And They Came

2005 was the date on this jar of honey. A molasses like liquid floated on top of the crystalized honey. Becky wanted it out of the cupboard. To the compost bin it went. Our days have been cold and there have been few insects working. Today was different. The sun was strong and I was working in shirtsleeves by 10am. Bees were working also. By afternoon the compost bin sounded like a hive. Bees of various types were gorging themselves on the honey. Their mood was docile, I am not sure that they can deliver a sting when they are full of honey, and I stood nearby and watched them feed.

Bees normally work short hours. They start late and quit early. Free honey held bees there until sunset. With the sun gone the temperature dropped quickly. Many bees remained feeding on the honey. Tomorrow I will check to see if any lingered too long.

Monday:After a cold night just one bee remained too long in the honey jar. Another sunny day warmed things up , and again the jar is buzzing with activity.

Borer Wars: News From the Front

Yellow and wilted squash leaves are a sure sign of trouble. A sneak attack is underway.

The undeniable proof that infiltration has begun are the holes at the base of the stem.


War is ugly, and in this case so is the enemy! Our recourse now is to do our best to isolate the enemy. The vines will have to be burned. As it happens the bee inspector was here and told us that since the bees are gone and the hives are ant- infested, they must be burned too. The ants, and borer larvae would die together.

It was quite a bonfire. A pall of smoke hung heavy over the garden. The funny thing was, it smelled like thousands of birthday candles.

Blackberrry Blossoms

A wonderful fragrance wafts on the breeze these days. The blackberries are blossoming and this year there are a lot of them. A great crop of berries would be nice. I pick some, but it's the animals who really rely on blackberries as a food source. They say if your honey bees make it to the opening of the blackberry blossoms, they will make the year. Sadly ours did not. When Ed checked the hive, the bees were gone and the ants had carried off the remaining honey. We seldom harvest honey, but we will miss their pollination efforts in the garden. A "to bee or not to bee" decision will have to be made.

Blackberries are one of those plants that takes over naturally in a meadow if it is not grazed or mowed. The brier thickets are formidable. The deer change their path and walk around them, but the rabbits call them home. Like so many plants we keep them where we want them to grow and try to control the rest.