It started with one of Polly’s eggs exploding in her nest and ruining the whole clutch. 😦
Then this afternoon I went out and all my bees are swarming! I tried to capture the swarm into another hive body that I have, but have no way of knowing if I got the queen or not. 😦
And just a while ago our realtor called and told us that someone else has bid on the property we found. The owner has told him that he wants cash, so now the other bidder has to talk to his wife and see what she says.
I really hope she says:
“NO!”
So now we shall wait to see if God says yes.
WARNING: for the easily grossed out, please read no further!
It seems that my day was not over yet, because the bad eggs I had pulled out earlier and put into a box to throw away, I promptly forgot about leaving them on the back steps. . .
Tucker found the box, dug into it, ate the contents and then barfed them up onto the living room rug. We tried several different applications and used the rug shampooer on it, but it is now hanging on the back fence. I don’t know if the stench will ever come out!
THEN, not to be outdone, Buddy found the remnants of one of the eggs (shells mostly) and he at them. Then for good measure rolled in the remainder. Two hours later he went into the bedroom and barfed on the carpet. Thankfully, the remainders, were not so virulent as the original nasty dead eggs, and therefore we were able to clean the bedroom carpets efficiently.
I have had enough and believe I will be heading off to bed now.
😛
Life on the Farmlet 
oh. my. goodness.
the smell of the barfed eggs almost reached clear down to ecuador!
your planets were not aligned,were they? i hope that the weekend is kind to you! z
Nor they weren’t, and yes, it is starting out great! I woke up with the sunshine this morning. That is always the ultimate for me. Thanks, Lisa! 😀
maybe this can be your mantra for the day! hope it’s a good one! z
Thank you!
And this means that…..tomorrow is going to be a much better day!
Yes, Mary! It is starting fabulously with sunshine and a second chance to catch my swarm while they were cold and sluggish!
My goodness.I feel for you and the carpet. And I pray that you’ll get that property, God willing.
You are correct, it is always Gods will. No matter how good it looks to us we simply can’t know what will happen if we press the issue to get our way in life. Thank you for your prayer!
You are very welcome. 🙂 Take care and be ;patient.
I’ve never heard of eggs exploding. Sounds disgusting though, especially after the dogs got into them. I was definitely born to be a city girl!
Patti, I was first introduced to exploding eggs when I was 7. Mom sent me underneath the shed to collect an abandoned nest… first egg I touched went off. I will spare you any further details except to say that it was nasty.
😐
That is one hell of a dreadful day – so sorry, Lynda.
Thank you, Julie, today begins afresh. Pure, clear, blue skies and sunshine! We now feel like spring has finally arrived! (It has been dismal, rainy and cold until today.)
Hey Lynda, SO sorry to hear about your little egg thief. (There’s not much that smells worse than a rotten egg):
The bees are pretty disorganised in this pic… They must’ve just started swarming at this point then, right? Anyway, if they’re still where you put them in the morning, then you probably got the whole gang. If not, they’ll have gone back to where she is… ( In any case, you’ve got my address, so send me an email if you’d like and we can talk, ‘k?)
Fingers crossed about the house…
Deb, unfortunately, they were not. But this morning when I went out early they were all in one clot, and COLD. I tried again, but I don’t know for sure. That netted fencing on the rack prevented me from getting every last one.
Oh well. If I missed the boat this year, then a new bee package will have to be ordered for next year. Right?
Man, what a bizarre place for them to cluster! (Actually not, foiled you from getting at them, eh?; )
As they were in a tight ball this morning, you can bet your boots she’s in the middle of it, all nice and cozy: ) Anyway, like I said earlier, if you want, send me an email and we can “talk” (or exchange phone numbers and I can talk you through). One or two good whacks on that frame and you should be able to dislodge them into your box. So long as you get her, the rest will follow right along… Oh, and make sure that you stuff the entrance with enough grass to keep them “at home” for a day OR, even better, stapling an old scrap of door screening over the entrance ’til tomorrow morning will also do the trick (but, make sure you do this BEFORE you knock the cluster into the box; )
Barring that, you may still be able to find someone with a package for sale, if you’re lucky. Besides, all of the hive doesn’t swarm… Call me and we’ll talk. Not enough room here…
That’s what I thought. It was only about 10 to 12 feet away from the entrance of the hive too. However, I think I got her this morning. Unfortunately, I did not completely reduce the entrance to the hive, although it is a less than one inch opening. They appear to be coming and going through the smaller entrance …
So now all I can do is watch and wait. If she is in there then I expect to see bees in the morning. If not, then I may have to start over. For the time being, I believe the original hive has ‘split’ as there is still much activity in the top bar hive. Will be watching closely and will email you when I know anything for sure! Thanks for the offer of help, Deb!
You’re absolutely correct – “splitting” is exactly what they’ve done. I could write a bunch of details, but, in a nutshell, the original queen and her yard bees will have eaten their fill of honey before leaving the hive. But first, they set up a bunch of queen cells to take over after they’ve gone. The first one to hatch out wins and will eliminate her rivals (this is the only time she will ever use her stinger).
