The Upside of the 2020 Pandemic.

[dragoneggs]

Traffic here in Branson and 65 Hwy to Springfield and in Springfield all seem about the same as normal here. Of course the State is "partially open". Restuarants are still take out pickup only, and wal mart limits the number of people inside, but other than that, things seem fairly normal here. If there is any reduction in traffic, I sure didn't see it.

Yeah I don't believe you guys have been shut down like us... we were first with the infestation and started taking measures before most. Sure glad we aren't the epicenter... I think (maybe an obvious point) that the population density is a huge factor in how fast it spreads.

 

[TnAndy]

Great Job Andy ..

Thanks. Was into bees many years back with a friend. Mine died out one winter and I just put the stuff in storage. He kept going and this spring offered me a hive he had split off of one of his. My little apple orchard was to the point I needed pollinators, so I took the hive. Got out my old stuff, built some new stuff and now I've got enough to expand to another 6 hives, probably order a couple packages of bees next spring, and keep the extra for splitting my own. Made enough of the shallow honey supers that I should be done doing that forever

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks. Was into bees many years back with a friend. Mine died out one winter and I just put the stuff in storage. He kept going and this spring offered me a hive he had split off of one of his. My little apple orchard was to the point I needed pollinators, so I took the hive. Got out my old stuff, built some new stuff and now I've got enough to expand to another 6 hives, probably order a couple packages of bees next spring, and keep the extra for splitting my own. Made enough of the shallow honey supers that I should be done doing that forever

We are not getting many honeybees as we used to... thinking of trying it out not for honey but for pollination and good of the area. I have no idea what is entailed. Is it a set it and forget it thing, or is there much maintenance involved?

 

[TnAndy]

We are not getting many honeybees as we used to... thinking of trying it out not for honey but for pollination and good of the area. I have no idea what is entailed. Is it a set it and forget it thing, or is there much maintenance involved?

There is some maintenance involved, though if you don't care about honey production, it is a lot less. You mainly will want to make sure your hive(s) stay strong enough to make it thru winters, and if they get too strong, they will split on their own (swarm)...so normally it's kind of a balancing act between taking off honey, and allowing them to keep it all, grow to the point they split.

You also have to keep an eye on them for varroa mites, tracheal mites, and a some common bacterial infections, and treat as needed. Lot of stuff has come along in the last 30 years or so that bee keepers used to not see, and have wiped out the wild bee population, which is why you don't see bees like you used to.

 

[MossRoad]

It will be a sad society indeed that never knows the pleasure of making useful and beautiful things with their own intellect and efforts.

"Technology is the answer!"

What was the question????

Make art, not machinery! :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

I want as few humans possible in my life... I must be a manufacturer... :shocked:

Or a sociopath.

 

[MossRoad]

I am sure enjoying the lack of traffic on the roads... especially rush hour. There isn't one now.

Yes. My brutal 14 minute commute now takes 11.

On the plus side, I spend 3 less minutes zipping through a bad neighborhood.

 

[5030]

Yes. My brutal 14 minute commute now takes 11.

On the plus side, I spend 3 less minutes zipping through a bad neighborhood.

I don't miss the am-pm commute at all. I was always impressed with the multitasking lasses, driving along, eating their McMuffin, reading a paper and primping at the same time at 70 per... Just amazing. Amazing they didn't become a statistic.

 

[MikePA]

Thread pruned - Please take political commentary to TNT.

 

[Ford850]

Speaking of pruning, I have had more time to focus on pruning this spring. A few trees that have been neglected got the hair cut they needed, and a couple got full surgery.