Maggie James 836 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 6 minutes ago, Dennis Crowley said: If not you could ask the guy with the hose to um help perhaps. At the moment in this clime, I am not using a smoker. Yes - perhaps he could demist the mating nucs! Only 27 today here thank goodness. The very big trees in the front border are dying, so am in the process of bucketing 100s L water on them. Can't afford to lose any of them. Rain scheduled for 8 am has not arrived. Link to post Share on other sites
Rashika 644 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 hand watered the poor trees out the back on sunday night and gave the bees a bit of a sprinkle as well. Did the front lot last night, so far they are surviving as they are a lot more established now than a couple of years ago when i used to spend well over an hour every night, alternating between front and back, trying to give them all a litre or two. about half an hour ago there was some rain out of the sky apparently (greendale), according to my mum, just as she was going to hang our her washing... I should get her to do washing every day! Link to post Share on other sites
Maggie James 836 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Rashika said: hand watered the poor trees out the back on sunday night and gave the bees a bit of a sprinkle as well. Did the front lot last night, so far they are surviving as they are a lot more established now than a couple of years ago when i used to spend well over an hour every night, alternating between front and back, trying to give them all a litre or two. about half an hour ago there was some rain out of the sky apparently (greendale), according to my mum, just as she was going to hang our her washing... I should get her to do washing every day! If your mum is a rain breaker, she is welcome to come to Leeston and put her washing on my clothes line! Mileage not too much Greendale/Leeston. The trees in the front border are large, so I have to try and conserve them! Better go and fill another 20L bucket. Edited February 3 by Maggie James 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Rashika 644 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 4 minutes ago, Maggie James said: If your mum is a rain breaker, she is welcome to come to Leeston and put her washing on my clothes line! Mileage not too much Greendale/Leeston. The trees in the front border are large, so I have to try and conserve them! Better go and fill another 20L bucket. Ugh lugging water... I feel your pain! I remember the first couple of years here trying to bucket the water to the back, even three joined hoses wouldnt reach far enough... I got very strong! Luckily mums place has been there for a couple of years now, so have a water supply... its no fun lugging buckets around. I still have to do it to the other corner though, except when the irrigator comes past... but the norwesters tend to stop the water coming over the fence. Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 4,634 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 Hmmm .... i think i recognise the shorts... 2 Link to post Share on other sites
frazzledfozzle 7,422 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 On 2/02/2020 at 2:20 PM, BRB said: A yellow one... squish the black one ! 3 Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 6,170 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 We run our grey water into an old bath in summer. Bucketing water Jan/Feb/March is a way of life for us. Link to post Share on other sites
Maggie James 836 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 (edited) 15 hours ago, Stoney said: Crikey Maggie.. i don’t have a flash water tanker or a flash truck to put it on.. or flash fire resistant elephant grass.. but i do have lots of them orange buckets... which this time of year are filled with water and travel on the ute deck.. that and not using the smoker at all of course . Forests are closed, farm is a tinder box and a couple of scrub fires are burning fairly close to home tonight.. Here's one of my latest installations in the grafting yard. 100L water with a complete submerged three striper. These sacks are heavy; surprisingly heavy with water - I won't be waving them about! Now I know why the Australian fire service use these for beating the ground! Fortunately the grafting yard is still on some sort of flow. Don't know what, don' care - it means instead of a smoker I can use a water demister at the moment. I hope continues until the next decent downfall. Edited February 4 by Maggie James 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Markypoo 503 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 On 2/02/2020 at 12:53 PM, yesbut said: I have a little problem. I have four harvested hives. I am about to squash two Qs and combine to end up with two hives. Three Qs are nice yellow jobs, number four is a swarm Q I scored who is jet black and produces really attractive stripey/grey bees which are a rarity around here. There are no temperamental or production issues apparent. The problem is I can't decide.... Keep the black one. That way you will judge for yourself how accurate all the claims made about carnis and hybrids are. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Maggie James 836 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 9 minutes ago, Markypoo said: Keep the black one. That way you will judge for yourself how accurate all the claims made about carnis and hybrids are. I agree with others - the black one needs to be killed. Yesbut seems enamoured with Black Beauty. I suggest he stick her in a little container of formalin, enabling BB to be displayed in different places around the house, and that way he would not have to concern himself with BB's longevity. 4 Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 6,170 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 Just now, Maggie James said: Yesbut seems enamoured with Black Beauty. Not so much with Her Highness as her progeny.....she came with a significant retinue of grey/black workers, which are the bees I really like the look of. These seem to have reduced in number to the point where I haven't seen any today, the throng is now yellow/black . Still very stripey, but not stripey on grey. Link to post Share on other sites
