Apiary Diary June 2021
- Thread starter Dansar
- Start date
Not much happening here now.
We bit the bullet and laid the crew off for ten weeks .....OMG ..... ten weeks with nothing to do, lazy mornings, endless cup of C4, keep the fire filled, sup the homebrew .....
Yeah right .
Winter. Fix the stuff we broke..... truck panels that got snarled in river rocks, broken headlights that did battle with a fence post , diff lock that siezed in river mud ..... go for a roadie with a truck full of rent honey ..... might even get time to take the Misso out for Fish'n'chips.
I have a new found mate who has a foundation making set up. Might even have a play around with that.
I know for a fact that spring will come around all to soon.
We bit the bullet and laid the crew off for ten weeks .....OMG ..... ten weeks with nothing to do, lazy mornings, endless cup of C4, keep the fire filled, sup the homebrew .....
Yeah right .
Winter. Fix the stuff we broke..... truck panels that got snarled in river rocks, broken headlights that did battle with a fence post , diff lock that siezed in river mud ..... go for a roadie with a truck full of rent honey ..... might even get time to take the Misso out for Fish'n'chips.
I have a new found mate who has a foundation making set up. Might even have a play around with that.
I know for a fact that spring will come around all to soon.
Went beekeeping yesterday and they all looked as they should so been fishing this morning and going hunting now.
its been full swing here.
hot room has been demolished. salvaged what we could to make a mechanics rooms.
builders have been busy getting prep done for concrete.
doing compressed air system at the mo, machines to repair and modify, trailers to do. the list is long.
Not much happening here either, I hurt my leg a couple of weeks ago, so I do have lazy mornings and endless cups of somethings...My sons have checked hives over the long weekend and told me to relax, keep that leg rested and drink more tea, all is good with our little darlings.
Have fun with the foundation making, we did that some years back, it's a messy job but can be rather rewarding.
Hello all
Rural Support Trust
If you have lost beehives and experienced damage to your business as a result of the latest Canterbury floods etc, the Rural Support trust would appreciate receiving a summary of your position so that the can lobby government for support of the Rural community and impacted businesses.
They advise that they have no reports from our sector, but would greatly appreciate what info can be provided as they need to build a solid picture of the devastation and cost to all involved.
The contact details are attached, please share your information.
Thanks & kind regards
Rural Support Trust
If you have lost beehives and experienced damage to your business as a result of the latest Canterbury floods etc, the Rural Support trust would appreciate receiving a summary of your position so that the can lobby government for support of the Rural community and impacted businesses.
They advise that they have no reports from our sector, but would greatly appreciate what info can be provided as they need to build a solid picture of the devastation and cost to all involved.
The contact details are attached, please share your information.
Thanks & kind regards
Absolutely fab photography JC. Surreal & beautiful
Its been a warm wet winter so far.
Looking through the window into Tahi, I have enjoyed watching them making burr comb (where the frames are a little too far apart) and then filling it with nectar.
Interestingly, I have a zucchinni on the north side of my Tangelo tree that is flowering and so far set one viable fruit, with more on the way.
Most of my free time is spent sitting and watching. I have a few bees working Broad beans, which I thought was rather odd.
Still doing the OAV's but have dropped it back to once per week now that the numbers are reasonable.
Looking through the window into Tahi, I have enjoyed watching them making burr comb (where the frames are a little too far apart) and then filling it with nectar.
Interestingly, I have a zucchinni on the north side of my Tangelo tree that is flowering and so far set one viable fruit, with more on the way.
Most of my free time is spent sitting and watching. I have a few bees working Broad beans, which I thought was rather odd.
Still doing the OAV's but have dropped it back to once per week now that the numbers are reasonable.
^ from mid-may. Went through it again on Saturday. About three frames of healthy bees, surrounded by stores. New brood in all stages, looks like it might pull through.
I also decided to do full inspections of a couple of other hives cos why not, mostly because she hadn't been through a strong hive. First hive I did everything, it's slowed down a bit, three boxes full and down to only half a dozen frames of brood. It's going to explode in spring. It was an eye-opener for her. She went through the second, did everything. All worked out fine. I've been meaning to find someone to manage these community hives when i can't be bothered, think i've succeeded.
Some days are just crappy..... rain all night, the creek came up again,,, but at least we got some bunding up.... for the nuc yard.
We've had a digger here for two days cleaning up flood damage . Ones natural reaction is to jump on in and scoop where you need to and pile the earth up in bunds to deter future water, to clean gravel out of creeks that have been diverted down tracks and washed them away....
But ...... it took a couple of weeks to get the machine here, and even then he had to clank ten k's up the road because the bridge has a weight limit on it and the low loader could'nt get through the ford .....and our window of opportunity when we were in a state of emergency had closed ..... so we had to abide by Ecan rules ..... which are basically no diggers in waterways disturbing the Eels and Mudfish.
Which give's rise to the question .... if Ecan can dictate and prosecute if we disobey the rules , then it sends a signal that they own the management of the waterways , so can pick up the digger tab, and carpet tab, and the removing their gravel from my paddocks... and can perhaps supply the Flax and Toi Toi that needs to be planted on the berms to hold them together.
And it also reinforced how important the willow is to slow the water as it rushes off the hills dragging tonnes and tonnes of gravel scouring the waterweays a metre and a half deeper.....
Oh,,,, and PS ..... the hill in the background is called Mt Etna ...... we won't even go there.
But ...... it took a couple of weeks to get the machine here, and even then he had to clank ten k's up the road because the bridge has a weight limit on it and the low loader could'nt get through the ford .....and our window of opportunity when we were in a state of emergency had closed ..... so we had to abide by Ecan rules ..... which are basically no diggers in waterways disturbing the Eels and Mudfish.
Which give's rise to the question .... if Ecan can dictate and prosecute if we disobey the rules , then it sends a signal that they own the management of the waterways , so can pick up the digger tab, and carpet tab, and the removing their gravel from my paddocks... and can perhaps supply the Flax and Toi Toi that needs to be planted on the berms to hold them together.
And it also reinforced how important the willow is to slow the water as it rushes off the hills dragging tonnes and tonnes of gravel scouring the waterweays a metre and a half deeper.....
Oh,,,, and PS ..... the hill in the background is called Mt Etna ...... we won't even go there.
Last edited:
I'll yah what .... young Mitch on that digger can make that bucket dance. The difference betwen a good digga operator and a mediocre one is that the good operator has a vision for how the job needs to look at the end.
MKM has that.
He started at 4.30 am this morning, and still had a smile on his face at sun down.
He'd probably make a good Bee keeper !
MKM has that.
He started at 4.30 am this morning, and still had a smile on his face at sun down.
He'd probably make a good Bee keeper !
Nice garden TD ..... I've always tried to grow Nastutiums here, but as fast as they grow Nana pulls them out ..... are they a nectar source ?