Helen is milking really well giving just over 2pts every morning, I did a short video of her on the milking stand yesterday morning
As she has only three good legs, I have to hold her dodgy leg otherwise she gets it caught in the milk cluster as it jerks around a lot, she really has taken to being milked and jumps up on the stand as soon as she knows I am coming.
This weekend we will start weaning the kids overnight from Thelma and Connie then we will start milking them.
With this hot spell there is a chance the bees will swarm
swarming usually takes place mid to late afternoon,
Yesterday I got three swarm hives set up
Each hive has a swarm lure attached to the front frame, the lure is a mix of lemon balm oil and thyme and is suppose to attract the bees
There is also another lure sachet attached to the front of the hive near the entrance
One hive has been set up in the woodland field next t the willow hedge
the second one has been set up behind the barn next to a hedge
the third one in a more area up in the veg garden, all doors are facing south as bees are suppose to prefer that
yesterday evening there was scout bees checking out hive number three, fingers crossed if they swarm they will head to one of the hives.
Love to see the process. We are considering having bees in the field now we are starting to make plans for it. I'll need some protection or I'm not getting near them!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the fact that you are continually expanding your field of self sufficiency. You head must be like a sponge (no insult meant by that) learning everything you do. Brilliant absolutely brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI hope if your bees swarm they head for the new hives,I wish our neighbour at the smallholding had used those sachets to attract swarms as when her bees swarmed they always ended up in a tree somewhere inconvenient at our place!
ReplyDeleteAw, Helen is so sweet! She doesn't seem to mind at all! Great set up Dawn! :) Good luck with your hives!!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great video dawn, good bit of kit too.
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