Fred's Fine Fowl

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-contrary-farmstead/id1454460610?i=1000665186281

‎Nature's Image Farm: 64. Treatment Free w Fred Dunn on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Nature's Image Farm, Ep 64. Treatment Free w Fred Dunn - Aug 13, 2024

I can't tell you how happy I am to have two grandsons who want to know about bees...
So, being the generous individual that I am, I offered them ONE DOLLAR if they can find the Queen in this Self-Hiving Swarm before she makes it into the hive :)

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/qEiStyXTRaCtH1Y8/

Would you like to see some Honey Bees in real life?
Would you like to visit with local beekeepers?
YES?
Well, get yourself and your children out to the TREC on Presque Isle this week!
I will be at the TREC honey bee exhibit Thursday morning from 8 to 12 !
But come any day as there will be beekeepers all week long.
Win a sticker for finding the queen, get honey sticks, WIN a coloring contest for 12 and under, or another coloring contest for teens (winner each day gets a gift basket!
:) :) :)

Grass getting too long and you don't feel like mowing?
Well... welcome to perpetual leisure... :) :) :)
Just post a sign and relax. :) :) :)

A Mason Bee Building a nest for her babies
In Bits of Bamboo...

Honey Bee on Linden Tree Blossoms June 22nd.

Today is June the 22nd and my Linden trees are finally blooming! It's been a long wait, but now pollinators are all over it and the blossoms will continue to open for some time. Great for pollinators and a medicinal for people :) :) :) Image taken June 22 at 0745 (note for my blooming records).

This is a European Hornet Nest... Vespa crabro.
I have been imaging and documenting the progress of the Queen as she constructed the nest, produced eggs, and the eggs hatched into the larvae shown in the center hexagonal cells..
I also made time-lapse videos of this progress for more than two weeks.
This past Thursday, I spent hours readying my macro video gear to capture a Queen hornet feeding animal protein to her larvae.
(The talent was a no-show)
She had never been foraging for longer than 25 minutes in the past.
The larvae squirm, and move whenever there is movement near to them. They must expect to be fed.
This image was captured 4" from these cells.
Half a day passed, and the sun set.
The Queen never made it back from her last foraging flight.
Maybe she was nabbed by one of the large dragon flies I observed.
Maybe a bird snatched her out of the air, or a woodpecker collected her from a willow tree where she obtained her cellulose for nest construction.
Whatever it was, these larvae were abandoned and as of this Saturday morning, they are dark and all dried up.
It never occurred to me, that even large European Hornet Queens are vulnerable to predation when they head out to gather resources for their brood.
Queen Honey Bees are often lost during their mating flight(s).
It's a tough world out there...
And this ends my European Hornet nest growth and development observations...
NOTE - there was a yellow jacket nest also under construction, just 6 feet from this nest. It's completely gone... (';')( ';')...

the end

Many Small Townships and Cities are hearing requests for permitting chickens in backyards. If you want to be more informed about chickens in your backyard. This video is an oldie, but a goodie, and the information is still applicable. :) :) :) Please share this FREE guide to beginning with chickens.

Raising Backyard Chickens, The Complete Beginner Guide. Everything you need to know to succeed. With more than 24 years of experience, Frederick Dunn is a Certified Poultry Technician. This video covers all aspects of sustainable chicken management on y...

Ok, the last post for today.
When the resident Queen Hornet flew off to go foraging, I took the opportunity to get very close to her eggs.
This is what they look like.
I'll be back when they hatch into protein-munching larvae.

NOTE: There were five queen European Hornets all gathering cellulose from the same willow tree at the same time. (';')( ';')... I think the mild winter will result in an abundance of wasps.
:) :) :)

Ok, it's true.
I can't tell a lie...
I was VERY impressed
But the tongue on this fly (';')
For a sense of scale, this is part of a buttercup blossom.
Tiny... :)

So today I was "invited" to do a maternity session with this Queen European Hornet!
She's built her starter-nest and has eggs in some cells.
When they hatch, she'll be busy feeding them until they enter the pupa state.
When her new workers emerge from their capped cells (about 10-12 of them), they will take over running the nest while the queen then just produces more eggs...
Yes! Thanks for asking :) she was VERY happy to see me :) :) :)
Oops, I almost forgot, she prefers willow trees for her nest building materials.

