Sunday, September 30, 2007

Mystery Flower revealed!

The mystery is solved! I contacted a former college roommate of mine that is a botanist, and he said that this flower is a passion flower.
It's also known as a maypop. So thanks Brett! I need to get some for next year to plant near the house and hives!
I did a mini-inspection yesterday, and put a hivetop feeder on the third hive, which appears to be low on honey. Both hives have a nice brood pattern going, but I noticed that the small hive beetles were moving around pretty good. But I still felt like I needed to feed Hive 3.
I took apart the hive that had died out. I should have gotten to it sooner. The wax moths have made a complete mess of the deep and shallow. So I now have a big cleanup job to look forward to once my classes end next week.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Trip to Callaway

We spent our Labor Day weekend camping in Pine Mountain, GA. Erica had won some tickets from 104.7FM (The Fish) for a day pass at Callaway Gardens. If you've never been, I suggest you find time to go! We had a great time there!
For my beekeeping friends, they had a nice little apiary set up, with a tall screen in front so the bees had to fly up and over instead of at the viewer. They also had some nice vintage bee hives (no, I didn't get a picture!).
I also need some help: What is this flower?
This flower was growing on a vine in Mr. Cason's vegetable garden at Callaway. I have to admit that it is one of the coolest flowers I've ever seen
I did see several honeybees on it, but every time I got close enough for a picture, they took off! How rude!



Here's a picture of my butterfly kids at the butterfly conservatory:Here is Owen & I at the beach at Callaway with our game faces on:










Speaking of game faces, WVU is 2-0!