Homesteadhensandhoney

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Homesteadhensandhoney

A beekeeping, chicken keeping, and general homesteading podcast.

08/07/2024

just released an episode where I was a guest! ❤️ Y'all know I LOVE this pod; I started listening back at the very beginning of my beekeeping journey, and John has been an amazing resource and beekeeping friend over the years. This was my first time meeting Nathalie 'in person' (aka over zoom!), which was lovely. She has SO MUCH to share in regards to natural beekeeping! If you're not familiar with her, please check out her page

I had great fun, and I hope you enjoy the episode!

26/06/2024

Bumbles update! With all the sick animals we've had lately, I wanted to share a win. 🤗 Bumbles has been making great progress. She still has bumblefoot but we are SO CLOSE to it being fully gone. After her initial treatment, I had to reopen her foot to dig out even more gunk. Since then, any remaining abscess has been coming to the surface, making it easy to remove and showing that the deeper areas of her foot are healing. She also had 3 openings on the one foot but is down to just 1 now. 🙌

When she came to me, she was scrawny and missing feathers on her back (see the last photo) but I'm pleased to say she's now gained weight and regrown her feathers! She's also brighter, more active, and she has even started to lay eggs again!!!! She talks to us a lot and is just a sweet little thing. ❤️ I am really hoping that her foot will be healed enough for her to go outside this weekend. 🤞 I'm worried she's lonely and want to get her back to a normal chicken life as soon as I can.

09/06/2024

The chicks are getting big, and should be ready to go outside very soon. 🤞 I can't wait to see them in their adult feathers. I think they're all going to be gorgeous!

My rescue hen, Bumbles, is hanging in there. She has been eating better and growing stronger but I had to reopen her foot to get even MORE infection out on Friday. Luckily, no sign of a secondary infection, which feels like a miracle. This really is the worst case of bumblefoot I've ever encountered, and I think she's probably been suffering with it for a very long time. Really hoping I can get her back to full health very soon! She's a sweet wee thing. ♥️

It feels like everything has been conspiring to keep me out of the garden. Between the weather, people visiting, my medical stuff, animal medical stuff, etc, I haven't had enough time outside. Still haven't got most of my plants and seeds in!! 😱 I'm not growing much this year but still. It's June!! Every day has felt like a race lately and I'm definitely coming in last. Trying to accept where I am and not stress over it too much!

25/05/2024

On Thursday, I had to have my rooster, Bowie, euthanized. 💔 They let me hold him for the sedation so he fell asleep in my arms. I watched him hatch so I am glad I could be the last thing he saw at the end.

About 3-4 weeks ago, he started limping. Then he stopped using the leg at all, and then he wouldn't stand. Checked for breaks or dislocations; nothing. Brought him in to rest and so I could give him painkillers. When he didn't improve, we went to the vet. X-rays confirmed no musculoskeletal issues. His WBC was high so best guess was some kind of infection causing tendon inflammation, or Mareck's disease. The latter is a nasty disease that affects the nervous system over time, and is incurable. There's a vaccine for it but it's only partially effective, and it's best applied to the eggs within 24 hours of lay.

Sadly, he failed to respond to antibiotics, and then started to decline. He was comfortable but couldn't move around on his own. He started to eat less as well. The lack of improvement meant he likely had Mareck's disease so I decided to let him go. Necropsy was inconclusive; it could have been Mareck's or lymphoma (but Mareck's causes lymphoma symptoms so who knows!!). I didn't opt for the tissue sample tests to confirm which it was because they are very expensive, and there's nothing I can do with that information from a husbandry standpoint.

On the plus side, I went out this morning to pick up some chicks! One is a lavender orpington, who is likely a boy. He will be my new rooster. ♥️ I also got two lavender Easter eggers, and a lavender-split orpington. They're in the brooder for now but should be able to go outside within a couple of weeks!

And because I like a project, I also picked up a hen who has a terrible case of bumblefoot. Her person did the best they could but is struggling to keep up with the treatment on top of her job and other responsibilities. So I took her in and will see what I can do! Starting her on antibiotics and painkillers, and then I'll soak the foot, remove as much of the infected tissue as I can, clean it, apply Neosporin, and then wrap it to keep it clean. Hopefully this will work. 🤞

22/05/2024

We went to FL for a week, and the whole damn garden just exploded while we were away! I have so much catching up to do. 😅 There's enough greenery for me to feel safe letting the chickens out. First day free roaming of the year!

