Pandora supervising Joanne’s work on the Carousel Rooster.
Mom Finch. This is a female Red Headed House Finch who has made a nest in our (now) year-round wreath outside the kitchen. With her having set up house @ that place, it’s an awful lot like having an observation hive for bees – we can watch her / the babies (when they hatch) go through this phase of their lives. Very cool.
Our first-ever baby doves – these are in the eaves right outside our bedroom French doors. When the babies hatched, the mother took their shells and removed them from the nest to give them all more room and to make sure the shell / materials didn’t attract ants / other birds. They’ve been out of their shells since Memorial Day.
Ah, a pollen-laden worker bee making her way in to the hive. See the pollen on her legs? Pollen is held in “pollen baskets” and when she locates what she feels is the “right” cell, she’ll lower herself abdomen-first in to the cell, then push the pollen off with the same movements we would push off muddy boots as we sat in a chair.
The pollen is brought in as a source of protein for bee larvae and, in case you didn’t know but are interested, nectar is brought in as carbohydrates for the larvae, too. Nectar is stored in capped cells where the water portion will begin to evaporate through the porous cap, turning the nectar in to honey. When there is more nectar / honey than needed to feed the colony, the overage will be stored in extra supers (that I’ve placed on top of the hive) that will be harvested (um, stolen) by me later in the summer.).
Phew – if you’ve stayed with me this far, you’ve read enough that I am now pleased to dub thee Beginning Beekeeper!
Now, buzz off 🙂
Thx for stopping by, be well and dont’ forget to write when you get work (I’m off to clean carpets 🙁
hal