Homeschool, Picking, Bees - Thursday

I had planned on doing a variety of tasks yesterday but found myself spending a large part of it on homeschooling. J has dug into Code Combat and is plugging along. We are trying to cover the main topics for the various levels he has been doing and I will likely buy a license for the 3 months. He is enjoying it and it is a pretty cool ui/ux with a lot going on on each screen. He spent most of the day doing school work, which was a bit out of the norm for him. Even in the afternoon he was still sitting at his desk working on a packet.

I got out and got a slim 30 squash picked but I had more than enough for this morning's delivery. I need to have enough for Tuesday now but should have no problem getting enough.

By the shed I found this cool insect. It had a broken wing so was unable to fly. It tried its darnedest to but just couldn't get off the ground. It was pretty mellow while I held it. I have looked in my guides but can't find what it is. I set it on the fir tree nearby so it was off the ground.

Got the boys their lunch then got to picking beans. I got through the Red Swan and Provider rows and a bit of the Roc d'Or and Compass rows which got me just under 10 pounds. I have to spend most of today picking beans since they are getting big fast and I can't have them getting too meaty.

I finally got myself into the hives to pull my flow frames. I am 2 weeks late on it but it is not too bad since there was only a very small amount of honey in 2 frames. I pull the flow frames from the 2 big hives and replaced with clean normal frames. I then popped off the top supers and then put on my formic acid strips then put a super on then put a pollen patty on it, then set the top super on so they have room to fill more frames. The smallest hive has a very full super and have just barely started on the upper. I put the formic acid strips in and a pollen patty then put the empty super back on top. In the evening one of the bigger hives had a ton of the bees massed at the entrance but it could have just been the potency of the strips. They are very effervescent and made my sinus twinge when I open the packages. I also dusted the top bars with superdfm powder.

My big goal this year is to get my hives to survive through winter. I am following the directions from where I got my nucs and since they are local I am figuring it is the best method to keep them alive.

Backed the truck up and loaded up all the OSB and drove it up to the shed. I unloaded it all and leaned it against the back wall. I am going to have enough that I am going to do the back wall inside and out with it. I have to get the strapping and insulation in first though.

As I drove the truck back to park it I stopped and loaded up a pair of 12 foot pallets and then dropped them where the wood had been. The area is my hay spot and now I can use the big pallets for the bales. With the pallet covers I am going to have nice and dry hay no matter the weather.

Today I have to spend picking. Luckily the temps are not horrible as there is a definite Fall feel in the mornings. I may go get a load of hay today as well.