Spent a couple of sweaty hours cleaning out the run, and only got half of it sorted. Compost pile is getting high! It's going out on the garden beds soon.

Hives don't appear to have swarmed while I was away but I won't know for sure until I can get in there. Lots of rain forecast for the weekend so hoping to get inspections done before then. 🤞

Bonus pics of a pretty spider friend I found out by the barn!

18/04/2024

This is my monster colony. I have been so worried that it would swarm before I could get in there as our weather has been all over the place. When I was able to do an inspection on Tuesday, I was very relieved to find no swarm cells but it was clear this colony needs to be split. My husbeast helped me move my new long Langstroth out to the apiary, and I promptly moved the queen and half the colony across. Went back in today to add some more nectar frames from the original colony, as well as some frames with drawn comb for the queen to lay in.

Monster colony has eggs to raise a new queen plus lots of brood and resources so I am hopeful they'll succeed in hatching a queen. I'll keep an eye on them, of course! 🐝

Not 100% happy with how I positioned the long Lang but we're stuck now so will just have to see how it works out.

Other two colonies are small but hanging in there! Lots of capped brood so they'll have more workers very soon. I have left them all remaining honey frames for now but will probably take them to extract when we're past the danger period of Spring (fluctuating temps, sudden freezes, heavy rain, etc). Also gave them a pollen patty just in case!

Heading back out now to do an OA treatment!

23/03/2024

Found my Queen Bitch had passed away overnight. 😢 Cracker was one of my oldest birds, reigning monarch, and ungrateful hen. She has always hated me with the passion of a thousand suns, and had no time for my human need to love her! She reigned supreme from the second I brought her home, and she has even fought roosters that are almost 3 times her size! Every roo the flock has had just accepts that she is queen of the hens, and his job is to provide protection; she never allowed herself to be mated, not even once. She only ever really cared for my second roo, Handsome. She took a motherly role with him, which was so sweet to watch.

I should have realized when she didn't try to fight Bowie that she wasn't feeling herself. But she was eating and drinking right up until she passed. Necropsy showed a good conditioned hen (not too fat or thin), normal heart and other organs. She did have the early stages of egg peritonitis, which combined with her advanced age, was probably too much for her.

Only two of her original flock remains: Ginger #4 and Raven. Both old ladies! Losing Cracker feels like the end of an era. There will always be the Time With the Queen Bitch, and the time after.

RIP Cracker. You were one in a million. It was an honour serving you as your personal human minion. ♥️ Rest easy, old lady.

09/03/2024

When I put Bowie and Henrietta in with the main flock, I was most concerned with how Cracker (the white Leghorn) would react. She is Queen Bitch of the flock, and is not afraid to fight a full sized rooster.

To my surprise, she tucked herself out of the way on the roost, along with Ginger. I can't decide whether she's finally mellowed, or whether she's waiting for the lower ranking girls to fight it out before she comes in and takes top spot.

Maybe it's her age? Cracker and Ginger are two of my oldest hens; they're at least 7 years old and still laying. Raven is my other old lady but she was not shy about getting involved in the hierarchy brawls. 😂

Things seem peaceful out there today. I snuck Esme and Thistle in after dark last night and all seems well with the flock so far. ♥️ Love my chickens!

08/03/2024

Temps were warm enough to get into the hives on Tuesday! I'm 3 for 3 so far. 🤗 The first 2 colonies are small; about 4-5 frames of brood/pollen, and lots of honey above.

One of my colonies is a MONSTER!! Almost a full deep of brood, boatloads of pollen, and leftover winter honey stores. I hurt my back getting an extra box under those bastards. 😅

I gave everyone pollen patties just so they have it if they need it, and I went back and re-wrapped the two smaller colonies so that any cold days/nights don't stress them too much.

