The small colony of bees collected from the plum tree have been put into a small hive (Nuc) and placed in the quarantine apiary. Here they will be treated for disease and on day 3 fed a light sugar syrup to help them build in size.
Currently I have placed the Nuc next to the hive where they will be housed.
The bees have started leaving the Nuc and familiarising themselves with the surrounding area. You can see this by their behavior. When the Nuc was first positioned and the bees let out, they would emerge from the Nuc and fly in ever increasing circles up into the sky.
This is to allow them to spot landmarks and orientate in relation to their new home.
The next step will be to feed and medicate the new colony.
Today I collected my second swarm this week from the Bideford, North Devon.
A large swarm collected yesterday in a plum tree and was still present today, so I nipped along at 12:00 and picked it up.
It’s now located in my quarantine apiary, ready to be put in a hive tomorrow.
When collecting swarms, people, often ask me: “what happens next”?
I’ve decided to write about this swarm, so that anyone who is interested can track it’s progress. Check back to my website for updates: www.ChilcottsFarm.co.uk/news/ or follow the tag #BidefordHoneyBeeSwarm on Instagram.
I have just collected this nice little swarm of Honey Bees from a building site in Barnstaple.
I got a call from the Site Manager. The bees had been clustering underneath some scaffolding since yesterday. Conveniently located at ground level, I put them in a box and brought them back to our isolation apiary.
Honey Bee Swarm Gathered up from a Building Site, and ready to be transferred to its new home
Remember, if you have a Honey Bee Swarm that needs collecting and the swarm is in the local area of Bickington or Fremington, contact me. My details are below, or go to my webpage: https://chilcottsfarm.co.uk/bees/local-swarm-collector/ to find out more and to check it is a Honey Bee Swarm.
Contact me if you have a Honey Bee Swarm that you need removing:
Telephone: 07403 311920
Or, email me using the form below:
If I am not available, or you need a Swarm Collector for another area, please go to the British Beekeepers website and put in your post code: https://www.bbka.org.uk/swarm This will provide a list of Honey Bee Swarm Collectors near to you.
If you have had a Honey Bee Swarm collected and wish to make a voluntary donation toward expenses, please complete the form below:
The geese have finished laying for this year, so we no longer have goose eggs for sale. We have a broody goose sitting on the last eggs laid, so maybe some spring goslings? Hopefully more goose eggs available from late February next year.
The first swallows arrived at Chilcotts Farm on 21st April. Over the past week they have been busy searching out nesting sites in the out buildings repairing last year’s nests.
Its great to see them swooping around the beautiful blue sky.
Goose egg shell is quite robust, so can be used to make a decorated egg that will last and keep indefinitely. To make a decorated egg, the white and yolk need to be removed, and the inside given a little wash. This can be done by 'blowing' the egg.
Blowing an Egg
Blowing an egg is quite straight forward, the method being applicable to most eggs. Here's what to do:
Holding the egg over a bowl, pierce a hole in both ends with a clean wood nail.
This will make a pin prick hole in either end of the egg.
Make sure that you push the nail deeply into the egg to make a hole in the egg membrane.
At this stage,still over the bowl, pierce your lips over one hole in the egg, while keeping the other end unblocked.
Give a gentle blow.
The egg should start to come out the other end.
If you are having difficulty, cover both the holes, give the egg a vigorous shake to try and break up the yolk and white inside.
Try blowing again.
Once the white and yolk has been completely removed from the egg, don't throw it away! The egg yolk and white, can be used for cooking.
Now hold one hole of the egg under a cold tap and let water fill the egg.
Give the egg a shake, then let the water drain out.
Leave the egg to dry.
Basic dyeing
Once dried the egg can be decorated.
Decoration can be left to your imagination using a variety of techniques, from pens, to stickers, to paints. We use an edible egg dye, but food colouring can be used too.
The advantage of the egg dye is that it is edible and can be also used on hard boiled eggs.
