ninnymary
Garden Master
With fresh veggie prices being high there, do you think your $200 heating bill is still less than what the veggies would have cost you if you have to buy them?
Mary
Mary
One Alaskans greenhouse
- Thread starter Alasgun
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- #32
Alasgun
Deeply Rooted
@ninnymary, Mary none of this makes sense from a monetary standpoint. I guess it would be interesting to look at from that standpoint but for us it wouldn’t affect our direction one way of the other. We’re more concerned about the quality of our produce than the cost of same.
not sure if you frequent the BYH site? I have a piece over there under the heading, “why do we do all this” where i elaborate our reasoning. At some point i guess i could go into that here.
developing content on sister sites is a little disconcerting to me as i’m never quite sure what i’m responding to or have allready responded to etc.
These days, except for the Rabbits, i’m far more farmer than herder! I’d imagine in time i’ll lean more this direction but those folks treat me so good it’s hard to just abandon. Too bad there’s not a way to link the content.
not sure if you frequent the BYH site? I have a piece over there under the heading, “why do we do all this” where i elaborate our reasoning. At some point i guess i could go into that here.
developing content on sister sites is a little disconcerting to me as i’m never quite sure what i’m responding to or have allready responded to etc.
These days, except for the Rabbits, i’m far more farmer than herder! I’d imagine in time i’ll lean more this direction but those folks treat me so good it’s hard to just abandon. Too bad there’s not a way to link the content.
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ninnymary
Garden Master
I agree with you. As gardeners we are more concerned with the quality of our food than the price it takes us to grow it. Heck, my husband is always telling me it's cheaper to buy our produce organic at Whole Foods than to grow it. Maybe, but you can't put a price on the fun of growing them and the satisfaction of a job well done. Not to mention other positive side effects.
Mary
Mary
flowerbug
Garden Master
moving of butt is being very important, especially this time of the year.
ninnymary
Garden Master
Flowerbug are you trying to tell me something? I've mentioned several times to my coach that I'm concerned my ...is going to be out of proportion with all the squats she has me do! haha
Mary
flowerbug
Garden Master
ma'am, i only speak about my own lack lately and the gains thereof... i hope you have a good winter there and get some good rains soon.
i haven't done squat lately. - Thread starter
- #37
Alasgun
Deeply Rooted
We’re experiencing a week of warmish weather right now with temps in the high 30’s so i strolled out to the bee hives for a look. I raked the usual group of dead guys from the entrance of the “flower hive (standard langstroth). I wont chance a real look for another couple month’s. The “tree hive” surprised me as while i was raking some of them out of the mouth i noticed a couple live ones moving about. This surprises me for a couple reasons, first of all that they’d be hanging at the entrance in pre 40 deg weather and that they are still so low in the column, this late in the year. Both reasons for elation. It’s still way too early to make a viable prediction but im hopeful they’ll make it thru!
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thistlebloom
Garden Master
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I hope they do too! Our neighbors hives got annihilated by wasps the year before last. He's a young guy and newish beek and he's too discouraged to try again.
Tell us about that hive in the picture... is that insulation? Looks sort of like stove pipe.
Tell us about that hive in the picture... is that insulation? Looks sort of like stove pipe.
- Thread starter
- #39
Alasgun
Deeply Rooted
Due to rampant pesticide use (roundup) in our area, my bees only function as pollinators and i leave them everything they produce during the year, hoping it get’s them thru the winter’s.
During a big study period last year i stumbled onto some articles from folks who manage bees for the bees betterment, not the beekeeper! The more geeky of that group modify large standing trees to accommodate bees as they have no intention of taking honey either. They don’t go in for all the hive inspections and common management practices that come along with Langstroth equipment.
Made me think, we may be kindred spirits cept im far lazzzy’er than these studious souls.
to that end i edge sawed some dimensional lumber and glued it all together into a “tree lookalike hive”. 2 suppers, both double the size of a deep super and no foundation on frames. Each super has top bars with a starter row of foundation that they drew out during the summer. With that much comb to build, i fed them all summer and by fall they were pretty strong. These are Carnolian’s. That whole rocket looking top provides abundant ventilation and when the insulation is peeled away the hive is a pleasant yellow color.
While on the ranch in N.Dakota i kept roughly 20 hives and usually 50% would make it thru the winter, Alaskan winters are a bit longer so mortality can be a bit higher. 30 years ago a 3lb package W/queen was $32.00.
i about croaked when purchasing my first package up here for $215.00 ea.
Time will tell. I keep two hives and if by chance both die some winter, i’ll be out of the bee business, it’s just too cost prohibitive, especially since there are enough wild bees to meet my needs.
During a big study period last year i stumbled onto some articles from folks who manage bees for the bees betterment, not the beekeeper! The more geeky of that group modify large standing trees to accommodate bees as they have no intention of taking honey either. They don’t go in for all the hive inspections and common management practices that come along with Langstroth equipment.
Made me think, we may be kindred spirits cept im far lazzzy’er than these studious souls.
to that end i edge sawed some dimensional lumber and glued it all together into a “tree lookalike hive”. 2 suppers, both double the size of a deep super and no foundation on frames. Each super has top bars with a starter row of foundation that they drew out during the summer. With that much comb to build, i fed them all summer and by fall they were pretty strong. These are Carnolian’s. That whole rocket looking top provides abundant ventilation and when the insulation is peeled away the hive is a pleasant yellow color.
While on the ranch in N.Dakota i kept roughly 20 hives and usually 50% would make it thru the winter, Alaskan winters are a bit longer so mortality can be a bit higher. 30 years ago a 3lb package W/queen was $32.00.
i about croaked when purchasing my first package up here for $215.00 ea.
Time will tell. I keep two hives and if by chance both die some winter, i’ll be out of the bee business, it’s just too cost prohibitive, especially since there are enough wild bees to meet my needs.
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- Thread starter
- #40
Alasgun
Deeply Rooted
And with the warm weather, my enthusiasm level was elevated to the point of “do something” so i got a big batch of lacto bacillus serum going the other day. It’s coming along nicely and should be ready in a day or so.
i use it diluted somewhat as a foliar feed on about everything but i also use it as an odor reducer and want to try some in the honey buckets down in the rabbitry. As a bucket is filled i’ll dump a pint on the top before snapping the lid on and setting it over against the wall. Once things open up in the spring those buckets will get distributed to the compost and garden beds before planting. I also use this stuff to dissolve fish carcasses into homemade fish hydroslate Which is quite a test as both an organic digester and an odor reducer. i see no reason to believe it cant handle a little rabbit poop.
i use it diluted somewhat as a foliar feed on about everything but i also use it as an odor reducer and want to try some in the honey buckets down in the rabbitry. As a bucket is filled i’ll dump a pint on the top before snapping the lid on and setting it over against the wall. Once things open up in the spring those buckets will get distributed to the compost and garden beds before planting. I also use this stuff to dissolve fish carcasses into homemade fish hydroslate Which is quite a test as both an organic digester and an odor reducer. i see no reason to believe it cant handle a little rabbit poop.
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