It was so good to see them all!! I really love my bees. 🥰

07/03/2024

I had these two in the house for a couple of weeks. Thistle (silkie) had some broken blood feathers that the others wouldn't leave alone. And Red just kept losing weight and seemed to be getting weaker. I eventually was able to put both out into the small coop, and transferred Bowie and Henrietta into the main flock.

Sadly, Red continued to go downhill and I had to euthanize him yesterday. I did it myself (first time I've done a hands-on cull). It didn't go as smoothly as I hoped but he was so weak that he died quickly. I did a necropsy and found a GIANT BLOOD CLOT; it filled his abdomen and had pushed his organs off to the side! I've never seen anything like it. No sign of cancer or underlying disease. I am stumped!! But it explains why he didn't respond to all the treatments I tried. Poor guy.

Now his son, Bowie, is protector of the flock! Glad I kept him. 🐓 The transition seems to be going well. I'll reintegrate Thistle soon. For now, I put Esme in with her to keep her comfortable and warm until I can reunite the flock.

17/02/2024

Finally got a chance to pick up my Christmas present last weekend!! A long Langstroth from 🐝

It has 33 frames, 3 inner covers, 3 entrances with reducers, and the lid is conveniently hinged so there is no hauling it on and off. I am SO EXCITED to start working with this!! All going well, my Spring package will be going into my top bar hive, and I will split my strongest overwintered colony into this long Lang. Working both horizontal hives should be very fun! 🤗

21/01/2024

My husband is cursing the snow since he has to do the chicken chores for me every morning. I'm still on restrictions so no lifting anything over 5lbs! I go out in the afternoon to throw treats and check on everyone.

Henrietta, who lives with bb rooster Bowie, decided now was a great time to start laying eggs! 😍 Had to take a pic of her very first egg. 🤗

28/12/2023

I had my hysterectomy yesterday, and now these two fuzzy nursemaids are keeping a close eye on me! I'm happy to be home. ♥️ Unsurprisingly, I am having a hard time letting my husbeast and SIL handle all my chores/animal care. I hate having nothing to do!! Trying not to be overbearing. 😅

Will distract myself with crochet and TV!

22/12/2023

Because life isn't crazy enough, Bowie started rasping yesterday. I went out with the stethoscope today to get a good listen. He definitely has a respiratory infection but there's no crackling sounds yet, which is good. Going to order some antibiotics for him ASAP.

Also grabbing a wormer for the main flock. Big Red has lost a LOT of weight quite suddenly. I thought it was maybe just a bad moult but I think worming them all is a good idea. I don't usually worm them unless I see signs of infestation but I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to my bbs.

My SIL took these pics of me and I love them! Bowie is just so handsome. 😍♥️🤗

22/12/2023

Who else is going to see this? 😄🤗🐝♥️

05/12/2023

Topaz earning her keep by killing the moles! I don't really mind them but their burrows do make mowing a pain so I'm glad I have some critter control in the form of this sweet cat. ♥️

28/11/2023

Found this fuzzy friend on my doorstep right as temps were dropping. Gave it some honey and then put it in one of my indoor plant pots. Pretty sure it was at the end of its life (only the mated queen bumbles overwinter underground, is my understanding) but it was well enough to vanish on me. I figure I'll find its little body somewhere around the house. Or maybe it buried itself?? Idk.

04/11/2023

Fun little look at how honey darkens throughout the year!

The Spring harvest is always pale and delicately sweet; summer is richer in flavour and usually darker, and our Fall honey is DARK. pretty sure it's mostly goldenrod and white aster. It has a stronger taste and scent.

This is my first year getting a decent Fall harvest. 🐝 Grateful to my bees for all their hard work! I had to pull a lot of open nectar frames while I condensed the hives for winter. I set them up in a room with a heater and fan until I got their water content under 18%. First time trying that too!

They're wrapped for winter now, and I hope to see them all again in the New Year. 🤞

23/10/2023

I'm sure no one is surprised to hear that I have decided to keep my 'back up' rooster, Bowie. 🤗 He's just so gorgeous and sweet! I can't bear to let him go. He will be living with one of his sisters in their own little flock. The new run we set up allows them to forage safely, and keeps them separate from the main flock. I might do an introduction in the spring to see how Big Red responds to him. It's possible they could get along. 🤞

His two other sisters have been accepted into the main flock and are doing very well! I've named the red hen Florence, and the black/green hen Berenice. Still need a name for Bowie's hen!