Don't Panic (';') you may be seeing some VERY LARGE Hornets on your property.
What are they?
NOT the Murder Hornet... just good ol' European Hornets...
Guess what, they eat yellow jackets among other things. What do they look like? Well... watch and see :) :) :)
Knowledge can bring calm :) :) :) Share freely...

That Huge Wasp in Your Yard? It's Probably a European Hornet (And Here's Why You Shouldn't Panic) A Macro View of Several Wasp Species that you may see in your yard.Many viewers are sharing information about the Giant "Murder" Hornet and telling me that i...

It's hot and sunny, rain is in the forecast over the next few days :) :) :) So, it's PLANTING DAY! :) :) :) Annd, I'm transplanting all of my started plants. Here's hoping the woodchucks find somewhere else to munch away floral happiness...

Just passing this on from my Beekeeper's Association. :) :) :) Yes, you may share it.

It's all FREE, don't waste time, save some bees...
Most of them never find a new home.
Fast responses from local beekeepers.
Works across the nation.
Citizens report honey bees, Beekeepers register to collect them, it's that simple. :) :) :) Please share everywhere... this is swarm season.

If you see a swarm of honey bees, report it! If you are a beekeeper and can safely collect them, register here so you can be notified about a swarm in your area. PLEASE SHARE if you care... :) :) ;)

Report a Swarm of Bees and Register for FREE Honey Bees, BeeSwarmed Interview with Mateo Kaiser, originator of BeeSwarmed.orgIf you've observed a swarm of honey bees in your neck of the woods, you can report the swarm at:http...

Happy Friday!
Have you ever taken a very CLOSE LOOK at dandelions and pollinators that visit them? :) :) :) I made this yesterday in my own backyard. :) :) :)

Video and Audio is at 20%

Dandelion Bloom Macro Honey Bees April 25th Do NOT remove dandelions ASMR in slow motion. April 25th and Honey Bees as well as solitary bees are on dandelion blossoms. This video features macro close up sequences of honey bees, one solitary bee, a...

Everyone can do whatever they want to with their own land.
I also don't fault the Amish for taking the timber and dragging it out of the spring woods with horse teams.

It's now too late for the large hardwoods to our east, as the tallest and best hardwoods are being removed from that thin band of woods every day.

This post is for those who have not yet decided to sell off their tallest, and best trees.

Food for thought.

Removing large maple and other hardwoods from rural areas can have a significant negative impact on wildlife in a number of ways:

Habitat Loss:
Large, mature hardwoods provide crucial habitat for many wildlife species. These trees offer cavities for nesting birds, bats, and squirrels. They also provide a source of food in the form of nuts, fruits, and insects that live on the trees. Without these hardwoods, many animals will lose their homes and struggle to find food.

Loss of Food Sources:
Hardwoods like maple trees produce nuts and seeds that are a vital food source for many animals, including deer, squirrels, turkeys, and bears. Their loss can disrupt food chains and lead to population declines in these species.

Disruption of Forest Microclimate:
Large trees help to shade the forest floor, keeping it cool and moist. They also help to regulate wind speed and humidity. Removing these trees can lead to increased temperatures, drier conditions, and changes in plant life on the forest floor. This can disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem and make it less hospitable for many wildlife species.

Reduced Water Quality:
The root systems of mature trees help to filter water and prevent soil erosion. Removing these trees can lead to increased runoff and sedimentation in streams and rivers, which can harm aquatic life.

Loss of Connectivity:
Forests with large, mature hardwoods often serve as corridors for wildlife movement. These corridors allow animals to travel between different parts of their habitat in search of food, mates, and shelter. Removing these trees can fragment the forest and make it more difficult for animals to move around, which can isolate populations and reduce their genetic diversity.

Overall, the removal of large maple and other hardwoods from rural areas can have a cascading effect on wildlife populations and the health of the ecosystem.

Those trees won't be replaced in our lifetime.

