Here’s 45 seconds of Pollinator Zen, to go with our schedule for the rest of the month:
9/21 @brynmawrfarmersmarket
9/22 #headhousefarmersmarket
9/28 @brynmawrfarmersmarket , @wcgrowersmarket , #clarkparkfarmersmarket
9/29 is a fifth Sunday-this means NBR gets the day off!
……aaaaaand, relax! See you then 😍
#farmersmarkets #farmersmarketfinds #philly #westphilly #brynmawrpa #westchesterpa #eatlocal #eatlocalgrown #shoplocal #shoplocalphilly #pollinators #pollinatorgarden #pollinatorfriendly #asters #nectar #noms #hardwork #allnatural
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE???
OK-first, there HAS FINALLY BEEN SOME RAIN THANK GOODNESS which means the girls will have some food again! Let me break down what you are seeing here:
🌈The drought this summer-I’ll say it again-has drastically reduced nectar and pollen for our hungry ladies which means 1. *way* less honey, and 2. ROBBING BEHAVIOR!
🌈Robbing behavior means foragers will invade other, weaker colonies and steal their recources! RUDE
🌈To help prevent this, I have closed all upper entrances to my hives (temporarily.) Since beez store their honey up top, this helps prevent robbing
🌈I always have a few colonies that prefer entering/exiting through their top entrance (I call these colonies ‘top-loaders’) so when I close their upper entrance they need to recalibrate
🌈That’s what you see in this video! All my polleny gals are coming home loaded up, and must march downstairs when they see their upper door is closed!
🌈NOW YOU KNOW🌈 Again for the cheap seats-THANK GOODNESS FOR SOME RAIN! ✨✨💖💖🎉🎉🌧️🌧️
I may make a post about what’s new this week later! in the meantime, here’s our market lineup for the week:
@oakmontfarmmkt TODAY (Wednesday!)
@brynmawrfarmersmarket and #clarkparkfarmersmarket SATURDAY 8/10!
#headhousefarmersmarket SUNDAY 8/11!
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#pollen #pollenators #pollenpants #pollentrousers #farmersmarketfinds #honeybees #honeybeesofinstagram #beekeeping #beekeeperslife #beekeepersofinstagram #apismellifera #havertownpa #havertownlife #brynmawrpa #westphilly #phillyphilly #shoplocalphilly #shopsmall #shopsmallbusiness #localhoney #rawhoney #eatlocal #inseasonnow #smallbatch #ethicalbeekeeping #womenownedbusiness #womenrunbusiness #buzz
A lot of folks asked me this weekend about how the bees are handling this drought, so I took a little viddy for you!
✨Some facts about bees in a drought AND heatwave:✨
☀️YES-bees need water just like you and me! This is the first year I’ve ever put out a bee waterer-normally the nearby creek and residual water from my garden sprinkler are enough, but NOT this year.
☀️ Droughts shut off nectar! No rain= no blossoms= no honey production. The bees are frustrated! (See my recent post about robbing)
☀️ Bees use water just like us-they need hydration, and water helps them cool down the colony in the hive.
☀️ Bees don’t get deep water! The rocks in this waterer are so they don’t drown-listen, bees are VERY smart, but don’t we all know smart folks who lack common sense?
☀️ WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? This hot dearth means the summer honey harvest will be smaller than other years, so there will be no large jars of honey for a while. Take this opportunity to try a small batch infused honey, or a different apiary’s variety than last time! You might just find your new favorite🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
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#honeybees #honeybeesofinstagram #beekeeperslife #summertime #heatwave #drought #thirsty #waterislife #apiarylife #pennsylvania #montcopa #philly #womenbeekeepers #farmlifebestlife #smallbatch #localhoney #rawhoney
Let’s talk about 😡GANGSTER BEES😡
If you live in SEPA and are a mammal, you may have noticed how unusually HOT AND DRY it has been.
No rain and too hot➡️
Flowers stop blooming (and producing nectar)➡️
Nothing for the bees to forage➡️
🥵BEES TURN INTO GANGSTERS🥵
When a robust colony has no nectar to forage, they turn into dirty thieves and rob their neighbors, and it just gets worse when a beekeeper opens hive covers during apiary checks. That’s what happened today-our first day below 90F in a week-I had to cut this apiary check short due to robbing behavior.
After checking this colony and putting their cover back on, robbers from other hives were bearding up over their upper entrance, trying to get in and steal-I tucked this grass in to (non-permanently) plug up their entrance until the robbers move on.
