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Author Topic: Blackberries!!!!  (Read 12642 times)

Offline Irwin

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #40 on: July 11, 2008, 09:00:52 pm »
I just spoted my first green blackberries today.
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Offline poka-bee

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #41 on: July 12, 2008, 12:12:49 am »
Ours are just starting to flower strong.  Kathy, I know how you feel.  Now that I have bees I'm giving up on the ones by the road & up the driveway..think I'll just take hedge trimmers to em, tidy up a bit!  Jody
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Offline qa33010

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #42 on: July 12, 2008, 03:22:53 am »
   Dane and Bill W, I agree those are great pictures.  I have not seen any blackberry blooms this year either wild or in my yard.  Rose of Sharon, Spearmint and Dutch Clover, Butterfly Bush, Crepe Myrtles, Knockout Roses and some other bushes are still blooming strong though and you can smell the honey from about a hundred feet away when the breeze blows in the right direction.   That picture of those supers in your honey house reminded me of that tonight.  Thanks for a fragrant pleasant memory.  Strawberries reminded me that I need to thaw and make some strawberry jam.  A pleasant anticipation.  Thanks!
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #43 on: July 12, 2008, 10:19:17 am »
Dane, our blackberry flow has been going on for about a week now.  Usually it is the beginning of June, it is one month or so late.  Since the flow has began we have had wonderful sunshine, the bees are bringing in nectar like wildfire I would imagine.  Last year during the entire blackberry flow we had bad weather and the bees couldn't even get out very much.  There was massive talk amongst our Lower Mainland beekeepers about the lack of the  blackberry flow.  It hurt the industry significantly.  Reports said that the honey production was down by about 50%.  This year I think it is going to be a whopper!!!!  First year that I can remember in some time that July has been this dry.  Now I am starting to wonder if there may be a shortage of rain, which is very unusual here.  We'll see, time will tell that tale.  One of my colonies I had to give 2 supers too at the same time, they had drawn out so much comb and filled it, I should have supered them a few days before. But I had supered them that week before the inspection and within that week, the box (deep) was drawn and filled.  I think this year I will have lots of honey.  Again, time will tell that tale.  Beautiful and most wonderful day, love our lives that are so worthy to be loved.  Cindi
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Offline Dane Bramage

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #44 on: July 12, 2008, 11:51:31 am »
Seems everyone's (in this general region) blackberries are really late.  I guess that's it here too... I might have jumped the gun on worrying about the blackberry flow it's just that, this time last year, it was already going for quite awhile.  I am seeing some green berries forming but there are also still loads of flowers.  It could be it is still peaking and will keep producing for some time.  I know the bees are still working them from early early till sunset (such long days this time of year).

& then...
... the purple loosestrife is just starting and all the other loads of nectar producers will be "on-line" soon too. 

Offline annette

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #45 on: July 12, 2008, 01:33:53 pm »
Basically finished out here, but everything is finished out here. Too dry!!!!!

Offline JP

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #46 on: July 12, 2008, 01:55:22 pm »
Basically finished out here, but everything is finished out here. Too dry!!!!!

Annette, my AC stopped working yesterday evening for a little while, enough to make things really warm in the house, I cleaned the compressor fins and changed the airfilter and things are good now, but for about 3 hrs it was looking like I might have had to sleep over at my sis n law's or parent's house.

I can't believe y'all have been at 108f already, that's just crazy heat, are you crazy yet? :-D


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Offline annette

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #47 on: July 12, 2008, 02:02:31 pm »
Basically finished out here, but everything is finished out here. Too dry!!!!!

Annette, my AC stopped working yesterday evening for a little while, enough to make things really warm in the house, I cleaned the compressor fins and changed the airfilter and things are good now, but for about 3 hrs it was looking like I might have had to sleep over at my sis n law's or parent's house.

I can't believe y'all have been at 108f already, that's just crazy heat, are you crazy yet? :-D


...JP

It finally broke yesterday and went down to 90. This is more normal for us this time of year. I was so out of it last week. I could not do anything and we do not have air conditioning, but a swamp cooler. They only bring the temp down about 15 degrees. I guess I will survive now.

