Hi There Hammy

It’s amazing to be able to watch the comb progress over three months. That’s so much work in such a short amount of time…

Hong Kong Beekeeping from B Bee on Vimeo.

There are a few things I’ve always known I’ve wanted to have in my life: a small homestead with some chickens, goats, a rabbit or two, some lavender and sunflowers in the yard and a bread oven, oh and some fruit trees clustered together somewhere. Those are some pretty far-off goals, someday I’ll be able to pick and can my own apples but not next year, or the year after that. Bees are another story. I want to have a couple hives of bees for several reasons:

1. They’re great for the plants around us

2. The make honey to eat and beeswax to smell and turn into candles

3. They’re low maintenance

4. They are utterly satisfying

So, when I saw this Beekeeper’s Gift Guide over at Make, I felt a little giddy. Everything on that list is gorgeously built, easily maintainable and meant to last a long, long while. One of these days…

You might be thinking “I want to get rid of all these pesky pests in my garden…. but how do I do it without chemicals?” Territorial Seeds has just the answer you’re looking for. I got my catalog in the mail today (I have a feeling I’m about to be flooded with mailers from them because I ordered ONCE. Waste of paper….) and at the back I found a whole section of accessories you can get including:

1. A Bat House. “A single bat can consume up to 1,000 mosquitoes per hour! Invite these benevolent creatures to your yard with this handcrafted house that will accommodate up to 100 bats.” Note: this thing doesn’t come with bats and there’s no guarantee that 100 little fellows are just going to move right in once you set it up. At least I’ll have a ten pound, hand crafted wood box hanging around the yard. $60.95

2. Predatory Nematodes. “Predatory nematodes attack soft-bodied, slow-moving insect pests. They do not affect earthworms or plants. They are the only biological control that works below the soil surface.” $26.95

3. Canned Bees. “Perfect for the beginning orchardist! This charming starter kit contains 20 bees in a 2 x 7 inch mini canister. Each mini canister is a complete and compact bee home that holds 19 nesting tubes.” While this isn’t really a pest control device, it is funny.

4. VermiPods. “Each VermiPod™ contains at least 1 earthworm egg coated with a layer of protective clay. Simply plant the VermiPods™ as you would any seed, and let nature take over. The worms begin hatching in a few weeks and over time will reproduce and improve the soil.” SWEET. Worm eggs I can plant myself… and then accidentally crush them with my shovel when I spade up the ground. I can see it now, a little worm just hatched squirming around and then, out of nowhere, WHACK! Down comes my shovel and there’s much sadness all around. No thanks Territorial, I’ll stick with accidentally killing a couple hundred of my very own wild worms. I don’t need any more emotional attachments to  death-prone things than I already do.