Sailabee 1,088 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 52 minutes ago, yesbut said: Not so much with Her Highness as her progeny.....she came with a significant retinue of grey/black workers, which are the bees I really like the look of. These seem to have reduced in number to the point where I haven't seen any today, the throng is now yellow/black . Still very stripey, but not stripey on grey. That helps make the decision for you, keep the golden ones and all the beeks around you are happy, or keep BB (and you can keep believe it stands for Black Beauty all you wish) for just a percentage might be the 'right' colour. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Philbee 4,672 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 1 hour ago, yesbut said: Still very stripey, but not stripey on grey. Its indeed a sad day 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Gino de Graaf 982 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 (edited) This has been a son and father effort. Goes around corner, steep driveway. Hot dusty. Edited February 4 by Gino de Graaf 3 Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 4,634 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 What the heck.... roading project....?? Link to post Share on other sites
Gino de Graaf 982 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 Just now, jamesc said: What the heck.... roading project....?? Shame Labour not paying for it. Would have cost twice the materials if someone got paid to do it. Neighbour walked his excavator over, which was a bonus. Had an auger for holes. This is the second wall. The other was 30 meter flattish, warm up. Dug those holes tho. Hot, but beats working in rain and mud. Link to post Share on other sites
Bighands 1,033 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 4 hours ago, Maggie James said: I agree with others - the black one needs to be killed. Yesbut seems enamoured with Black Beauty. I suggest he stick her in a little container of formalin, enabling BB to be displayed in different places around the house, and that way he would not have to concern himself with BB's longevity. Why Maggie Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 6,170 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 (edited) I put the last of my oa towels in two hives this morning, one of them being the Black Q's.....which I have now rechristened the Grumpy B......you'll all be pleased to know. If I'd happened across her she would have got the pinch. As it is she's got a stay of execution until I locate my gloves. Edited February 4 by yesbut 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites
YTB8TA270 47 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 5 minutes ago, yesbut said: I put the last of my oa towels in two hives this morning, one of them being the Black Q's.....which I have now rechristened the Grumpy B......you'll all be pleased to know. If I'd happened across her she would have got the pinch. As it is she's got a stay of execution until I locate my gloves. I think youve gone soft and actually like her. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Joe B 15 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Just harvested some honey by the yesbut method.Stripped to foundation mid rib.Honey was reddish brown colour & gel like. Is this likely to be Manuka as some grows over the hill? Flavour was not too strong so may have some clover in it? Link to post Share on other sites
Maggie James 836 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 3 hours ago, yesbut said: As it is she's got a stay of execution until I locate my gloves. Guillotine BBQ (Black Beauty Queen) with yer hive tool! Don't get your gloves dirty pinching the witch. 3 hours ago, yesbut said: If I'd happened across her she would have got the pinch. As it is she's got a stay of execution until I locate my gloves. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Gwenyn Gwesty 61 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 It's only 24 at the moment. Have had to dig out my old fleece to keep me warm. The Wife said Te Puke is on total water ban, including irrigation which must hurt the kiwifruit and others. WBOP are talking about the same for us at the top end of the bay. Keep talking I say! Link to post Share on other sites
Bighands 1,033 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 7 minutes ago, Gwenyn Gwesty said: It's only 24 at the moment. Have had to dig out my old fleece to keep me warm. The Wife said Te Puke is on total water ban, including irrigation which must hurt the kiwifruit and others. WBOP are talking about the same for us at the top end of the bay. Keep talking I say! You can have some of ours with pleasure Link to post Share on other sites
Sailabee 1,088 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Some of us are just about to the stage of storm envy. Here, the cracks in the clay are real ankle breakers - I have some over 30 mm wide here. Link to post Share on other sites
Philbee 4,672 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 On 5/02/2020 at 11:24 AM, yesbut said: I put the last of my oa towels in two hives this morning, one of them being the Black Q's.....which I have now rechristened the Grumpy B......you'll all be pleased to know. If I'd happened across her she would have got the pinch. As it is she's got a stay of execution until I locate my gloves. Have you done a Mite count? Bees can get grumpy when they have Mites or when they are getting subtly robbed due to being weakened by Mites. Link to post Share on other sites
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