good. Cleaning the grass short is not only to my advantage. Watch the bees when they come in for a landing, laden with nectar or pollen, or both, they often miss, they land in the grass, try to climb up the grass shoots, to get home. When I clear the longer grasses, their journey is shortened, they don't have to climb mountains to get to where they are going, they simply regain their strength -- upward they go, home. The wonderful world of our girls, the honeybee. Have a wonderful day, best of this wonderful life we are livin'. Cindi
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Hi Annette ~> there are quite a few sources for vinyl, etc., labels. I'm still shopping them for best deals (& will let you know what I find).
Hey - I like your avatar (profile pic). With that white background you can make it a gif like this ~> (http://i18.tinypic.com/5xhb7yp.gif) 8-)
Thanks Cindi ~> I agree (on the name) & it's a done deal. :-D I had looked into shipments to Canada.. I think a priority flat rate box was ~ $24, but that would only be equitable with something heavier (>1kg). We can move this to PMs to discuss more. (you DO have to try these honeys + I have kombucha 4 u) :)
Sounds like good work @ your apiary. Making the environment better for the bees. Sorry to hear you got stung. :'( I haven't been stung yet. :oops: But I always suit up when I open the hives. Not so with pollen collection or just hanging out observing however. I like to sit and watch them for long periods. It's the yellow-jackets that are pestering me now when I do this. They buzz my head sometimes and I have to curb my aggression. I want to swat them out of the air and stomp them but I figure that isn't good behaviour to exhibit around the bees (+ I may swat one of the bees by mistake). That being said, when I am not sitting I can deftly stomp loads of the YJs. Kill a bunch that are feeding on something (surely a recently killed bee), wait for reinforcements to come inspect/eat their dead... another stomp. One can make quick work of killing a good 30+ YJs in 5-10 minutes. My YJ traps are working fairly well too... I think the YJs, while quite annoying this time of year, aren't going to be a problem. I hope the YJs aren't hassling you & your hives!
Cheers,
Dane
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Dane, your vendetta against the yellowjackets is good. I am starting a new thread in the pest forum cause I have something to say.
Kombucha, yes, we will PM because I have not been able to find the mother around here. You will need to assist me with this and I thank you in advance. And I want to test your honey, I will give honest opinion. Keep on keepin' on. Best of this beautiful day. Cindi
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Dane,
Thanks for keeping me posted on the labels.
I think it is very funny how you moved me around like that. I do not know what a GIF is or what the possibilites are with it. Tell me more.
Glad you liked the photo, as a good friend posted that avatar for me. He took the photo of me and the original can be seen in the members photos section in the original form. He took out the background so the photo would stand out more and I think he did a great job. I am very happy with it.
Take care
Annette
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Here's a (brief) September update... the flow is still on. Loads of asters, birdsfoot trefoil, goldenrod, dandelions, purple loosestrife (finishing), clover, etc., etc.,. The mimosa tree is still going very strong surprisingly also - smelling sweet and very popular with the honeybees. It was windy today (& hot!), & it's a big tree, so I was only able to capture one decent image of a honeybee feeding:
<a href="http://i14.tinypic.com/66tqs7r.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height=]http://i14.tinypic.com/66tqs7r_th[/img][/url]
Directly below the mimosa tree is one batch of apparently good nectar producing flowers ~3' tall. Can anyone ID these please?
<a href="http://i15.tinypic.com/5zeqf09.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height=]http://i15.tinypic.com/5zeqf09_th[/img][/url]
<a href="http://i19.tinypic.com/6hcrhpz.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height=]http://i19.tinypic.com/6hcrhpz_th[/img][/url]
<a href="http://i4.tinypic.com/4yesbpg.jpg" target="_blank">[img width= height=]http://i4.tinypic.com/4yesbpg_th[/img][/url]
Hot, hot & exhausted am I...
Cheers,
Dane
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Dane, your photos take the breath away. Beauties, keep them coming on. Best of this beautiful day. Cindi
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That looks like Sedum spectabilis. Are the leaves succulent and greyish-green?
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Dane, I think Ann is right. Ann, I think the leaves in the photos do look that greyish-green. I have a different species, Sedum Autumn Joy in full bloom right now, I haven't noticed the bees on them, yet, probably too much other lavish stuff to forage on. I will take a picture and get it posted one day, as soon as I can figure out how to get the photos down to a size that can be put into the forum, still can't get Irfanview to size down to an acceptable size, 800 kb is as small as I can get pics without severe degredation with the pic. I am going to try a different program. I've been sleeping in too much to get time on the computer, rats!!!! Wonder if I will ever get out of the summer time sleepy times. Have a wonderful day.
Dane, take more pictures, they are so beautiful and crystal clear, astounding. Cindi
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Thanks Cindi! I'm glad you like the photos. (I'll keep taking them). :-D
Thank you Ann! Referencing all the Sedum spectabilis images online, Autumn Joy has to be it. I really appreciate all the help in ID-ing these plants as I've much more curiosity than experience. The on-line reports I've read so far state this perennial to be very popular with honeybees, which I can confirm.
Cheers,
Dane
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Nope, looked many times today. Not a single bee on my Autumn Joy Sedum. They are going nuts on the Anise Hyssop, Borage that I resowed beginning of July, Impatiens capensis, Mignonette, broccoli still flowering (cutting off the seed heads keeps promoting more broccoli flowers), Phacelia, Cosmos, the Asters, Bachelors Buttons, Sunflowers till the heaven and earth wouldn't have them, Crystal Palace Lobelia, (the Canary Creeper Vine is on its last legs), and holy carumbu, Heliotrope. A myriad more of annuals and perennials blooming. We are in what is called here "Indian Summer", hot (the high today was 29 celsius, the nights very cool), but man, is the nectar flow happening, can't say too much about the honey flow, but hopefully, the ability of the bees to process this nectar will make a great honeyflow, late, but better late than never. Have a good day, good life, good health. Cindi
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That is interesting Cindi. I checked mine again yesterday and there were no bees on it then whereas there were loads the previous day. Perhaps it's a time-of-day nectar flow thing (unsure)?
I just stumbled across some "Blue Beard" (Caryopteris x clandonensis) and think this must be what was previously identified as "Lavender mint". Check it out ~>
(http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/images/low/B900-0824050tap.jpg)
(http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/images/low/B900-0824051tap.jpg)
It's really lovely and still flowering strong this time of the season. I am going to propagate this one.
Cheers,
Dane
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Dane, maybe they sucked up all the nectar :lol:. Some plants only secrete nectar during certain times of the day like buckwheat, in the morning and late afternoon, maybe the same holds here. Lovely pictures, that Bluebeard is astounding. Best of this awesome day. Cindi