These photos don't do justice to just how gorgeous Bowie is. 😍

16/10/2023

After getting the hives ready for the cold weather, I also gathered my last harvest for the season, and cleared the veggie beds. Here it is in all its glory! 🥰 it's small but I'm proud of it. The tomatoes kept me in pasta sauce all summer, the peppers recovered from some early issues and offered up a decent harvest, and the corn was small in size but delicious! I'm still struggling to get good yields on squash, and my large pumpkin plant failed to fruit. These mini pumpkins are a nice consolation prize tho!

Not pictured are all the sunflower heads I dried so I could keep the seeds for Spring planting (and bird food; there's so much of it!). 🌻

Next year, I'm resting the majority of the beds. I'll be looking into what plants to grow to nourish the soil, and I'll likely just grow a few toms, herbs, and maybe squash in containers. Once I've done my research, I'll record an episode on it all! It's well overdue. I've been doing a kind of lazy crop rotation for the veggie beds but without any real planning so the soil definitely needs a rest and revival.

10/10/2023

Last week, I scrambled a little to get the hives sorted before a cold snap. I wanted to get all honey supers off, and condense each colony down to 2 deeps. I started with my Saskatraz colony as I hadn't been in there for a bit. What a beautiful sight! Top deep was 7 solid frames of capped honey, and the other 3 had open nectar. 🤗 these bees definitely have their winter stores! Next up was my OH survivor bees, and they were a close runner up with almost as many capped frames. My Carniolans are a bit behind so I used two warm days to offer 2:1 syrup, which they sucked down fast. It seems like these bees tend to build up fast in Spring but drag a little as winter approaches. By contrast, the saskatraz colony was very slow to build but then went bonkers bringing in nectar!

Once I got them condensed down, I wrapped them to prepare for the cold. I have a bit of time until they'll need full winterization (quilt box & feeder). Next up: an OA treatment to make sure the mite levels stay down (haven't had a reading over 3/300 all year!).

I'm trying out a new quilt box design this winter too. Hoping it will be easier to work with than my DIY version. 🤞

30/09/2023

Autumn pretties. The goldenrod bloom this year has been phenomenal; it is everywhere! The side property is full of a white flowering w**d that I think is white aster. The bees love it! Mushrooms are popping up after every rain, and the chickens are enjoying digging through my leaf/compost pile as I slowly start cleaning up the garden beds.

I'm not in a great place, mentally or physically, right now. Thinking I should change my podcast to "homesteading with chronic depression", or maybe "melancholy & mellifera", or even "homesteading when everything hurts". It all ebbs and flows, though. This week has been bad for pain and depression but I know good weeks are coming. I'm hoping the big turning point will be in the New Year after my hysterectomy. 🤞

For now, I have a lot of animals to care for, and they're a welcome distraction! And I have a strong support system, and my sweet pups to snuggle. I've pulled out a bunch of crochet projects to keep my hands busy and my mind calm, and I go swimming whenever I can (not as often as I'd like, honestly, but what can you do?). I've been working with tarot cards again as a meditative tool and means to unpack complicated emotions, and that always helps. I find the images soothing.

I don't know when I'll next record. But I do appreciate everyone who has listened, even if it's just one episode! As a community, homesteaders don't seem much for podcasts so it means a lot that anyone, even one person, has listened to something I've put out. ♥️

Thinking I might need to go Full Hermit for a little while.

08/09/2023

Finally got an episode out! This one is full of updates on the homestead and apiary, some sad news (RIP Petal), and then a bunch of animal shenanigans!

19/08/2023

Sorry for the lack of podcast episodes! I actually did record on Thursday but managed to mess something up and it wasn't good enough to release. Will be re-recording this week!

