Tag Archives: beekeeping

February 24: Will You Rear Good Bees (and hens)

We have about 70 laying hens at the apiary. This past week we marked all the younger birds, those born in 2022, with leg bands so you can tell at a glance how old they are. There’s an international coding system for marking queen bees that keeps track of their age and makes them easierContinue reading “February 24: Will You Rear Good Bees (and hens)”

January 2nd: Hangry and armed with a Stinger

“The bee is domesticated but not tamed.” ~ William Longgood A week and a half ago I put out a feeder to see if the bees were hungry. Also a week and a half ago the Gulf Coast hadn’t plunged into sub-freezing temps. Though a lesser version of their summer splendor, flowers were still bloomingContinue reading “January 2nd: Hangry and armed with a Stinger”

Open 4 Biz!

Big Branch Apiary will finally open for picking this Saturday, June 4th, 2022. Today we picked blueberries in real quantities. It took three of us an hour to pick two gallons. Advertised hours have changed: we’ll open 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM Saturdays & Tuesdays. It’s highly recommended you call or text us at 985-422-0880Continue reading “Open 4 Biz!”

Pollen feed-frenzy

I can’t stress enough the value of having an experienced mentor when you take on beekeeping. I had never considered putting pollen out for our girls until prompted by my #Hivesforheroes mentor, Scott Steele. At first I put the pollen he gave me out just to be polite, so when he asked if I hadContinue reading “Pollen feed-frenzy”

Slender Ladie’s Tresses

Every day there’s a new discovery at Big Branch Apiary. Today it was a delicate, white flower found while planting Redbud saplings. This is Spiranthes lacera, also called Slender Ladie’s Tresses. There were quite a few of them dappling the forrest floor. Other abundant wildflowers now blooming are Widow’s Tears, Blue Eyed Grass, and Jack-in-the-pulpitContinue reading “Slender Ladie’s Tresses”

How to slide through a war-zone roadblock

I remember a story about how a woman imprisoned in Auschwitz was thankful for the infestation of fleas. The infestation was so bad that it kept the guards out of the barracks and as such, made the women’s lives easier. Check out this story from the Guradian’s Bethan McKernan about beekeepers in Yemen. Not onlyContinue reading “How to slide through a war-zone roadblock”