Whatcha doing today?

[JamieB]

Long list I’ve set myself this weekend, have one task completed. That was to clean, remove old caulk, and re-caulk the tub in our bathroom. Note: cheap cleaner isn’t cheap because it’s good. It didn’t do much at all. I ended up alternating between scrubbing and using a razor blade. But new caulk is drying now. Still need to go shopping, wash the stink off the dogs that come inside, and clean the counters and put out bug killer. The joy of hot weather, we’ve been bombarded with mosquitos, fleas, flies and fruit flies, and I’m seeing ants again. The brand Zevo from Walmart kills on contact and is pet safe, but doesn’t do extended killing. So time to put out an extended killer, as well as put out bug killer in the yard.
On another note, our two first hens have matured enough to start laying eggs. Then step son went to the store and came home with 5 new chicks, I can only pray they are all hens as we have three hens, 4 roosters, and the 5 new ones. Then two ducks, three geese, and my 5 guinnies.

 

[mrsclem]

What? No partridge in a pear tree??

 

[addy1]

Re-queening hives, two nasty ones had their queens ........ummmm squished.......... new queens in the process of being introduced. The new queens are in queen cages taped so they can not chew them out for a few days. Then tape removed so they can. By then they will have accepted them.

What a chore trying to find the old queens with around 60000 bees in a hive, looking for one. And the bees flying around your face...............doing their best to sting you

 

[j.w]

Re-queening hives, two nasty ones had their queens ........ummmm squished.......... new queens in the process of being introduced. The new queens are in queen cages taped so they can not chew them out for a few days. Then tape removed so they can. By then they will have accepted them.

What a chore trying to find the old queens with around 60000 bees in a hive, looking for one. And the bees flying around your face...............doing their best to sting you

Yikes, I applaud you for all your bee work. I myself could not do it, I would run for the hills when that first bee came after me!

 

[addy1]

Our lil bear got stung, a bee must have gotten into the house. I came in and he came right up to me with his front leg held up. Looked so sad.
Not acting in serious pain, but showing signs he was not well. I did find a stinger in his fur.

so now spending the day with him on my lap, he has gone from restless to sleeping. At least no serious reaction like Missy has.

 

[GBBUDD]

MOMA and the cubs

 

[brokensword]

Re-queening hives, two nasty ones had their queens ........ummmm squished.......... new queens in the process of being introduced. The new queens are in queen cages taped so they can not chew them out for a few days. Then tape removed so they can. By then they will have accepted them.

What a chore trying to find the old queens with around 60000 bees in a hive, looking for one. And the bees flying around your face...............doing their best to sting you

new technical term in the bee community; squished. Sounds rather fatal, @addy1 . And you give new meaning to 'needle in a haystack'. Might not catch on but I like YOURS!

 

[addy1]

Sounds rather fatal, @addy1

It is fatal, I felt bad the queen was laying great, but! I have been guarded all summer out in the yard. They love to get tangled in my hair, then sting my head. I had one fly straight from the hive and stung me right between my eyes. I was over 75 yards from them. That is the sign a hive is testy. I knew which one since the bees would swarm out at us anytime we worked them. The other hives did not even need to smoke them, they ignore us.

We gave them three summers to straighten out, nope. I talked to the guy I bought the queen from, he said a lot of time a testy hive, if they requeen themselves, swarming, supersede etc, get worse and that is what has been happening.

And you give new meaning to 'needle in a haystack'.

I can find them, sometimes. A lot of the queens are a brighter color, than the workers. This queen was dark, blended in. Looked for her yesterday, gave up, went through 30 frames looking for her. Went out this am. Did the queen search again, each frame covered with bees is taken out of the hive, looked at, then put into a empty box. Repeat, on the 15th frame I found her. She hid well due to her coloring. Found and lost her twice. I had the frame away from the hive so if she fell off it would be to the ground where she could not get back into the hive. They can not fly when laying brood. Body too big.

The other nasty hive I had bees all over me, they like to swarm out and do guarding, circling you to find a way through the bee suit.
I found her after about 20 frames. We went to add a honey super a few months back they came out in waves, darn testy nasty.

The poor gals were grabbed and squished.