Anyhow, I was correct that my favourite chick is a boy! Not only is he developing the telltale sexual characteristics of a rooster but he has also started crowing. 🥹 it's an adorable, weird crow, just like his dad's! I will be keeping him for a bit longer as he and his flock are still separated from the adults. But eventually I will have to find him a new home. I would LOVE to place him with someone who wants to breed English Orpingtons. I think he will make beautiful chicks! ♥️

Enjoying the time I have with him. 🤗

12/08/2023

I am alive! Just been too busy to record episodes or post much. Here are some pretties from the homestead! 🤗 the heat wave broke and it feels like the world took a great big sigh of relief. Autumn is definitely on the way. Day temps are still in the low 80s but nights are always 72 or below. Some of the orpingtons are moulting already, and the sunflowers are in full glory. I love Autumn but I hope it takes it's time this year! I am not ready to start prepping for winter with the bees; I feel like we haven't spent enough time together yet! 🐝

22/07/2023

Episode 70 dropped yesterday! I talk all about thistles; what they are, how to identify them, if they're good for pollinators, and how to get rid of them effectively. I cover the herbicides recommended to tackle this plant, and why I don't like to use them. Then I cover chemical-free options, with the caveat that it requires more work and dedication!

Also I offer some updates on Io, who lost her tail, and Petal, who continues to heal from her prolapse. ♥️

(Photos of thistles taken from online stock images.)

**ding

16/07/2023

When it rains, it pours!! Thursday, I found Petal with a prolapse. She's been in the house and seems to be improving! I was able to put her out with the bbs today (I know they won't harass or hurt her because they're so shy). But that first day was touch and go.

Then yesterday morning, I found that one of my female pink tongue skinks DROPPED HER TAIL. 😱 This has never happened before, nor have I ever seen a pink with a dropped tail. I knew it was possible but fu***ng hell.

If it had just been the tail, no problem, it was a clean separation. But see that chunk half on? I was worried there was bone involved and was terrified to touch it in case she developed an infection in her spine.

I was able to rush her to my exotic vet as an emergency. Paid a ridiculous deposit to leave her there over the weekend. Thank the gods, there was NO BONE INVOLVEMENT. The vet was able to give her pain killers, remove that last chunk of tail, and get her started on antibiotics. She's coming home tomorrow!

I just really need the emergencies to stop for a while, please. 😭 I know this is the price for basically running my own mini zoo but bloody hell. . .I could use a break.

14/07/2023

Episode 69 is live! This week, I share lots of news from the homestead, including a recent visit to our fave alpaca farm, where I befriended some camels, and my husband got kisses from a sweet kangaroo. ♥️ Then I talk about a question one of my bee mentees asked me, and how it got the old brain juices flowing. 🐝 Namely what are your options in July when your colony is HUGE, you're worried about swarming, but it's past key mating time for new queens? Is it a good time of year to make nucs or splits? What quality of drones are available? Topics include nectar flow, late summer dearth, Fall flow, use of equipment, what tools you have in your beekeeping toolbox, and planning ahead for winter.

I hope you will listen and share your thoughts! I'd love to hear from other beekeepers. 🤗

Marked explicit for profanity (sorry, mum), mention of alcohol/drinking (I got some fancy gin!), and frank discussion of a chicken prolapse.

(Ohio folk: get yourselves to
for kangaroo kisses!)

05/07/2023

I love my rooster, Red, and thought this cuddle puddle was so sweet! 😍

03/07/2023

Beautiful, iridescent spider, and a weird caterpillar! Took some digging but I think the spider is an orchard orb weaver (leucauge venusta), and the caterpillar is a white dotted prominent moth (nadata gibbosa). Both spotted by the chicken coops!

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Videos

Celebrating 9 years with my Chappie today!! So here's a video from yesterday; he killed a shrew and then immediately started rolling on it. 🤣 He might be 11 years old but he's still a fierce hunter! 😛 #chappie #whippetlove #gotchaday #video

Yesterday was Imbolc, and the bees were out! 🐝 They were flying all around this wet area, landing occasionally to drink. Lots of thirsty girls out in the sun! Always a welcome sight but especially at this time of year. So far, all 3 colonies are going strong. Let's hope it continues! 🤞 We haven't got to the really dangerous part of winter yet; when the growing sunlight hours trigger the queens to start laying, meaning the bees need to maintain a brood nest temp of around 94F, no matter how cold it is outside. This is usually the time of year that colony loss is highest. In other news, I have a chicken in the house again. 🙄 My little silkie, Thistle, has some blood feathers coming in and the other hens are nipping them off and then pecking at the resulting blood. Sigh! So I brought her in to wash and treat the area. She is very suspicious of me so I'm going to use this time to try and tame her. Some scrambled egg a day usually buys their love! #winter #honeybees #neohio #inthegarden #ilovebees #chickenkeeping #silkiechicken