This looks like an example of GOOD BEES GONE BAD, but really these girlz simply have nothing to forage and they’re frustrated. Some rain would help-especially because this dearth will cause an early end to honey production (and I know how you feel about that.)
Thanks for following along in my latest chapter on the dirty side of beekeeping-our goal is to keep it real in the Big, Fake Sea of Social Media🤠
#honeybees #honeybeesofinstagram #beekeeperslife #apiarylife #beekeepersofinstagram #farmlife #keepinitreal #allthesweat #localhoney #rawhoney #montcopa #outdoorwork #heavylifting #summertime
Feelin hectic? Here’s 19 seconds of ZEN for you.
We’ve finally got a little v a r i e t y of honey in stock for you-you’ll have to visit to see what kinds! (WHO HERE WANTS HONEY LEMONADE?) And obvs there is small-batch, seasonal pickles, kraut, and loot for you🤠
We’re at @brynmawrfarmersmarket and @mediafarmersmarket this weekend-see you then✨
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#brynmawrpa #mediapa #smallbatch #inseasonnow #eattherainbow #eatlocal #eatlocalgrown #montcopa #farmersmarketfinds #apiarylife #honeybeesofinstagram #shopsmall #shopsmallbusiness #shoplocal #shoplocalphilly #localhoney #rawhoney #pickles #allnatural #supportlocal #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocalagriculture #beekeepinglife #zen #relax #breathe
PUMPKIN PUPPY POPS!
Everyone had a great day today at @brynmawrfarmersmarket , but Hank was the big winner thanks to @scrapeandscoopicecream
#mastadorsofinstagram #browndogsofinstagram #shelterdogsofinstagram #mastadorable #puppypopsicle #icecreamlover #eatlocal #shoplocal #shoplocalphilly #brynmawrpa #smallbatch #farmersmarketfinds #doglover #shopsmall #shopsmallbusiness #localeats #doglife #shopdog #dogoftheday #jeepgladiator #savethemanuals
#chickenlife
MARKET UPDATE! Here’s our schedule for the rest of May COME AND GET THE LOOT
5/18 @brynmawrfarmersmarket
5/19 @mediafarmersmarket
5/25 @brynmawrfarmersmarket , #clarkparkfarmersmarket , @wcgrowersmarket
5/26 #headhousefarmersmarket
#farmersmarketfinds #shoplocal #shopsmall #shopsmallbusiness #brynmawrpa #mediapa #philly #westphilly #westchesterpa #fresheggsdaily #chickensofinstagram #eatlocal #eatlocalgrown #inseasonnow #shoplocalphilly #localhoney #lowsugar #smallbatch
A TALE OF TWO SWARMS
Wait until the end and watch my cockiness dissolve🙄
+1 for the beez
#beekeepers #beekeepinglife #pabeekeepers #montcopa #swarmseason #beekeepinglife #womeninbeekeeping #honeybeesofinstagram #honeybees #workhardplayhard #thehustleisreal #localhoney #rawhoney #womenownedbusiness #womenrunbusiness
PART THREE
This sets a dangerous precedent for swarm season, would like more of this pls 10/10
#swarmseason #honeybeesofinstagram #honeybees #beekeepinglife #beekeepersofinstagram #pennsylvaniaisbeautiful #springtime #womenbeekeepers #swarmcatching
(Swarm Adventure Pt. 2)
#honeybees #honeybeesofinstagram #beekeeperslife #beekeepingadventures #swarmseason #springtime #hustle #montcopa
PART ONE (of three) of a SWARM EXPERIENCE
#honeybees #honeybeesofinstagram #beekeeperslife #beekeeping #pennsylvania #springtime #hustle
GOATS
Here is my fave video from our GOAT FANTASIA at @shellbarkhollowfarm
☀️You’ll need SOUND ON
You also need a MARKET UPDATE! Here’s where we’ll be the next week, slingin small-batch, seasonal delights:
@brynmawrfarmersmarket and @wcgrowersmarket SATURDAY
@mediafarmersmarket SUNDAY
@oakmontfarmmkt WEDNESDAY 4/24 see you then! 🐐🐐
#goats #goatsofinstagram #babygoats #babygoatsofinstagram #farmersmarketfinds #farmersmarketfriends #farmlifebestlife #smallbatch #inseasonnow #shopsmall #shopsmallbusiness #shoplocal #shoplocalphilly #delcopa #montcopa #havertown #havertownlife #brynmawrpa #mediapa #localhoney #eatlocal #womenownedbusiness #womenrunbusiness #westchesterpa #eattherainbow
