Disaster! The wind has been so strong that it nearly blew the swimming pool fence away. It's plastic netting supported by aluminium posts which are set into plastic tubes inserted into holes drilled into concrete paving slabs. Some of the heavy slabs have been dislodged and one is even broken. We've had a struggle taking down the fence. We'll put it back when the weather is better and the spare parts I ordered on line have come.
After that excitement I went in and did the ironing and cleaned some internal glass doors.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Evening all. Beautiful sky earlier - it couldn't make up it's mind what it was doing though - blue sky in one direction, dark, snow filled clouds in the other. To be frosty again tonight.
I've been busy with my new 'babies' - kindly sent by a forum member. They're all outside - getting accustomed to their new home
We considered bees at the last house - it would have been perfect. In the circumstances, just as well we didn't get that far
I hate honey though, so it would purely have been for the pleasure of having the bees.
Sorry you had that experience T'bird. I think anyone who wants to keep bees should be helped and encouraged, not the opposite.
Good news Clari - keep cracking that whip
Hope you had a lovely outing Dove
Haven't made pancakes...yet. Older fairy is home - not usually here on Tuesday nights - so perhaps she could be persuaded....
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Same arguments be(e)tween 'bee friendly' and 'bee responsible' parties on a couple of different forums - all getting increasingly acrimonious as the discussions went on.
I would like a hive but I don't want to manage it beyond what is required for responsible ownership. But I also definitely don't want to do anything which might further endanger the local bee population.
I think it will be quite hard to get some genuinely unbiased advice. A friendly discussion with one of my neighbours who does bee keeping mentoring might be the way to go. If he can convince me there is a real threat using natural, unmanaged bee hives I might have to think again.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
I don't really like honey - I try it every now and then as love the idea of it but it is one of the only foods I don't enjoy. ?
Dove: good advice for Clari the the choccy biccys - I find all builder-y types go mad for tea and biscuits. When I was having my kitchen done I left a plate of biscuits and choc bars out next to the kettle and they were always eaten (except the one day I left mint Oreos??).?
Re pancakes... go on Fairy! I have just made a batter so will have whilst watching Further Back in Time for Dinner at 8pm. I didn't have time for a lunch break today but did manage to scoff a pancake that I had brought in for my work mates. ?
Been freezing today, but lovely and sunny. Spent some time pruning some shrubs, as I could do that without walking on the sodden soil.
OH is applying for a new job, so she got me to check her CV, it was complete gobbledegook to me and she is supposed to be a Communications manager, whatever that is. She is not impressed with my comments
I know nothing about bees, but it seems to me that they manage quite well without our help in the wild, so what harm could a hive do?
If you are going to leave out chocolate biscuits, I may retrain as a plasterer.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
My daughter was seriously considering re-training as a plasterer when she couldn't get a job which used her degree skills. Don't know if there's a shortage in Ireland...
Pruning gooseberries and blackcurrants was reasonably successful, and very satisfying. Still more to do though - might actually have to go again tomorrow, when the market is on, and be brave. Today I just had a nice lady appreciating the smell of the blackcurrant bushes, and a 4-year-old wanting me to explain what I was doing and why.
The community group responsible for the fruit, veg and herbs in the town here, also have a bee-keeping group, largely for the benefit of the bees. They only take honey from the hives if there's a large surplus, so it's very much weather dependent.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Posts
I seem to remember that the general response of most bee keepers to Monty's item on GW was "Monty Don't".
Have a google for Monty and Top Bar and see what they come up with but I reckon the best advice will come from experienced beekeepers.
Disaster! The wind has been so strong that it nearly blew the swimming pool fence away. It's plastic netting supported by aluminium posts which are set into plastic tubes inserted into holes drilled into concrete paving slabs. Some of the heavy slabs have been dislodged and one is even broken. We've had a struggle taking down the fence. We'll put it back when the weather is better and the spare parts I ordered on line have come.
After that excitement I went in and did the ironing and cleaned some internal glass doors.
Sounds like too much excitement! Hope you and the pool are OK.
Evening all. Beautiful sky earlier - it couldn't make up it's mind what it was doing though - blue sky in one direction, dark, snow filled clouds in the other. To be frosty again tonight.
I've been busy with my new 'babies' - kindly sent by a forum member. They're all outside - getting accustomed to their new home
We considered bees at the last house - it would have been perfect. In the circumstances, just as well we didn't get that far
I hate honey though, so it would purely have been for the pleasure of having the bees.
Sorry you had that experience T'bird. I think anyone who wants to keep bees should be helped and encouraged, not the opposite.
Good news Clari - keep cracking that whip
Hope you had a lovely outing Dove
Haven't made pancakes...yet. Older fairy is home - not usually here on Tuesday nights - so perhaps she could be persuaded....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I just did...
Not a happy experience.
Same arguments be(e)tween 'bee friendly' and 'bee responsible' parties on a couple of different forums - all getting increasingly acrimonious as the discussions went on.
I would like a hive but I don't want to manage it beyond what is required for responsible ownership. But I also definitely don't want to do anything which might further endanger the local bee population.
I think it will be quite hard to get some genuinely unbiased advice. A friendly discussion with one of my neighbours who does bee keeping mentoring might be the way to go. If he can convince me there is a real threat using natural, unmanaged bee hives I might have to think again.
I don't really like honey - I try it every now and then as love the idea of it but it is one of the only foods I don't enjoy. ?
Dove: good advice for Clari the the choccy biccys - I find all builder-y types go mad for tea and biscuits. When I was having my kitchen done I left a plate of biscuits and choc bars out next to the kettle and they were always eaten (except the one day I left mint Oreos??).?
Re pancakes... go on Fairy! I have just made a batter so will have whilst watching Further Back in Time for Dinner at 8pm. I didn't have time for a lunch break today but did manage to scoff a pancake that I had brought in for my work mates. ?
Last edited: 28 February 2017 19:29:30
ive bumped up the earlier Bee thread - the beekeeper who made MDs hive posted and seemed to allay some of the traditional beekeepers' concerns.
Hope I haven't stirred up a hornets nest
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Been freezing today, but lovely and sunny. Spent some time pruning some shrubs, as I could do that without walking on the sodden soil.
OH is applying for a new job, so she got me to check her CV, it was complete gobbledegook to me and she is supposed to be a Communications manager, whatever that is. She is not impressed with my comments
I know nothing about bees, but it seems to me that they manage quite well without our help in the wild, so what harm could a hive do?
If you are going to leave out chocolate biscuits, I may retrain as a plasterer.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Funnily enough I had to explain gobbledegook to Possum today as she thinks one of her teachers may be using it wrongly.
Plasterers are in great demand Pdoc. Even more so soon if TM and co get Brexit negotiations badly wrong.
My daughter was seriously considering re-training as a plasterer when she couldn't get a job which used her degree skills. Don't know if there's a shortage in Ireland...
Pruning gooseberries and blackcurrants was reasonably successful, and very satisfying. Still more to do though - might actually have to go again tomorrow, when the market is on, and be brave. Today I just had a nice lady appreciating the smell of the blackcurrant bushes, and a 4-year-old wanting me to explain what I was doing and why.
The community group responsible for the fruit, veg and herbs in the town here, also have a bee-keeping group, largely for the benefit of the bees. They only take honey from the hives if there's a large surplus, so it's very much weather dependent.