The Art & Science of Homesteading
We’re still pretty “new” as far as beekeeping goes. Newbies, if you will. See what I did there? Of course we’ve had ups and downs over the past few years, but overall I consider us successful beekeepers. The first year we didn’t take any honey from the bees, but the past two years we were able to harvest 70 pounds each year. Excited, elated, blown away …
Beekeeping, it ain’t easy. Between Karl and I, we’ve been stung over 30 times in the past 2 years keeping bees (haha, most of those are Karl). Now, that includes taking on some bold projects for a couple of newbies, like catching swarms and removing a huge colony from the neighbor’s house. I’m not sure that “bold” is a term that I want to describe …
Do chickens and honey bees get along? Can you raise them close together? The short answer is, well… yes. I remember last spring when we received our first-ever batch of baby chicks and a couple boxes of bees all in less than a month’s time. I wondered and hoped that I wouldn’t find a band of rogue chickens sitting in front of the hives, picking …
Yup, melon seeds. The gloppy, stringy mess that you scoop out with a spoon and throw away. We’re gunna eat it! Part of our journey into homesteading has been to increase our respect for where our food comes from. To utilize every part of the plant or animal and practice a no-waste lifestyle. Well, as little waste as possible anyways… This recipe is a prime …
Wondering how to repair and paint old, used bee equipment? This is for you! One thing at the top of our spring to-do list was a beehive overhaul. My dad raised bees when I was young, so we were lucky to inherit a lot of his old equipment, including some hive boxes that needed a lot of attention. For the past 15+ years, these hive boxes …
You’ve heard “busy as a bee;” you’ve probably even said it! But do you know how busy that really is? We will be first time bee-owners in just a few short weeks. I helped my dad raise bees when I was younger, but this is the first time I will be the head-beekeeper. The queen bee, if you will. I always knew that bees were pretty cool, …
I grew up with honey bees. My dad raised several hives for many years and I remember “helping” with just about everything I could. I had a special spot in the yard, my “bee spot,” where I could safely stand and watch from a distance while dad was in his bee suit tending the hives. As long as the hives were not being disturbed we could …
