A blog originally for keeping track of my hobby of being a Beekeeper which has evolved to include Home Brewing and even more recently to follow me and my families approach to "The Good Life". Eventually I hope to include baking recipes and stories of our flock of chickens also reporting on the success and failure at the allotments.

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

Bumble Bee on Dandelion

Over the weekend I helped my Dad in his allotment. In one of his greenhouses there are an array of weeds growing on the floor including dandelions. I managed to get a shot of this busy character while she was foraging on this flower head. I am quite impressed with this picture as it was taken with my phone that only has a 3 mega pixel camera. I will have to start taking my partners camera out in the future as that takes much better photos. In my own garden my pear tree is just starting to blossom, so hopefully will be visited by some Bees in the next few days.
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5 comments:

  1. georgie14 April 2011 at 10:44

    Good one - i never have a camera when I want one. on 1 of my post's we were trying to identify a specific bee - http://thebeeshouse.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-to-use-these-photos.html
    Randy Sue's Honey Bees Replied she thinks it looks like an Eastern Carpenter Bee

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  2. Morlock5K20 April 2011 at 23:19

    I have done a google image search for the Eastern Carpenter Bee and I would agree that the bee in the picture fits the bill.

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  3. Ben Hardy21 April 2011 at 12:10

    You should try making Dandelion Wine. Now is the time to get picking!

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  4. Morlock5K21 April 2011 at 13:22

    Ben, have you got a good recipe. If so can you put a link on here as I have millions of dandelions in my area.

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  5. Ben Hardy21 April 2011 at 15:11

    Here you go: Six pints dandelion heads, covered with 7 pints boiling water. Leave two days. Add thinly peeled rinds of 2 lemons and 1 orange. Add 3 lbs sugar. Stir. Put in large pan and boil for 10 mins. Add juice from said citrus fruit. Let cool to room temp. Add yeast, nutrient, pectolase and tannin (1tsp each) or half mug black tea if no tannin. Add 1 litre white grape juice. Leave in sealed bucket 3-5 days. Stir daily. Put into demijohn, sieving out dandelions. Voila.

    My most recent (and so far only) blog post is about my dandelion wine - which basically gives you the above recipe but in long form. I think it is at http://bensadventuresinwinemaking.blogspot.com . I also do a monthly article for Home Farmer Magazine. The next issue (June) is elderflower wine.

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