The new queens come from great genetics. The queen runs the temperament of the hive.

MOMA and the cubs

He is alert, but still sleeping, won't walk on that leg. Minimal swelling, no skin color change, ie his entire body, so waiting it out.

He has been sitting on my lap for hours now, usually he demands constant chasing, toy playing. I find it hard to just sit here, but he needs me.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Our lil bear got stung, a bee must have gotten into the house. I came in and he came right up to me with his front leg held up. Looked so sad.
Not acting in serious pain, but showing signs he was not well. I did find a stinger in his fur.

so now spending the day with him on my lap, he has gone from restless to sleeping. At least no serious reaction like Missy has.

We recently had a 'sting' episode with one of our dogs. Beckett (who, in his almost 12 years with us, has never reacted badly/allergically to anything!) Came home from a walk & started licking at his front paw. I took a close look & found some swelling, but nothing too bad. Then! He started panting & rubbing his face - frantically - on anything he could access. Not good! I administered Benadryl & kept a close eye/hand on him (preventing eye/face rubbing) for a good 30 - 45 minutes before he settled down & acted 'normal'. Phew! Scary stuff when you're (as we are) a full 45 minutes away from veterinary services. If he'd gone full 'anaphylactic' there is no way we could have gotten him to veterinary intervention before it was too late.
I hope Lil Bear is feeling better now.

 

[addy1]

If he'd gone full 'anaphylactic' there is no way we could have gotten him to veterinary intervention before it was too late.
I hope Lil Bear is feeling better now.

He is alert, but still will not put weight on his leg. Still wanting to just sleep and lay in my lap.

Missy is highly allergic to stings. We have a prednisone type pill we carry everywhere with us. The first time she was stung, in Florida, she turned bright pink, immediate poop, then threw up, then stood with mouth wide panting. We rushed her to a vet, they gave her a shot, can't recall what.

My vet here gave us meds to have ready 1/2 of a pill and it stops the reaction. I would get the name but I would need to bother lil bear.

This was lil bears first sting. We won't let them in the grass when the clover is blooming. The bee got into the house somehow. Might have hitchhiked on my bee suit. He plays with bugs.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

He is alert, but still will not put weight on his leg. Still wanting to just sleep and lay in my lap.

Missy is highly allergic to stings. We have a prednisone type pill we carry everywhere with us. The first time she was stung, in Florida, she turned bright pink, immediate poop, then threw up, then stood with mouth wide panting. We rushed her to a vet, they gave her a shot, can't recall what.

My vet here gave us meds to have ready 1/2 of a pill and it stops the reaction. I would get the name but I would need to bother lil bear.

This was lil bears first sting. We won't let them in the grass when the clover is blooming. The bee got into the house somehow. Might have hitchhiked on my bee suit. He plays with bugs.

Ae, poor little guy. I hope he's feeling better by morning. Hugs to you all!

 

[JamieB]

So my list didn’t get all done, instead I found a home for my favorite kitty outside, and as I was leaving with her, my mom showed up with two. Roughly 3-4 weeks old, feral mom couldn’t care for them any more, we’ve got the personnel and time to care for them, as well as one momma cat that’s still letting kittens nurse despite being well past weaning age. I’ll bring her in soon to see if she will/ can feed them. The black ones already taking down, but has an eye infection I’ll need to treat, the grey one is kinda starting to tame down.

 

[addy1]

Ae, poor little guy. I hope he's feeling better by morning. Hugs to you all!

We just took them both outside, he did his thing, still limping but putting weight on the leg. Then snuggled right back up with me. We usually spend a hour playing chase at night. Tonight just wants to lay here.

Doing better, by morning he will be back............thrilled!

 

[JamieB]

Oh and when I stopped by Lowe’s, Imy cashier was talking to me about the pond pump, and her mom’s turtle pond. I gave her this forums info to get her mom to consider a bog filter for her turtles!

 

[Tula]

I hope sweet Lil Bear will be right as rain come morning.

I pulled a big galvanized metal bucket of water willow from the bog today. It had jumped the bog under rocks and was wicking water. Man, can't believe how well it grows ! I'm going to keep it clear from the edges from now on, so we can make sure water isn't leaking.