Daydream thread continues.....

lostinrates

I know i am not doing it by the book, but could not beat to lose the height, especially when so much height to go, but will trin the top over from now on. I am pleased with how it looks now though. Am rubbing out buds weekly, so energy goes Into the shoots i want, hope that is right!

alfie_1

lostinrates wrote: »

Wonder what people do with floating duck houses for cleaning them, surely not haul them to shore every week?


My chickens come in early. Its really strange because befor ewe moved, and still have some of those chickens, they used to line up and watch the sun go down before trooping in. The only one who doesn't always go away early is Attila the Hen, who is blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other. She is amazing, one of the ex batts, comes running when i call her, following my voice, but in the evening, she usually sits where she is and callls me, quite calmly, until i have found her and popped her in.

talking off floating duck houses...friend L's got one and the other day whilst i was watching goslings on the island, bimble decided to jump/step onto the platform of FDH as it was by shore and it floated off with the movement and he was walking around it investigating compartments oblivious that he was "setting sail" :rotfl:....he suddenly stopped looked up, and looked at me as if to say "oh sh*t!!" ..he just jumped for it and swam back !! needless to say iv now got to wade out and reattatch it to its mooring now as rope has rotted

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

Davesnave, i am presuming the pink robinia will sucker as much as the standard sort of pseudoacasia, otherwise, maybe i should buy another? What do you think?

Err, not sure. I presume you mean:

R. x margarettae ‘Pink Cascade’ (was known as ‘Casque Rouge’) Fragrant dark purplish pink pea like flowers in June. Mid green leaves made up of many leaflets, deciduous. Height 10 metres. Spread 4 to 6 metres.

...which is slow growing, so might not sucker. And it will need shelter from wind.

I sheltered my 'Frisia' at the last house, and the competition killed it instead! :rotfl:

Itismehonest

lostinrates wrote: »

Wonder what people do with floating duck houses for cleaning them, surely not haul them to shore every week?

Duck houses on islands in lakes & floating on large ponds/lakes don't normally get shut as foxes don't tend (not to say they never will because they do) cross water. So, while those type of houses still get squirty dirty , it's nothing like the amount one gets when the birds are locked in dusk till dawn.

alfie_1

lostinrates wrote: »

I know i am not doing it by the book, but could not beat to lose the height, especially when so much height to go, but will trin the top over from now on. I am pleased with how it looks now though. Am rubbing out buds weekly, so energy goes Into the shoots i want, hope that is right!

may i add that this cat [and the other one] is more "human" than me ! they are hillariously ruling the roost in LIR's household...:rotfl::rotfl:

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Err, not sure. I presume you mean:

R. x margarettae ‘Pink Cascade’ (was known as ‘Casque Rouge’) Fragrant dark purplish pink pea like flowers in June. Mid green leaves made up of many leaflets, deciduous. Height 10 metres. Spread 4 to 6 metres.

...which is slow growing, so might not sucker. And it will need shelter from wind.

I sheltered my 'Frisia' at the last house, and the competition killed it instead! :rotfl:

Yeah,shelter will be a problem this year, so we might make it a tent for winter. . When its better there it will be sheltered. Maybe i should get another too.....him. Shelter through winter is easier, house shelters from east, straw in neighbours barn from west, and the cutting north wind is all, but even that is softened by neighbours barns, in summer there is no starw in, making an issue. When we have more trees it'll all be better too. I also have the burnt sugar tree which is a softee, also in a pot. It coped last year, though not a very good test of cold the wind has been impressive, so i feel...not confident, but not totally unconfident!


Its a beautiful tree davesnave, it has those lovely psuedo acasia leaves obviously, but the flowers look like pink wisteria, so beautiful for an english garden, but also somehow tropical looking!

Edit: fwiw at the last house, on top of the windy hill, the 'normal' psuedoacasia grew well, and suckered all the time, so it didn't mind a bit of a blowing about!

RAS

Itismehonest wrote: »

I think worker bees have a working life of about 3 weeks before they quit the hive to snuff it, alfie.
If it's only a few then it may just be natural wastage. If the numbers increase dramatically then there may be some other problem.

They get 16-21 days in the hives cleaning, feeding, temperature control etc before they get their wings.

Then they get to forage or water collect for 3 weeks or so before they snuff it. If there is a sudden down-turn in the weather or it suddenly rains heavily some get caught outside and do not make it home.

A swarm contains flying bees, so many of them will die over the next month, to be replaced by newbies who hatch three weeks after the swarm arrives.

Well most of the year, except those that hatch in late autumn and hope to overwinter until the spring and they last 6 months.

Alfie, the problem with your bees will be that you cannot inspect them or treat them for varroa or other pests, which may limit the life of the colony. They would be better supported in a hive.

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

may i add that this cat [and the other one] is more "human" than me ! they are hillariously ruling the roost in LIR's household...:rotfl::rotfl:

They are funny, aren't they?! When i say the cats are almost human no one believes me, but.......when you meet them on a good day you can see why they are such good company. They are into everything, and very communicative. That bit of the garden is their favourite becuase its dog free and i am out there a lot. They sit on the roof and watch cars go past near there too. Once some one asked me what sort of monkey they are, rofl. But i can see why.:D

alfie_1

RAS wrote: »

They get 16-21 days in the hives cleaning, feeding, temperature control etc before they get their wings.

Then they get to forage or water collect for 3 weeks or so before they snuff it. If there is a sudden down-turn in the weather or it suddenly rains heavily some get caught outside and do not make it home.

A swarm contains flying bees, so many of them will die over the next month, to be replaced by newbies who hatch three weeks after the swarm arrives.

Well most of the year, except those that hatch in late autumn and hope to overwinter until the spring and they last 6 months.

Alfie, the problem with your bees will be that you cannot inspect them or treat them for varroa or other pests, which may limit the life of the colony. They would be better supported in a hive.

trouble is i cant get to them without dismantling my window sill
do you think if i got hold of some hives and put below window they might move in ?? old boy thought slim chance but im willing to try if you think plausable...

RAS

If you could borrow some hives that have bee scent and smell of honey there is a chance. really the sooner the better.

Someone I know got a swarm last week by putting a box that had bees in until a couple of weeks ago on the corner of the roof on which they had landed and propping up the corner so they could run in. They obliged.

But yours ran in the roof space.

Do ring someone at the local bee group and speak to the swarm officers. They tend to be very experienced.