Annette

Offline JP

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #48 on: July 12, 2008, 02:18:02 pm »
Basically finished out here, but everything is finished out here. Too dry!!!!!

Annette, my AC stopped working yesterday evening for a little while, enough to make things really warm in the house, I cleaned the compressor fins and changed the airfilter and things are good now, but for about 3 hrs it was looking like I might have had to sleep over at my sis n law's or parent's house.

I can't believe y'all have been at 108f already, that's just crazy heat, are you crazy yet? :-D


...JP

It finally broke yesterday and went down to 90. This is more normal for us this time of year. I was so out of it last week. I could not do anything and we do not have air conditioning, but a swamp cooler. They only bring the temp down about 15 degrees. I guess I will survive now.

Annette

What's a swamp cooler?


...JP
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Offline annette

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #49 on: July 12, 2008, 11:24:53 pm »
These pads made of straw get soaked by sprinklers and a fan blows through them and makes it cooler. Many houses out here have them as they only really work when there is low humidity like we have. I do not think they could work back East. I first had one when I lived in Arizona.

They really work very well out here, except when the temps get way to high and some humidity comes into the air. This is actually what the bees do to keep the temps down inside the hive. They bring in water and throw it around and then fan their wings to make like a swamp cooler.

Offline JP

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #50 on: July 12, 2008, 11:36:41 pm »
These pads made of straw get soaked by sprinklers and a fan blows through them and makes it cooler. Many houses out here have them as they only really work when there is low humidity like we have. I do not think they could work back East. I first had one when I lived in Arizona.

They really work very well out here, except when the temps get way to high and some humidity comes into the air. This is actually what the bees do to keep the temps down inside the hive. They bring in water and throw it around and then fan their wings to make like a swamp cooler.

Thanks for the info, wouldn't work here then, too much humidity. I see why you wear the umbrella now!! :-D ;)


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Offline Cindi

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #51 on: July 13, 2008, 03:22:16 pm »
Annette, I know about swamp coolers.  When my Sister lived in Utah they had a swamp cooler.  I always thought it was such an interesting name for some kind of air conditioner thingy.  And I never realized what they actually were, and having your description was very, very cool, I love to know about stuff.  What an interesting invention, eh?

Wow, when JP said your temps had got to 108F (42C) I had to look up what it was in celsius, because that is how I now judge temperatures.  Canada went to metric many years ago, and I now actually think in metric for most things, except for body weight, stuff stuck on the pounds, no clue about body weight and kilograms.  That is some smokin', smokin' hot, hot, hot!!!  No wonder you were going nuts!!!!  :'( ;) :)  You say now that your temperatures have gone down to about 90F (32C).  That is still pretty smokin' hot, in my mind.  When we were at our Daughter's house last week, their temperatures were 32C and it was nasty, I found it way, way too hot for comfort, and loved to be inside their air conditioned house, hee, hee.  We don't have air conditioning, would never want it.  My doors and windows are open from the moment I get up in the summertime, until the moment we go to bed.  We live in an area where even if we go out, we don't close our doors, they remain open at all times, except for our bedroom, which is locked with keyless entry.  We haven't been broken into ever since we lived here.  I think the open doors when we go out gives the appearance of someone being home, and then there are the dogs.....bless their souls!!!!  ;) :) :) :) just try and get in....

Our average summertime temperatures are between 25-27C (77F to 80F).  Yesterday it was very warm and got up to 29C (84F), really, really hot in my mind.  Those are perfect summertime temperatures to me, any hotter and it is too hot.  I feel for you all that have hotter temperatures than these.  I really do.  Oh rats!!!  I am sorry, I am ramblin' and got way, way off topic.