One of my frizzle Easter Eggers, Dahlia, is broody! Thankfully, I'd already separated her and her sister, Petal, from the other pullets due to a wound on Petal that the other girls were pecking at. This means Dahlia has the space to make her nest without being disturbed. Her eggs are infertile since she has yet to meet my rooster so I put three English Orpington eggs under her and one of Ginger's (barnyard mix). We shall see what happens! #frizzlechicken #easteregger #chickenbehaviour #chickenkeeping #backyardchickens #homesteadhensandhoneypod

Your moment of Zen. 🤗❤️🐝 #video #beekeeping #ilovebees🐝 #honeybees #spring2022

Package bees seem to be settling in well. 🤗 I had some comb break from the bar and it's been a real bugger trying to reattach it. Thankfully, the bees took over from my poor repair job and two frames have already been reattached! Since just Tuesday! They're busy bbs. 🐝❤️ #ilovebees🐝 #spring2022 #beepackage #beekeeping #topbarhives

From my recent time in Florida! My SIL is a volunteer with her local raptor rescue and was able to reunite this sandhill crane with his mate and offspring. ❤️ Sound on to hear the incredible dinosaur noises they make when they see each other! 🦖 #raptorrescue #florida #sandhillcrane #video

Wtf, Ohio?? Going from Florida to this is extra hard. 😭 #winter2021 #wintersucks #ohioweather

Honeybees on the bird feeder! I've heard about this but never seen it in person before. We had a surprisingly warm day yesterday and the girls were out looking for pollen. Nothing is in bloom, though, so they're attracted to other sources of trace minerals and nutrients. That's what they're after here. In fact, they were so eager yesterday that I couldn't go out without a few bees inspecting me! A neighbour called me over to make sure she didn't have a wild colony living in her yard because so many bees were flying around her when she went outside. Today is also warm but very windy so not as much activity out and about. I put some pollen substitute on the feeders when I opened the hives up to check on their food supply. 🐝 Both colonies seem to be doing well! I did not do a full inspection because more cold weather is on the way and I don't want to break the propolis seal between supers. Spring cannot get here soon enough! #beekeeping #ilovebees🐝 #video #winter2021 #spring2022 #honeybees

Christmas day was surprisingly mild (55F) and rather rainy. Between the showers, my bees were out doing their cleansing flights. ❤️🐝❤️ I love seeing them during this time of year. It affirms they're still alive and gives me a little boost! I'll forever associate bees with spring and summer sunshine. 🌄 #beemagic #beekeeping #winter2021 #video #honeybees

Beekeeping oopsie!! I merged two colonies because I was convinced one was queenless; they were grumpy, they sounded all wrong, and I couldn't find that big booty gal no matter how much I looked. It was warm enough to check on the merged colony today and the workers were united; they'd chewed through the newspaper and are working harmoniously together. I saw one queen and kept going through. Right at the end, I find these two queens locked in combat. 😱 Part of me is upset because I love queen bees and I'm sad one will die because of my decision BUT this merged colony is so much stronger than it was when I put them together just a few weeks ago. I probably would have had to choose a queen to cull anyway. This way, at least the strongest queen survives. Sorry, ladies! ❤️ #ilovebees🐝 #queenbees #oopsiepoopsie #beekeeping #homesteadhensandhoneypod

This week, our weather has warmed up into the 60s during the day. I'm busting ass trying to get the garden put to bed before the cold returns. But I always have time to just stand and watch my bees. 🐝 Seeing them fly in the sun like this continues to be magical. ❤️ It's one of the best parts of beekeeping. #ilovebees🐝 #honeybees #homesteading #homesteadhensandhoneypod #video

On Hiatus until Spring 2022

Hi folks! I've decided to place the podcast on hiatus until next Spring. We're going full tilt through autumn and into winter now, and things will be slowing down around the homestead. Plus, I'm just completely burned out due to a number of different factors, and I need the time to reset. I wanted to share some suggestions of episodes and podcasts that might be of interest to you! You can find those over on my website (with direct links to their homepages to make things easy to find). Thanks for listening these last two years, and I wish you all a safe and happy winter season!

