HomesteadHensandHoney

Hello lovelies! The book review continues with Chapter 3: Dream Home for Honeybees. 

Please see my website for diagrams, photos from the book, and a full rundown of all the information covered.

CORRECTION CORNER: during the 'location, location, location' section of this episode/chapter, I realised too late that I had written down some dimensions incorrectly (and somehow missed them during my read-through). So here is the corrected information: To test entrance preference, if any, Seeley offered a swarm a pair of boxes; 1 box had a typical nest entrance area of 12.5 sq-cm/2.5 sq-in, and the other had an atypical entrance area of 75 sq-cm/25 sq-in.

Sorry about that! Talk to y'all in 2 weeks where I will cover Chapter 4. Take care & stay safe!

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Happy new year, my lovelies! I hope you had a safe and relaxing holiday away from the hustle and bustle. 

This week, I continue with my review of 'Honeybee Democracy'. Chapter 2 covers information that is very familiar to many of us: the societal structure of the honeybee colony, how queen bees are reared, the process of swarming, etc. I hope it's not too dull for you to hear it all again but I'd like to think it never hurts to rehash this kind of information. 

For some really wonderful diagrams from the book, please see my website. As always, I have provided a list of everything discussed today for those who want to refer back or who like to read along. 

Thank you for listening! I wish you all a safe and prosperous 2021!

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Hello hello! This episode, I start reviewing 'Honeybee Democracy' by Thomas Seeley. This is a very popular book that was recommended by many so I hope you enjoy it!

Please see my website for photos, diagrams, and a rundown of everything discussed.

I start things off today with some fun facts about opossums! Then I cover the prologue and Chapter 1 of this fascinating book that investigates the collective intelligence and decision making process of a honeybee swarm. And, finally, I close the episode with some personal updates and well wishes for the new year.

I hope you all have a safe and happy winter holiday! 

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Welcome! This week, I compare my 2019 goals to those of 2020, and discuss what worked and what didn't. I go over issues I had in the hives, general time-sucks, unexpected accomplishments, changes I made on the homestead, and what I am planning for 2021. 

A few links of interest for this episode: my website (for photos and a rundown of everything discussed); the blog post I found that details how to render beeswax using a slow cooker; Bee Cozy wraps vs Dadant wraps, and episode 8 of my podcast where I discussed my 2019 achievements (and my first year of hands on beekeeping!).

Thanks for listening! Stay safe out there. 

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Happy Turkey Day! Take a break from eating obscene amounts of pie and other decadent holiday treats, and listen in to the final part of my series on basic chicken biology/anatomy. This week, I discuss the digestive, urinary, male reproductive, nervous, and circulatory systems. 

Please see my website for a rundown of everything discussed, as well as some handy-dandy pics/graphs. 

Here's the funny Mercedes/chicken video I mention this week. 

I know the holidays can be tough, and 2020 has been especially challenging, so I wanted to share some resources for anyone who needs help. If you don't have mental health coverage through your insurance, you can check out options such as TalkSpace.

If you’re in crisis, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (US) is 1-800-273-8255. Canadians can call 1-833-456-4566. UK folks: 01708 765200. Australians: call 13 11 14

You are valued and you are not alone.

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This week, I am continuing my 'chicken theme' and talking about chicken biology. This is part 1 in a 2 part series, and covers the skin, immune system, lymphatic system, muscles, skeletal system, and respiratory system. Part 2 will cover the digestive, male reproductive, nervous, and circulatory system. 

Check out my website for a run down of everything discussed as well as photos and informative diagrams. 

Quick correction/note: when discussing the air sacs, I somehow forgot to mention the anterior thoracic air sacs. Whoops! There is a diagram on the website that shows all the air sacs and their position so please check that our for clarity. Apologies!

Take care!

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Hello! Episode 31 covers all my hive news (spoiler: it's not great), the loss of a hen, the introduction of a new hen, and finally some common reproductive disorders in chickens. I go over the reproductive system of our feathered friends, and talk about a few disorders that you might come across in your flock. 

Please check out my website for a rundown of everything discussed (and photos!). 

Wikipedia article on poor Basel the rooster, who was burned at the stake for being a witch. 

Books referenced for this episode:

‘The Chicken Health Handbook’, Gail Damerow

‘Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds’, Carol Ekarius

‘The Illustrated Guide to Chickens’, Celia Lewis

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It's here, the final chapter!! 

Episode 30 covers chapter 11 of 'The Lives of Bees'  by Thomas Seeley, summarizing all that has been discussed in the book so far, and offering suggestions as to how we can manage our colonies in a more bee friendly manner. 

For a rundown of everything discussed (as well as a few photos), please see my website. 

Thanks for listening!

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Hello hello! This is the second to last chapter of the book. Huzzah! We learn all about colony defense, which includes a fair amount of information about the development of varroa mite resistance behaviours in honey bees. This is particularly timely for me as I'm dealing with high mite loads this year, which I detail at the beginning of the episode. 

Please see my website for photos and a transcript of all that is discussed in this episode. 

Thank you for listening! Stay safe out there.

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I'm back with the book review that never ends! Today, we learn all about how bees regulate the temperature of their brood nest; how they generate heat via their flight muscles; and how wild nest cavities provide key insulation advantages to the wood-ware we use in our managed apiaries. 

Please see my website for photos from the book chapter.

Also, please note that I erroneously say that the University of Graz is located in Australia; this was a slip of the tongue. It's actually located in AUSTRIA. Sorry about that! 

Thank you for listening! And please take care of yourselves. Stay safe out there! 

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