What to do with carpenter ants?

A week or two ago my adventurous husband cut down the dying soft maple tree. It kept dropping small limbs on our driveway (where we park the cars). It also easily broke and had numerous danglers. The tree was a beautiful shade tree and every year the helicopters would go flying from it. But there were also signs that all was not well. There was a large crotch area where rain would enter into the tree. After almost every rain there were saw dust-like substances coming out of holes. Probably not good. So, my wise husband, the JD tractor, and I, all had a hand in bringing the ole tree down.

It came down with a crash and a big thud. Big black ants crawled everywhere. They were going this way and that way. Some carrying little larvae, others just running for their lives. But with a quick little call to our chicken friends..."here, chick, chick, chick, chickens!" the question of what to do with all those ants was answered.


Red, our only Rhode Island Red chicken (who believes she is top on the pecking order) found something a little more substantial in the tree debris. Some great big wiggly larvae. Could it be a cicada bug? I don't know. I remember that we found a lot of them last year in a dying hackberry tree. The chickens liked them too. Anyway, Red grabbed this wormy guy and ran with it. It took her several "bites" to down the whole thing. Pretty efficient way of getting rid of bugs.

Today's Journey Joy: Watching chickens enjoy a good meal

First Swarm of 2009

Eight of our 11 hives survived the winter. Pretty good since it was one of the coldest winters on record. I had given them granulated sugar piled high on a cardboard pizza plate and placed in an empty super for emergency supply. Some needed it, others did not. I did a brief inspection about a week and a half ago. Many of the hives were strong and needed supering. So seven of the eight hives were given a box full of frames (some already drawn out) so that they could store their honey.

But one hive was acting a little weird earlier this week. On Sunday when my husband and I were walking back to the Morton building we noticed that at 10:00 in the morning there was an awful lot of activity around the buckfast hive (I only have one buckfast; all the others are Italians All stars). It looked like they were doing orientation flights. But that is usually done in mid to late afternoon. "But," I thought, "Maybe buckfasts do things differently." Alas, it is not so. They were "practicing". Practicing for the great move. You see, when bees feel that they do not have enough room to expand they swarm. The old queen takes a bunch of the bees and flies away to find a new home. That's how bee colonies reproduce. A very natural and effective way of expanding. Great for the bees. Not so great for the beekeeper. Less bees = less honey.

Yesterday (Wednesday) I went to the building again and noticed some bearding on the hive. I thought, "Odd... but maybe 84 degrees is hot for the hive. I will have to check their screen bottom board and make sure it is open." But I didn't get a chance. By the time I got to the building and got the tractor running (less than 5 minutes!) a great cloud of bees were dancing and flying and.... well, you guessed it..... swarming! It was amazing to watch. Bees everywhere. They reminded me of the flock of blackbirds migrating in the fall. They all flew together. Up and down; here and there. Flying to this tree and then to that tree. All I could do was watch and pray, "Please bees, land in a low branch." Fifteen minutes went by and then I saw it. They were congregating on a relatively (12 foot high) low branch of a walnut tree about 15 feet away from the hive they had recently departed. "Yeah!" I said. And quickly went to get my bee equipment: hive, frames, bee suit and limb cutter.

I parked the tractor right under the swarm. Lifted the bucket up and realized that although they were assessable, I would need another helper. I could climb the loader and snip the branch, but how then would I get back down? The branch and all the bees would probably weigh 25 pounds. I'm strong, but not that strong... especially when the 25 pounds could fly away. I would have to wait until my husband came home (One and a half hours later). ("Oh please, don't fly away!")

When he got home he quickly came to my aid. He re-leveled my spot for the prospective new hive and dressed up in his bee gear. I lifted him up to the branch in the loader and then climbed into the loader myself. He held the branch while I cut it. Then I gingerly climbed back into the tractor, gently lowered the bucket while rotating it so that I wouldn't dump my precious cargo(my husband!) and slowly drove the tractor to the new hive location (about 100 feet west and up the hill).

We had previously put a deep full of half drawn out comb and an empty deep with frames ready to go in at the location. My husband simply bonked the branch on the side of the deep and the majority of the bees "fell" into the hive. Some flew around...not too happy we disturbed them. But none were aggressive. They had just eaten. They had nothing to protect yet. No babies, no food stores. Just them. So they were very gentle. I've even heard that many people capture swarms without protective gear. I could believe that. I'm just not quite ready for that experience. The suit helps me. Keeps me calm.

