April 21st Bee Inspection. Lookin' Good!

Big bee inspection on Monday, April 21st. Saw the queen in one hive. They were making comb in the top between the frames and the lid where we had a small shim to make enough room for a feeding bag. We should have checked on the bees weeks ago but the bad weather and some stuff going on made it difficult. The queen was in the space with a beautiful comb arrangement -- the bees own architecture. I wish I took a picture .

We got her back down into the hive and removed the comb. Some we rubber banded into a frame and put in a new nuke hive. We also put out a swarm capture hive. Hopefully, we will pick up a swarm which, if the nuke rears a queen will give us four hives this season. We'll see. But this may be our last season. The work in the bee yard was exhausting for both of us. But no stings today, thanks bee to God.

Bad News for Beekeepers!

 

The Complexity of a bee colony puts the lie to evolution!

There is no way the complex community of a beehive came about by chance and millions of small changes. Evolution is nonsense except changes within a species which isn't really "evolution" at all. Natural selection lets the best and brightest (so to speak) of a species thrive, while the weak members tend to die out. Watch the video and marvel at the complexity created by God.

 

Lovin' Our Chickens!

chickens in....

We forgot to close up the chicken coop last night. This morning our little flock were all out about roaming the yard. A quick head count found all eight well and accounted for.

I'm thanking our Camp Kreitzer guardians, St. Michael and St. Joseph for keeping the foxes and the raccoons away last night. A fox will take one off, but raccoons will kill them all even those he doesn't eat.

So the problem, since we are going out later. How to get them all back into the safety of the coop?

I proceeded to use bribery. I went to get a container full of chicken treat. When I came out of the house and started to shake the container with their treat, they come running. I always feel like the Pied Piper when I bring them their treats. And they followed me enthusiastically into their pen...except for one holdout, Pepper, who stopped at the door and decided freedom was better than treats. I tried to coax her in, but gave up after awhile and went back in the house.