Follow the instructions on the egg dye packet, but typically this involves dissolving the dye in water and then dipping the egg. An egg could be dipped multiple times, to get a rainbow or blend of colours.
In our picture, we have dyed the egg all one colour, there are a couple of eggs, that have been dipped in a marbling dye, which gives a marbled affect.
Further Decoration
If you are colouring your egg first, as described above, wait until the dye is dried, then embellish your design with transfers, and felt tip pen.
As a final layer of protection an clear lacquer or varnish can be applied.
To finish it off, why not thread a bit of ribbon through the egg, so that it can be hung up?
A couple of weeks ago I noticed a couple of bees flying from the hive and returning with pollen. It looked like cherry blossom pollen, perhaps from the blackthorn that had started to flower in the hedge rows.
Anyway, the last couple of days, which have been very warm and bright, the bees have been flying and coming back with loads of pollen. In addition, the cherry and plum blossom in the orchard is covered in bees.
Hopefully the weather will remain kind to the bees, and this year’s fruit trees will be well pollenated and produce a bumper harvest of fruit.
We have goose eggs for sale. About 3 times the size of chickens eggs, they are a meal in themselves.
Local collection only.
Fresh Goose Eggs Laid by Our Geese
£3.00
Goose eggs are truly distinctive being almost three times the size of a hen’s egg! We have three girls that typically lay from the beginning April through to the end of May.
Price is per egg, minimum order of 2 eggs.
CLICK & COLLECT only. Buy online and schedule a time to pick-up.
Having a more pronounced flavour than a hens egg, but slightly milder than a duck egg. A Goose egg is simply a meal in itself eaten boiled, scrambled, or fried and shared. As with all eggs they can be used as an ingredient in baked dishes such as gratins and quiches or as the base for the finest Yorkshire pudding.
Our Geese lay their eggs between Spring and early Summer by free roaming in our fields. With access to grass all year round and free to roam, they produce the most delightful eggs with deep orange yolks!
Uses for Goose Eggs
Goose eggs can be used in exactly the same way as chicken eggs. The only difference is their size. About 3 to 4 times the weight of a chicken egg, they can be used in cooking in the same way. If a recipe is asking for 3 eggs, one goose egg may do.
Examples of use for goose eggs:
Soft boiled: To get a nice runny soft boiled goose egg, boil for 6 minutes. Read more here ….
Hard boiled: Boil for about 8 to 10 minutes to get a hard boiled egg, and use in the normal way.
Blowing: Its great fun for kids to blow goose eggs and then paint and decorate them, especially around easter time. Use the egg blown out of the shell to make scrambled egg or omelette.
About Our Geese
Our Geese are kept naturally, predominantly eating fresh grass. In February, in preparation for egg laying, we may supplement their feed with a premium quality specialist goose breeders feed.
At this time of year, the grass can be low in nutrition, and supplementing their feed provides necessary minerals and vitamins in preparation for the laying season and the number of goose eggs they can produce.
After six years, we have decided to close our honesty stall. Unfortunately, due to continued petty theft, it is becoming onerous.
While it has been enjoyable meeting and speaking to people, as always, it is the mindless minority that spoil things. What can we do?
A Theft Thwarted!
As many people will know we thwarted one theft. (click here to read about it) I apprehended and caught one of the thieves, who hopefully learnt his lesson after being in a police cell for some of the night. Unfortunately, the police decided not to press charges (due to lack of funds ...... not evidence!). However, the two thieves had stolen from us, and we never reclaimed some of the items stolen.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO?
At least we can say that we have sold our surplus, and met some lovely, honest people who appreciate what we have sold to them.
We didn't make a profit, but covered some of our costs.
Now we just have to be more creative in how we use our surplus produce.
Unfortunately, we know that some of our surplus crops will end up on the compost heap as opposed to being sold to honest people or taken by those not so honest, but maybe needy (if so it would have been better if they had asked).
You can still buy some items on our website online for collection at:
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