Catch a spring swarm generally the only way to increase your Japanese honey bee colonies . Hive splitting, requeening are just something you just really won’t hear Japanese beeks talking about. For the past four years I have been using the yellow margin orchid which releases 3-Hydroxyoctanoic acid to signal Japanese honey bees. I honestly have know idea why it does this, or what benefits the orchid gets and getting the orchid to flower when I want it to is always a major headache. With my painkillers running low I have decided to purchase artificial traps this year and see how they work.
Category Archives: Plants
Canada goldenrod
Once this invasive species flowers it marks the end of the honey harvest. Bees, flies and other nectar gathering insects love this plant, probably due to the fact that there are virtually no other flowers around this time and this thing propagates like wildfire and can be seen everywhere. It would be nice if it’s nectar yielded mouthwatering honey but sadly it doesn’t, it just doesn’t.
Sasanqua
It’s good that Awaji has a good supply of winter flowers.
Leaf hunting second try
After my last leaf hunting trip I decided to give it one more chance and take a trip off island to see if I could get some better results. At least I now know for sure that I really don’t like taking pictures of the autumn colours. Hiking through them, viewing them I love, but as the photos just don’t do them justice (well my photos don’t) it just seems like a waste of time. Next year I’ll still continue to take photos but in reality I’d rather spend the time going on a longer hike. I did encounter a nice udon shop which only serves 20 meals per day and I did find a few […]
Hair moss carpet
Hair moss carpet is starting to take root.
Leaf hunting
紅葉狩り Momijigari To go to in search of autumn leaves. 紅葉 Momiji autumn leaves 狩り Kari to hunt Like and broken record player you will hear me say this, Amazing Autumn It’s not just the colours, It’s the food, the food…. Sure the colours are amazing and the photography is simple, point, shoot and you have yourself a great shot, And then….. And then it gets boring. Maybe I need to spend some time on flickr stealing some ideas 🙂 神戸市立森林植物園 http://www.kobe-park.or.jp/shinrin/
Higanbana
Autumn brings typhoons, wind and rain and Higanbana flowers littering the rice paddy berms calling in the winter. “higan” a Buddhist term for the period of seven days around the Autumn equinox and “hana” the word flower.
Sugikoke, Hair cap moss
My hair moss really took off this summer. Required watering twice daily, So maybe it needs a better place to live? 杉苔（すぎこけ）
Moss frisbee
Look what I found! Naturally occurring moss frisbee, Now I wonder if I can make my own.