We closed up the hive, put a couple of white cedar branches in front of the hive entrance so they would reorient to the new location and walked away. A successful capture.

I haven't checked on the new hive yet. I sure hope they are happy and have stayed put. I will need to go through the old hive and see if I need to break up the brood so that the hive will not swarm again. I'm happy we got this one. But prevention of swarms is a much better practice.... unless you like climbing trees.

Today's Journey Joy: capturing bee swarms

Let the Weeds Begin

How come they grow so readily? So well? So prolifically? That's one thing I can grow. I can grow weeds. But perhaps the point. I don't grow weeds... they grow themselves. Images of weed-free rows with productive and healthy plants creep into my mind's eye every spring. I plan; I order; I till; I plant. But weeds do not need tending. They grow where they are unwanted. Sucking up nutrients and moisture. Taking from the desire-ables.

Over the years I've learned a thing or two about weeds. Prevent them. Mulch with as much seed-free grass, straw or other clippings. As thick as you can lay it. Lay cardboard between wide rows and cover them up with wet mulch. Grow a winter cover crop. And when prevention doesn't work.... Get 'em early. Get 'em often.

But inevitably the weeds seem to win. Every year I say "It'll be better this year." And it usually is better. The soil is better amended. The weeds are prevented from growing and reproducing through mulch. But every year I seem to make the garden bigger. This year was a monumental expansion. I have never had four huge gardens before. It covers almost three acres. And somehow, in my mind, I think I'm going to keep this under control.

Notice I didn't say "weed-free". No, I am learning to adapt and modify. To live with some weeds. To remove as many as I can. And to help the fruits and vegetables flourish.

As I sit here and contemplate this weedy problem I am struck by the parallel between gardening and organizational structures. Regardless of the organization (or the garden!) the goal is to produce a good crop. But there are weeds. Weeds in the department. Some are noxious and pervasive. Some are irritating. Some can choke out the new idea or venture. Some abscond with the resources. And sometimes I may be the weed. I must remember, weeds are plants or flowers that are not where they are wanted. (Even poison ivy is tasty to goats.) And just as in gardening, I may not be able to get rid of every weed.... I need to learn to live with them. And learn to live well. Can a life with weeds be lived joyfully? I think so. I must learn to do so.

Today's Journey Joy: Looking at weeds afresh

Mulching

Over the past couple of years a very nice tree service has been dumping their wood chips at our place. We thought it was a mountain. We were to find out that our mountain was insufficient to cover the need.

We started the process by first loading the mulch into the old dump truck. (I probably shouldn't call it "old". It's a good little truck.)



Then I would attempt to drive the truck (in low gear) out to the blueberry field. That was an adventure in and of itself. The truck is a manually driven Ford 4X4 (I think it's a F350). It's the manual part that is tricky. I have certainly driven many cars and trucks that are manually driven, but this one requires a different touch. I would jerk and jolt and run up the engine. Not a pretty site.

Anyway, I would drive the truck out to the field and line up the tires on the outside of the blueberry rows. My husband would then rake or coerce the mulch to land in neat piles between the plants. I would then proceed to the next plant. How do you mulch 1200 blueberry plants? One at a time.

We would end up with piles of wooden mulch up and down the rows. I would then follow with the rake and smooth it out. It made a nice 4 inch mulch around the berries.

We are not quite finished. There are about 4 complete rows yet to go. (Each load barely covers one row.) But our mountain is gone. Looks like we will have to use straw or hay mulch until the tree service can help us some more.

Last weekend I went through the field and snipped off all the lovely blueberry bells...the pretty little flowers that eventually turn into blueberries. It was a hard thing to do. But it was the right thing to do. Pruning comes in many forms.... and is usually best in the long run. Much like life, eh?

Today's Journey Joy: growing blueberries

Hard Working Boy

Peat moss everywhere. Box knife in hand. 600 bales to open. Only a mommy and a daddy to help. At first this growing boy was reluctant... the task was so big... and there were so many other things (in particular, computer programming) to do. But we needed him to help. The truck with the plants was to arrive in only a few hours.

He worked hard. He worked fast. He worked creatively. Slice this way, slice that way. Slice six ways. Slice four ways. Collect plastic peat moss bags flying over the field. Run up and down the rows. Jump up and down with excitement.

After many, many hours, I believe this young boy learned a lot about the intrinsic value of a good days work. He had fun.

