Views of Providence Farm

We are blessed with much beauty at Providence Farm. Here are some pictures to share the experience. My cigar smoking chair is shown, as is my dear wife out on our porch enjoying our Spring day. God is truly gracious to us!!

Old Farming Projects

Up on the southern hill of Providence Farm (otherwise known as "Pig Hill") is the partially disassembled hog shed at the heart of our Hog operation. We raised about 25 hogs over 4 years and enjoyed some of the best bacon, ham, ribs and sausages I've ever had. We were even able to "sell" a few hogs to interested people, having them custom butchered and then delivered. The hogs were raised on large pastures and fed on dried peas rejected from the local elevator, as well as leftovers from our table and a local hamburger joint. (Note- cook leftovers thoroughly before serving them to pigs to minimize the risk of disease.) The pigs were contained with a combination woven wire fence and a single electric fence wire at snout level. Only one pig ever got out- our sow took advantage of a 2 foot snow fall to short out the fence, nose under the woven wire and come up to the garage for a visit. She ate all the cat food and waited for us to come home.
We stopped raising pigs because my wife really didn't like having the pigs be the first thing people saw when they came up our driveway, and because we had some wintering over issues. I hope to restart the operation in a year or two, behind the house and with more permanent buildings.

The Spring Enemy

Yellow Jackets, of the Genus Vespula, are very interested in the beehives. Some beekeeping texts say it takes the lives of 20 honey bees to kill a yellow jacket that invades the hive. Fortunately they usually just scavenge around the outside. Today I was able to squash about 10 of the creatures hanging around the hive. These Spring Yellow Jackets are especially important to drive off as they will be the parents of hundreds of fall Yellow Jackets. Yellow Jackets eat other insects, and lay their eggs on them, and so are important predators of pest insects. In the fall, however, they get very hungry and start taking bites out of us! I like to try and cut their numbers down before they have an opportunity to reproduce.

Warm Weather, Casual Observers

The temperature is now about 60 degrees, and the bees are venturing out again. I refilled the entrance feeders, and put some old crystalized honey out for the bees to find. Other residents of Providence Farm have come to check on the bee's progress.
My youngest has been my biggest helper with the bees. He drove with me to pick up the package bees, and likes putting sugar water on his fingers and having the bees lick it off.













I hope this bee knows what she is doing, standing in the liquid honey. But, I suppose for a bee, if you have to go, this might be the way to do it.

Thankfully the cats can tell the difference between mice and bees. One cat was stung after she bit at a bee that landed on her flanks. Lesson for the day: Don't bite the bees.









My daughter is the chief cat wrangler on Providence Farm, and is here supervising the cat inspection of the hives.

It's Cold out There!!!!

This is not actually a picture of Providence Farm. We are much colder than this right now. I saw no sign of bees sticking their probosces out of the hive entrance. Smart young ladies, those bees.

New Hives

This is the center of honey operations at Providence Farm.  I started 2 hives with package bees on April 12, 2008.  The closest hive (and the more colorful) is inhabited by Italian bees.  The all white hive has a colony of Carniolan bees.  At first only the bottom-most hive body had frames topped with an empty hive body and super to cover a one gallon chick waterer.  I used a foam rubber cushion in the waterer to keep the bees from drowning.  In past years I used pebbles- very messy.

The first two days after the bees arrived were lovely- 70 degrees, not very windy, and sunny.  Then the weather changed to snow, wind and rain, and the temperature dropped into the 20's and thirties.  The weather briefly improved on the 6th day so I took advantage and removed the queen cages, placed the 10th frame into the bottom hive bodies, and took the gamble of placing the second hive bodies on the hive.  I was motivated by fear of early swarming from the Carniolans, and was more afraid of that than cold brood.  The next few days have been cold again.  Today the weather was better, the temperature rising to 50 degrees and the winds light with sunshine.  I did not disturb the bees but was gratified to see them out and about.  I had some old honey containing super frames that I put out on the ground about 100 feet from the hives to give the bees something to forage.

I took another risk and put some Boardman entrance feeders on, spilling some sugar water to entice the bees.  It certainly got them excited!  It looks like it is encouraging some stealing behavior, unfortunately.