Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: Lone on June 14, 2012, 10:51:36 am

Title: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: Lone on June 14, 2012, 10:51:36 am

We have to keep the weeds down under the hive stands on account of the ants, so my brilliant off-sider has been tossing chook feed under the stands so the chooks clean up the weeds as well.

Lone

Title: Re: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: AllenF on June 14, 2012, 10:59:36 am

Are the chickens eating the weeds down or just eating the feed and smashing the weeds?

Title: Re: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: Lone on June 14, 2012, 11:18:05 am

Both.

And hopefully gobbling the odd SHB.

Lone

Title: Re: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: ShaneJ on June 19, 2012, 06:07:54 am

I just poor the old cooking oil out from the Freeman beetle trap under the hives. Takes care of the grass and weeds for a while  :)

Title: Re: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: Lone on June 19, 2012, 07:37:02 am

haha  another lazy Queenslander   :lol:

Title: Re: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: Joe D on June 30, 2012, 01:21:26 am

Before I moved my hive to a concrete slab, I put down plastic, from a roll of thin plastic, under the hives.  Keeps grass out and may help a little with ants.



Joe

Title: Re: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: Lone on June 30, 2012, 04:10:54 am

..and helps with snakes too ?

Title: Re: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: Michael Bush on June 30, 2012, 09:45:16 pm

I just went to a top entrance and quite worrying about it...
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm)

Title: Re: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: Lone on July 01, 2012, 06:35:01 am

We weed here Michael (sorry, Bushie-your aussie name) to keep the ants off the hive stands.

Lone

Title: Re: Weeding for the lazy beekeeper
Post by: Javin on July 24, 2012, 11:13:55 pm

Quote from: Michael Bush on June 30, 2012, 09:45:16 pm

I just went to a top entrance and quite worrying about it...
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm)

With the top opening, do you find the bees still put the pollen on the bottom, honey on the top, and brood in the middle, or do they change their pattern?