Marla Spivak: Why bees are dissappearing

)

The hives have arrived!

I am the proud owner of two new beehives! "Super" excited to be adding these helpful insects to the farm this spring. This will be a fun learning activity because my only real experience with bees was picking up two packages last spring and watching them be installed (and those bees flew away within weeks after installation-- oops).

This year my bee business partner and I are armed with more knowledge so hopefully the new bees will be successful. I will try and share my knowledge as this new journey begins.

The countdown is on!

Sassy received her third bath treatment on Sunday. We only have five more to go. She was a very good girl (no claws were unleashed), but she's caught on that when she gets in the bathroom, it's bath time.

Temporary House Cat

Yep, that's Sassy... in the house! Poor kitty has contracted ring worm (which isn't actually a worm, it's a fungus that gets on the animal's skin. But it's still gross). I don't know where she got it from in the dead of winter, but she's missing a huge patch of fur on her back from where she has been scratching the itch.

What's the remedy for this icky condition? Bi-weekly dips in a lime/sulfer solution.

Her first treatment was Saturday and it went pretty well. She wasn't perfect (no cat likes to be soaking wet), but she didn't try to claw my eyes out or kill me. Since it was 10 degrees outside, she got to hang out in the cat carrier by the heater for a few hours until she dried off.

Why confine her? I don't know how well behaved she would be in the house (I like my furniture without claw marks) and she was stinky after being doused in lime/sulfer solution.

In addition to treating the cat, I also wash and sanitize the old fleece bathrobe she uses for a bed after her bath (thank goodness the washer has a sanitize feature).

Treatment #2 is scheduled for tonight. After that, only 6 more dips to go!