Today's Journey Joy: my son

Making of a Blueberry Field (Part II)

I last wrote about our preparations for the new blueberry field. But alas, I didn't describe the planting. When I last wrote I don't think I had even taken any photos of the process. I almost didn't get any either. Every spare minute was planting. Monday I planted 60 blueberries between rain drops. Tuesday I planted 180 plants. Wednesday another 180 plants (give or take a few). Thursday I only planted 120 plants (I had a Farmer's Market Association meeting). But on Friday both my husband and I were home in the morning. We finished planting them all. There were about 20 extra plants in the many bundles of bushes so all in all we planted about 1220 blueberry plants. On Friday, at about 11:30, I remembered that I hadn't taken a picture. So quick! Out with the camera for the "staged" planting.

First, my husband would dig a small hole and then gently place the plant in the hole while spreading out the roots.

Next, he would mound up the peat moss / soil mixture high around the planting.

Then I would come after him and deliberately, but gently, firm the soil around the plants with my boots. I would go around the plants in a little circle making sure that there were no pockets or depressions that might trap air or water.

And then, finally, it was done. All the blueberries were planted. I had to go to work for a long meeting but my wonderful husband stayed and watered all 500 that we had planted that morning.

Yesterday, it rained and rained and rained. Thankfully we will not have to water for at least a week or two. But as soon as the soil can hold up the tractor we will be mulching the soil in the rows. The mulch has been sitting in great big piles for a year or two. Should be a great cover.

Today's Journey Joy: Blueberries planted!

The Makings of a Blueberry Field

I realize I have been delinquent in writing. It's almost spring. And like many gardeners, I have been scurrying with activity. The sprouts now need hardening, the garden tilling, and the later vegetables starting. But that's not what has occupied my time (mine and the rest of the family!). We have been preparing for a blueberry field.


There is a lot of thought and preparation needed to grow blueberries. Unlike most berries and many vegetables, blueberries are quite particular about the pH of their soil. They prefer and do best in 4.5-5.5 pH. Now that's acidic soil. But to get my soil that acidic I would have had to add sulfur to the soil last fall. Needless to say life was quite busy last fall and I was unable to prepare the field. So after much research and question asking I discovered that one could actually add 1 cubic foot of peat moss to each 12 inch hole and acidify and add organic matter sufficient for blueberry growing. Pricey yes. But since I had ordered my blueberries 18 months ago and there was no return of my rather substantial 25% deposit, we had little options.


As soon as the early spring rains gave us a break we began the field. It all started out by laying the rows out. Four foot wide rows with five foot aisles. We were going to plant 1200 plants. Yes, that's right, 1200. So after doing the math and checking out our field we determined that we needed 20 rows of 240 feet long. We carefully layed out the stakes and measured and marked each row. Then my husband pulled some wire for a guide. I rototilled each row. It looked great. Then late into the night he rototilled them again. Four days later I rototilled again. And two days after that yet again. Then it was time to drill the holes.



I don't know if the thought of digging out 1200 holes 16 inches across and 12 inches deep seems daunting to you... it sure did to me. But.... wonderful husband to the rescue again. He attached the post hole digger / auger to the backhoe and proceeded to do the hard hole digging the smart way. But first we had to lay out the pattern. So we once again got out the tape measure and measured four foot marks along the grass. I would drive the tractor and when the front tire just crossed the painted mark, my husband would then drill the hole. This went on for 1200 holes. (7 hours later....)


Next was the peat moss delivery. Then the moving of the peat moss bales (all 600 of them). Then the opening of the peat moss and dumping into the holes. Then the mixing.... well, that stopped after 25 holes. We tried initially to stir them up by hand. After an hour we realized that it wasn't going to work. Rototiller to the rescue again. We tilled the peat moss in. That technique worked well. And we didn't have a heart attack in the process.





Then the delivery of the plants.

And now, finally, the planting. ...We are still not done with that part. (nor have I taken any pictures) The rains came again. We have five rows done. It takes about 30-40 minutes/row to plant. Hopefully we will be done before the end of the week.

It is all very exciting. I have so many thoughts to share...they will have to wait for future posts. Suffice to say that my son learned (and enjoyed!) hard work. And I discovered within myself a blossoming new respect and love for my husband (as if it could be possible to love anyone any more... no wonder he's the best husband in the world!) More on those subjects later.

Gardening is physically taxing at times.... My body is still in recovery. I am very thankful for ibuprofen, water, and rest... oh yes.... and a hot shower.

I should be in great shape in no time!

Today's Journey Joy: The beginning of a blueberry farm