This is a video contest with cash prizes, from the Blythewood Bee Company. If you don't know, they invented Swarm Commander. I am not in any way affiliated with them, but thought I'd share since first place is $1,000.00 in cash. Good company, Veteran Owned:

Swarm Commander Best Video Testimonial Contest 🐝 Join the Blythewood Bee Company's Swarm Commander Video Testimonial Contest! 🌟📅 Contest Duration: April 1st - July 31st, 2024Are you a beekeeping enthus...

This will catch most of you completely by surprise!

A total solar eclipse will occur in Erie, PA on April 8th 2024 at 3:16PM, and Erie will not bear witness to another until 2099.

On April 8th the people of Erie and the surrounding area will see the sun disappear and leave a ghostly glow in the daytime sky that will last for 3 min 42s.

This is the moment when the moon completely covers the disc of the sun and is called the Totality.

Now you know :) :) :)
Don't you dare miss it!

CAUTION: Your cell phone camera can be damaged by the sun during an eclipse, even though the sun itself isn't any brighter during an eclipse. Here's why:

Intensity of Sunlight: Regular phone cameras aren't designed to handle the sun's intense light, even during a partial eclipse. The sun's rays can still be strong enough to damage the camera sensor.
Concentrated Light: The lens on your phone concentrates the sunlight, making it even more intense on the sensor. This increases the risk of damage.
So, it's best to avoid pointing your phone camera directly at the sun during an eclipse.

Are you finding mouse droppings in and around your stored Honey Processing Equipment? A 10% bleach solution is required.

Are there mice chewing into your stored supers, and frames, and making holes in that valuable wax foundation?

Finally, I found a 3-D Printed Mouse Trap Robotic System that handles any number of mice in an enclosed space.

It's a Kill-Trap, which, in my opinion, is far more humane than live-catch traps that are often forgotten only to find a starved-out mouse in it.

Greenhouse rodents in spring are a huge frustration as they dig out your seeds before germination.

Inside your Chicken Coop, you can place this system underneath a wooden box or tote, and just provide small 2" diameter entry holes for the mice while keeping the chickens away from the trap.

Here you go, please share this video with anyone you know who may have rodent problems.

The Best Mouse Trap, Electronic Automatic Repeating Mouse Trap, Mouse Delete-r . Most Expensive! The Most Expensive and Complicated Mouse Trap that I've ever purchased, and it is absolutely worth it.The Mouse Delet-r Repeating Mouse Trap is sold on Etsy:...

Hummingbirds will be here soon. :)
Please read - this is important.
Honey might seem like a natural choice for hummingbird feeders, but it's actually harmful to these tiny birds. Here's why:

Fungus growth: Honey can harbor spores that quickly grow fungus in the sugar water solution. This fungus can infect the hummingbird's tongue, making it difficult for them to eat and leading to starvation.

Sticky mess: Honey is much stickier than plain sugar water. If it gets on a hummingbird's feathers, it can clump them together, hindering their flight and making them vulnerable to predators.

What to use instead:

The safest and best option for hummingbird feeders is a simple sugar water solution. Here's how to make it:

Mix 1 part sugar with 4 parts water (e.g., 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water)
Use plain white table sugar, not honey, brown sugar, raw sugar, or artificial sweeteners.
You can use tap water, but if your tap water has a strong chlorine odor, opt for bottled water.
Keeping feeders clean:

Change the sugar water solution every 3-4 days, especially in hot weather, to prevent mold growth.
Thoroughly clean your feeders with hot, soapy water each time you change the solution. Rinse well to remove any soap residue.
By following these tips, you can create a safe and healthy haven for hummingbirds in your backyard.

I just published the 200th episode of “The Way To Bee” on @podbeancom The Way To Bee

It's warming up! Don't shoot the messenger!
This is the doork**b to one of our chicken coops.
JUST BEWARE! :) :) :) warm weather can also bring surprises.
And happy little accidents...

Spider Hiding Under Door K**b! LOOK before you grab that door k**b :) Orb Spider. My wife was collecting eggs and when she went to the last coop, she grabbed the doork**b as she's done a thousand times before, only this time, her fingers m...

Thank YOU for listening :) :) :)

I just published the 150th episode of “The Way To Bee” on @podbeancom The Way To Bee