Happy first official day of Autumn! Lots of rain this afternoon. ❤️ Sound on for a moment of Zen! 🍂🌧️☔ #homesteadhensandhoneypod #homesteading #inthegarden #rainyday #autumn

Hive News & English Orpingtons

Happy September! Important announcement: I will be taking the rest of September off so there will be no new episodes (or reposts) until October. I'm taking a much needed break to reset. I hope you will bear with me! This week, I discuss what things look like in my apiary, treating my top bar hive for mites using the oxalic acid dribble method, bringing home new chickens/pullets, and then share some facts about the supremely fluffy English Orpington chicken. I do discuss some upsetting information related to my broody hen and chick death. This is covered from timestamp 20:57 until 30:26. Please jump ahead if you would prefer. Nature can be cruel but your mental health is important so feel free to just skip that bit. As always, you can visit my website for a rundown of everything discussed, a link to sources referenced, and some photos. See you in October! Take care!

All Things Varroa Mite (re-post)

Hello from rainy Ohio! This week, I am reposting one of my earliest episodes that covers all things Varroa Mite. I go over what this nasty little parasite is, how it transferred from the Asian honeybee (apis cerana) to our beloved European honeybee (apis mellifera), its method of transmission into the US; testing methods, and available treatments. This topic is especially timely since those of us in the West are moving into Autumn, which is when varroa mite levels can start to climb. I hope this will act as a useful refresher on this nasty parasite for seasoned beekeepers, and a good introductory guide for first year beekeepers. The original blog post for this episode can be found here. The paper on oxalic acid effect on bee brood can be found here. Thank you for listening!

Mini episode: broody hens & hive updates

Hello hello! I am back from my vacation and right back into the thick of things. I've been so busy catching up on everything at the homestead that I am bringing you just a mini episode this week. I'll be discussing broody hens (or what it means when a hen 'goes broody') as well as what is happening in my bee hives. Then I'll share some highlights from my vacation. Visit my website for a rundown of everything discussed, as well as photos. I'll be back in 2 weeks with a regular, full length episode. Thanks for listening!

Minor whoopsie: I left some old frames (with just a smidge of honey) in a non-airtight container and the hungry bees found them! This is the result. I thought it was beautiful. ❤️🐝❤️ I was able to calm things down with some Fischer's Bee Quick spray and a fume board, and recovered the frames when the bees left. (Side note: Bee Quick smells like fake almonds and I hate it. 🤢 I had to leave the fume board outside because I couldn't bear to have it in the house! Does the trick, though.) #bees #beelove #homesteadhensandhoneypod #video #honeybees #beekeeping

Vacation Ep: repost of Episode 1!

Hello from my vacation! For the first time since I started this podcast, I am taking time off. I didn't want to leave you hanging, though, so I thought now would be a good time to repost Episode 1: A Chicken in a Parking Lot. This is all about how I fell into chicken keeping (and homesteading) when I found a small, beakless hen in an ALDI parking lot. It's a pivotal moment in my life and a fun story to share. The sound quality of this first episode is poor and I apologize for that. I hope you will enjoy the story, regardless! For those of you who have been listening since the beginning, may the bees never sting you and the honey flow strong and sweet!! You are the best.

Sound on! It rained all day yesterday and was so peaceful. 🌧️💧❤️ #rainyday #video #momentofzen

Relaxed Fit Episode!

Hello! This week, I'm taking time off from the book reviews and educational topics, and instead talking about everything that has been happening here on the homestead. Topics include: rehoming an aggressive rooster, bringing a new rooster home, vegetable garden progress, and hive news. Please visit my website for photos of all things discussed. Handy-dandy links/references: Farm rescue article on wild and mock strawberries CDC guide on cleaning raccoon latrines

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Mini episode: broody hens & hive updates

Vacation Ep: repost of Episode 1!

Relaxed Fit Episode!

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