Honey Harvest 2013!

Many hands make light work and that is certainly the case when it comes to harvesting. We started by cutting the wax cappings off full frames of honey. A pan set into the sink provided a stable surface to work on and captured the beautiful sheets of cappings and any honey that dripped off the combs. Next, we used the capping fork to open any remaining cells the knife missed. The hand-cranked extractor holds 4 frames of honey at a time. Once we secured them in the rack, we started spinning at a steady pace until they were drained of honey. A quick flip to spin the second side of the frame and we were ready for a new batch of frames. A bucket with double filters collected the fresh honey and strained out any remaining comb.  The buckets have a handy 'gate' at the bottom which makes for easy bottling. The cappings were saved and will be melted and used for lip balms, hand salves and candles.

Sweet Beginnings Bee Farm

I posted in July about the beehives at Chicago's O'Hare airport.  These hives aren't just making honey, they are changing lives.  Click on the video link for an inspiring follow up story.

Link:
Urban Bee Farm Gives Ex-Inmates a Sweet New Start in Life

Fall Gathering

Bees were covering this Aster plant in the garden today.  It is important to provide bees with a late source of nectar and pollen. Hives have already been harvested of all the extra honey so bees are now putting up their winter stores.  Consider planting these fall bloomers to extend the season for pollinators:

• Asters
• Goldenrod
• Joe Pyeweed
• Saliva
• Sedum
• Spirea
• Sunflowers
• Zinnias

Why Bees Are Disappearing.....

Marla Spivak, a distinguished Professor of Entomology at the University of Minnesota and author of numerous books on bees explains the decline of honey bees and native pollinators in her TED talk link below.  She ends on a hopeful note....we can all rise to the challenge and embrace her  2 easy actions to help bees thrive. Our way of life depends on it.


TED talk link:  Marla Spivak - Why Bees Are Disappearing

Concourse 'Bee' at O'Hare Airport

People aren't the only flyers at Chicago's O'Hare airport these days.  In 2011, the Chicago Department of Aviation installed an airport apiary with 28 beehives. With over 1 million bees, the apiary is located in an undeveloped grassy area with brush vegetation and scrub trees. The hives are cared for in partnership with a city agency, providing valuable job experience for disadvantaged people in the local community.  Click on the link for photos and more information on this award winning idea.

Chicago O'Hare Apiary

If a bee apiary wasn't enough, the airport also has vegetable gardens in the middle of the airport!  Over 1,100 plants can be grown in the 26 aeroponic tower gardens.  Aeroponic gardening is a method of growing plants without soil.  A nutrient solution cycles through the towers, bathing the roots and supporting plant growth without the use of any fertilizers or chemicals. There is an increasing demand for Aeroponics as large parcels of agricultural land are competing with commercial development. Airport restaurants gather fresh produce such as swiss chard, basil, lettuces, peppers and herbs to prepare meals for lucky airport travelers.

O'Hare Tower Gardens

Natural Alternatives to Pesticides...

There are many factors that contribute to Colony Collapse Disorder but chief among them is pesticide use in agriculture as well as in home gardens. Many homeowners turn to pesticides because they don't know what else to do. There are many effective alternatives! Read on!

 Instead of Roundup try spraying weeds with full strength vinegar. For large patches of weeds try dousing the roots with boiling water. Here is a great link for natural alternatives including beneficial insects and recipes for natural pesticide sprays...

Pesticide Alternatives

This editorial by Clay Evans in the Daily Camera addresses the unintended consequences of spraying and use of pesticides. Click on this link for a crash course in what neonicotinoids (systemic pesticides) are doing to the environment and the toll it is taking on honeybees and native pollinators...

Evans: The Bees in the Coal Mine

Check out this healthy top bar hive in a pesticide free garden overlooking north Boulder...

Ladybugs: Our Best Defense for Aphids!

I found this little lady on a blade of grass while I was checking my native bee block yesterday and jumped for joy to see that the defenders of my garden flowers are out in force!  Seeing this ladybug reminded me that it is aphid season and sure enough, I found an abundance of aphids on the tender buds of my old-fashioned roses, 'Victorian Memory', 'William Baffin', 'Golden Wings' and 'Gertrude Jekyll'.  Happily, I found a ladybug or a ladybug larva on every rose too. It is so satisfying to know that all I really have to do is wait patiently for the predator to come to the prey in my organic garden.  So, excuse me now while I go outside and take a deep "nose-full" of some softly fragrant roses and sip some refreshing lemonade while the ladybugs work on my aphid infestation for me!

Here is a link to brand names of insecticides from the neonicotinoid class that you REALLY want to avoid:      
Help The Honey Bees

Neonicotinoids in Oregon  Here is good reason to tell your local tree or lawn care company about these insecticides.

Rosa 'Victorian Memory'