Bees are truly incredible creatures. They have complex communication and social systems. They are hardworking, intelligent and organized. They pollinate our flowers, fruits, trees and plants. Without their hard work our gardens would not grow. They make delicious honey- a natural antibiotic and delicious vaccine for pollen allergies. We literally could not live without them.
At Olsen Farm we started keeping bees last year because of the importance of supporting pollinators and our drive to practice natural farm and gardening techniques. We have a responsibility to protect native bees by planting healthy gardens- free of chemicals and pesticides, as well as a responsibility to care for our domestic bees like any other pet.
Our colony survived the winter last year but was not able to survive the unfortunate February early thaw and sudden temperature drop. Bees are powerful and delicate, with our quickly changing climate and growing use of toxic pesticides their world is in great danger- and in consequence so is ours.
This year we have added a second hive, and are continuing our hope for the bees and all they share with us.
Here are some photos of the hive-filling process:
Prepping the smoker, dried grass makes great smoke!Chris puts on gear to protect his hands, face and arms while filling the hivePrying the lid off to remove the queen’s cageRemoving lid to expose can of sugar water queen’s cage is attached to during travelThe queen’s cage is attached by a strap that has to be pried off for removalPulling out the can and queen cageThis can is covered in bees! As soon everything else will be too…Detaching the queen’s cage from the canChris gently brushes bees off the outside of the queen’s cage and into the hive box, setting queen’s cage aside for placement laterHolding the bee package upside down over the brooding box, Chris gets ready to shake them outThe most exciting step- shaking, or tapping, three pounds of live bees into their new home. No stings to date!Chris carefully places the queen’s cage between two frames so the colony can get used to her pheromones and she can be released in a day or soGiving the colony some smoke to calm themChris carefully stacks the super on top of the brooder boxStacking on the inner narrow lidPlacing on the hive lid, or outer coverWeighing down the lid cover with a cement flatWe use a ratchet strap to secure our hive boxes together, making it more of a challenge for a bear to break them apart if ever one gets through our electric fenceHive one is live!Happy bees, already getting to work cleaning up a honey drip in their new home
Ticks are a serious problem in Berkshire County. Not a day goes by when we don’t find them on ourselves and our pets and we are always searching for ways to manage these horrible pests without the use of toxic chemicals. Our chickens and guinea fowl offer great tick control but can always use some help in their daunting task- we discovered these little helpers in praying mantids, a beneficial insect and natural predator to ticks and other small insects.
Mantids are native to our area so there is not risk of introducing one invasive species to manage another. Be sure to check your area before purchasing and releasing beneficial insects to be sure there is not risk of introducing invasive species.
Two years ago we bought a few egg sacks and hatched them in a clear cup. There are about 300 tiny mantids in each egg sack- we bought the egg sacks in late April and they hatched in early June. Hatching times may differ for different geographic areas. These tiny critters sounded like popcorn popping when they hatched and bounced off their container!
Be sure to release the tiny mantids soon after hatching to avoid cannibalism. Praying mantids are carnivorous and do not discriminate from their own species. When releasing mantids you can sprinkle them in the garden, on plants and trees and off ground level. Ants are predators to tiny mantid hatchlings and will take advantage of any babies they find on the ground.
Mantis babies are itty bitty and a light brown color. They turn the bright green as they mature in order to blend in with the vegetation they hide in.
You can keep a mantis or two as pets but they must be separated or they will eat one another. It can be a challenge to catch insects small enough for them to eat, ants will eat baby mantids and should not be offered as a food source. Fruit flies and gnats make a great mantis meal!
A few weeks ago while walking the orchards we found this mantid egg sack wrapped up in some dried tall grass. It was an exciting discovery and proud mantis-parent moment to see that our beneficials were breeding on the property.
You can order praying mantid egg sacks from Arbico Organics, they are a wonderful resource for organic and natural pest control options. Egg sacks can be place directly in the yard to hatch or hatched inside for your viewing pleasure. Make sure your insect nursery container has only tiny air holes- baby mantids are tiny and will escape all over your house if they can!
