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Gardening

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Gardening is something that I have known all of my life. I have very fond memories of my Grandfather, Grandmother, Mother, Myself down to my own Daughter, each with our hands (and toes) in the dirt. There’s something special in the way that a seed can be placed into the soil, the warmth of the sunshine, the sound of a gentle rain, and the huge significance pollinators play within this great circle of life.

A home garden is a form of survival. It’s knowing where your food comes from. It’s the satisfaction of the process. Home gardens are therapeutic and they offer so many healthy benefits; from the exercise all the way to the consumption. It holds the complete meaning of “Life”.

Our lives essentially, exists from the Earth. I believe that it is up to each of us to care for her. Don’t suffocate her with litter and pollution, chemicals and waste. She deserves so much better than what humankind has been doing to her over the industrialized revolution of this past century. I’m aware that culture, demographics and even morals may partly be the cause of lax in how people perceive nature. Some people haven’t had an opportunity to get up-close and personal with her. If you ever get the opportunity, reach out to those who are less than fortunate to experience the natural world.

I feel that it is in my blood to glorify nature as I see it. We get our oxygen from her, our vitamins and minerals, our food and clothing, our homes. That reality, is too often, overlooked. Nature has such an immeasurable amount of positive energy to offer and does so generously, to anyone who seeks it. My experience living as cleanly as I have, is nothing short of a Blessing. So my part in caring, is to share what knowledge I have gained through my extraordinary experiences. Reach out if you have any questions.

Here is a link to a page for Nectar and Pollen Sources that you may find helpful when planting for pollinators.

MVBA/ISBA 2023 Summer Conference

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Friends Hill Apiary has been closely involved in our local organization, the Mississippi Valley Beekeepers Assoc., Inc. as well as proud members of the Illinois State Beekeepers Association! This year is an exciting year for both of these organizations with the 2023 Summer Conference coming in July to Quincy, IL. Our local group is hosting this event and Tim & I couldn’t be more excited to be a big part of it.

As many of you know, Tim has some killer illustration, graphic and design skills and he is responsible for the beautiful new logos as well as any advertisements and promotional materials for MVBA and the upcoming state conference, in July. We are both on the planning committee and are working diligently with other board and committee members who are all doing a wonderful job getting this thing up and running. I have also been a busy little bee with MVBA website, registrations & online ticketing, as well as preparing for one of the Breakout Sessions. I’ve decided that my topic will be on sharing plants and herbs with the bees and how to incorporate them into all-natural hive products. I know a lot of members who are thinking about how to make things with the bi-products from their own beehives, so I’m hoping that I can be an inspiration to them.

With Springtime fast approaching, there’s still lots of planning, corresponding with other beekeepers, but we all look forward to this awesome opportunity for more educational fuel from some of the country’s best known beekeeping educators. There will certainly be something for everyone, including an awesome Speaker line-up, plenty of Delicious Foods, Bluegrass Music, Vendors, Contests & Giveaways and so much more! For more information, registrations and tickets, please visit Mvbees.com.

You don’t have to be a beekeeper to appreciate what this Conference has to offer. Come on down and just look and listen to what all the BUZZzzzzzzzzzzz is about!

Waste-Not-Want-Not Beeswax Food Wraps

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Food Storage Wraps made with Beeswax, PineRosin, Jojoba Oil & Cotton Fabric

A “Green” Alternative to unwanted plastic. Waste-Not-Want-Not Beeswax Food Wraps are safe, re-usable, compostable, practical, AND pretty!

Use to cover bowls or jars. Wrap snacks, cheese, sandwiches, produce and so much more!

If properly cared for, Beeswax Food Wraps can last up to a year and then can be composted into your garden! Never any waste. Never any chemicals!

Instructions for Cleaning are simple: gently wipe and wash with tepid water and if needed, add a tiny bit of your favorite dish soap, rinse thoroughly and let air dry.

Can be refrigerated… NOT meant for cooking with… NOT recommended for use with raw meats!

YUM! Ham, Beans & Cornbread!
Easy to Clean!

Mouse Nest in Hives

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I had recently spent some time talking with and going over some of the negatives of beekeeping with a future beekeeper. I’m an honest soul, so I let people truthfully know that it’s not always about honey and sweetness. If you’ve been a beekeeper, you know exactly what I mean when I say that there is nothing more sticky than propolis on your kitchen floor, on your gloves, or in your hair. You know what it means to pray for the rain to stop so a decent nectar flow can finally begin. You also know that ants can find any spilled drips of honey. You know that you should do a split, but before you know it, your best hive swarms and lands too high up in a tree for you to be able to capture them. You know that wearing a full suit while doing any apiary work in the summer heat, can get pretty miserable. You also, unfortunately know how devastating and discouraging it is to lose hives in the wintertime.

There’s a lot to beekeeping that isn’t always taught in beginning beekeeper’s classes. For “new-bees”, aka “new-beeks”, you should always be willing to learn, because you will, whether you want to or not. (Most new-bees we’ve met are usually receptive to learning and are just as inquisitive as we were when we first stepped into this amazing venture).

Pests are a real obstacle, and can include quite a number of species. Hive beetles, varroa mites, ants, and yes mice! Here is a photo of the remainder of a mouse nest that we pulled out from the bottom of a hive this spring. She obviously tried to over winter and rear her young inside the warmth of the hive. We have found dead mice completely mummified with propolis before and other times, just a skeleton.

Above this mouse nest were 2 frames that the bees didn’t draw any wax out or use at all. They hate mice as much as we do. After cleaning it out, we replaced the old frames with fresh new frames and we could tell almost immediately that they were happier.

Honey bees are super smart. They will chase pests into corners, sting them, carry them out and dispose of them and guard their hives with their lives against them. We, as beekeepers, work very hard to help protect the hives and offer as much assistance as we are capable to make certain that our honey bees stay healthy, happy, and strong.

No Raw Honey for Infants

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We get asked quite often, why babies under the age of one year are not suppose to eat raw honey, so I’d like to include some important information on this subject.

First: Honey in it’s raw state is un-pasteurized and has not been dissolved of its all-natural properties. In most cases, these otherwise beneficial properties include vitamins, minerals, good carbs, and antioxidants. Not to mention it is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and the list goes on. As we grow and develop, our bodies become more resilient or immune to certain invaders that have the potential to harm us. Infants, especially under the age of one year, do not have the ability in their digestive tracts to combat any of the hazards found in raw foods. Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) spores are what is found in honey.

Second: Please always do your own research on any matters pertaining to yours or your family’s health. Let your research involve your children so that they can learn as well. Make being healthy, fun!

Here are a few links for you to check out…

Mayo Clinic

Healthline

KidsHealth