The blackberry flow lasts for about one month's time, now that is alot of nectar to be sucked up and brought home.  Alot....Sunshine ever since the flow has began, moisture that remains within the ground because of the climate.  Well...that makes for a pretty good flow I would think.  As said, last year the bees all missed most of this flow.  The weather was rainy and too nasty for that entire flow month, almost.  It was so bad.  This year I bet there will be bumper crop honey harvest.  Which would be nice.  I have never got an awful lot of honey yet from my bees.  Last year only about 4 gallons, the year before about the same and the year before that, the first year, about one gallon.  Right.....which reminds me, I have to start a new topic because I have some very important questions about stuff....have that most wonderful, best day, that you can muster up.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline JP

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #52 on: July 13, 2008, 04:43:02 pm »
Yep, I know you leave the doors open Cindi, that's how I got in, it was so easy, and you know I love dogs, of course the treats I always keep with me were a big hit, had a cold one right in your living room with my dirty feet propped right up on the coffee table!!! :-D


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Offline Cindi

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #53 on: July 13, 2008, 04:53:35 pm »
JP, that's it!!!  You are officially named the brat of the universe!!!  Imagine that, your dirty feet on my clean coffee table, eeks!!!  Wishes of most beautiful and most wonderful of days.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Dane Bramage

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #54 on: July 13, 2008, 07:31:52 pm »
Swamp coolers would definitely not work in the South!  lol... there's a big difference between heat in the South and in places like Cal, AZ, etc.. steam sauna vs dry sauna.

Well, shoot... it looks like I'm not going to be able to get a blackberry varietal harvest this year.  The purple loosestrife is coming on strong already, same time as the blackberry.  I was able to pull all the supers prior to the blackberry bloom (quite a decent pre-blackberry harvest btw) but, to no avail I suppose.  I'll be able to distinguish some by taste.. and I do only harvest/bottle 2 supers at a time (18 frames) - no "mixing" - but those will go into the private reserves & everything going out will be "wildflower" by harvest month - should still taste awesome though.  :-D

Offline JP

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #55 on: July 13, 2008, 07:40:06 pm »
Swamp coolers would definitely not work in the South!  lol... there's a big difference between heat in the South and in places like Cal, AZ, etc.. steam sauna vs dry sauna.

Well, shoot... it looks like I'm not going to be able to get a blackberry varietal harvest this year.  The purple loosestrife is coming on strong already, same time as the blackberry.  I was able to pull all the supers prior to the blackberry bloom (quite a decent pre-blackberry harvest btw) but, to no avail I suppose.  I'll be able to distinguish some by taste.. and I do only harvest/bottle 2 supers at a time (18 frames) - no "mixing" - but those will go into the private reserves & everything going out will be "wildflower" by harvest month - should still taste awesome though.  :-D

Good luck with your harvest Scott!!! ;) I mean Dane.


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Offline Dane Bramage

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #56 on: July 13, 2008, 07:48:25 pm »
Swamp coolers would definitely not work in the South!  lol... there's a big difference between heat in the South and in places like Cal, AZ, etc.. steam sauna vs dry sauna.

Well, shoot... it looks like I'm not going to be able to get a blackberry varietal harvest this year.  The purple loosestrife is coming on strong already, same time as the blackberry.  I was able to pull all the supers prior to the blackberry bloom (quite a decent pre-blackberry harvest btw) but, to no avail I suppose.  I'll be able to distinguish some by taste.. and I do only harvest/bottle 2 supers at a time (18 frames) - no "mixing" - but those will go into the private reserves & everything going out will be "wildflower" by harvest month - should still taste awesome though.  :-D

Good luck with your harvest Scott!!! ;) I mean Dane.

...JP

I told you, it's Mr. Luxury Yacht!   ;)  I've already pulled ~ 25-30 gals before the blackberry flow started.   That was new but, last year, I had no established colonies - just NUC starters that had to draw comb out on the entire rest of 2 deeps.  This season it's going to be 90% drawn comb (supers included).. been 100% drawn thus far but I might introduce some new frames before the season ends.   I have a few supers line up for harvest every other day or so atm (doing the "super shuffle", lol).

How's the honey flowing down there now??


Offline JP

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Re: Blackberries!!!!
« Reply #57 on: July 13, 2008, 07:52:48 pm »
Dane, (shhh, I won't tell, but glad I solved the mystery!!) I should be
harvesting now but have been resting up from the heat and hate to say it, been kinda lazy too.

Should do ok though, supers ready to be pulled.


...JP
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