Your swarm may stay, but, if they’d already decided upon a new hive location, they may not… With all of this coming and going, sounds like they may be settling in? (But, just to be on the safe side, don’t be tempted to peek and change their mind; )
The bees are gone. When they left the hive they had regrouped on another pole in the fence line. The weather was warmer in the morning and while I waffled on what to do, I came out about 10:30 and they were just gone. When, and if, we get moved I will have to try again. I kinda feel ignorant about not plugging up the entry… Live and learn! Deb, thank you for your comments and I WILL be saving your number for the future if that is OK.
Don’t worry, it’s a big decision to swarm and usually, once the hive has made the commitment, they’ve already decided and that’s that. It’s just their way of recolonizing while lessening the demand for resources in one area and besides, you still have your TopBar hive bees…
😀
You certainly want to get some sleep and forget the day that has gone. Here’s to no more disgusting dog antics, a caught Queen and ‘NO’!
😀 Thanks, Annie! Last night before we went to bed, Bob said: “Well, the only way to look at it is up from here!”
That’s why I love him so! 😉
He’s a keeper 😀
That’s what I told his mom when she was still alive!
“You raised him right, Mom. He’s a keeper!”
I pressed “like”, although that hardly seems appropriate. What a day you have had. Just shows how one bad egg can ruin everything.
I understand what you mean about that like button. I think WordPress needs to incorporate a few more buttons:
Don’t like,
Love it,
Undecided…
😉
Oh, my gosh. Well, at least you have a problem I know a little about. No – not the bees. I’ll let you deal with them.
You can sprinkle the carpet liberally with baking soda, let it sit and then vacuum it up. If there’s still a problem, spray it with white vinegar. Also, shallow bowls of white vinegar around the house will get rid of the odor if it’s still lingering. It’s an old trick I learned from boating – white vinegar gets rid of the smell of diesel fuel, too.
We’ll hope that Mrs. Other Buyer thinks Mr. Other Buyer is an idiot, and says no. 😉
You know, I hosed down and sprayed the back steps with white vinegar yesterday (where the carnage began) it was my last ditch effort because I couldn’t imagine what else to do. Well, this morning when I went out all I could smell was a light scent of vinegar! So, it does work! I will be saturating those areas on my rug today.
You know, Linda, I have often wondered how people think of some of the more unusual uses for items. I now realize they are the brainchild of desperation. Amazingly, sometimes they work! 😉
Thanks for the handy tip, and for the moral support!
For tough set-in stains, there’s a second phase for this too: mix half and half vinegar to water in a spray bottle with a few drops of essential oil (like tea tree – a great antifungal/antibacterial and lemon, to smell nice: ) plus one or two drops of dish soap. (To keep everything in suspension, shake each time before using.) Spray the area lightly, sprinkle with baking soda then lightly spray again. This will create lots of super-cleansing oxygen bubbles. Use a small brush to work mixture in evenly, brushing to stand carpet fibres upright and allow to work. Vacuum when thoroughly dry. (As always, test for colourfastness on a small, inconspicuous area first; )
This is so funny, Deb, because I used the tea tree oil in the carpet shampooer! Not because of any thoughts of antibacterial properties, but because I like the scent and tend to use it a lot Thanks! I have to admit that I have given up on using baking soda on carpets (except when using the shampooer) because I have ruined two vacuums using it. It works great on the rug, but over time the residue picks up every odor on my floors and traps it inside the vacuum… soon I am ODORizing my whole house when I clean. BLECH! However, I think I might try your tip and then use the shampooer to clean it up after. Thanks!
Yes, have had the same problem with (2 Labs) doggy smell when the bag’s too full; )
SO, did you get the girls settled in their new digs, or did they fly the coop?
(I was serious about talking you through it)
Sort of. Read my other reply to you. 😉
Well, it appears i vamoosed your house just in time!! LOL Oh, Lynda, what a complete disaster with the eggs. I’ve had the same happen with chicken eggs twice. EGAD. Tucker is relentless… and even my sweet Buddy got involved! How is Polly faring? I’m glad to hear Bob is positive… he’s a gem, that’s for sure!
I will try shoreacres advice about white vinegar. We have a diesel truck and of course the tractor. I’m going to try this… what great advice!!!
I don’t know much about bees, but FD and I were just talking about trying some bees. I will have to get with you regarding that. And, I’m excited about the house prospect… sending positive energy your way for, uh, EVERYTHING!!!!
Lori, it is hard to tell with geese about how they are feeling. That said, she is out in the sunshine eating, bathing and hanging with Frelnick. 🙂
If you decide to go into beekeeping there are usually free classes offered by the local beekeeps, and usually through your local county extension office. I went to learn the basics, but don’t agree with all of their practices…
And, THANK YOU FOR THE POSITIVE ENERGY! I really do need it. 😀
PS: Yes even Buddy! Thankfully, at least Tucker doesn’t ROLL IN IT! 😉
I agree with Bob. Also, hoping there is a no.
Thank you, Anita! 🙂
You need more buttons:
Embarrassed
Sympathetic
Oh No!
Couldn’t care less, stop moaning (That’s for my blog not yours, I should add.)
Lovely pictures but did we need twenty?
etc etc
As the Chinese curse says, you certainly lived in interesting times yesterday.
Ha-ha-ha! I like it, Tom, and thanks for making me laugh too! 😀
Good grief, Lynda – what a day you had! I could imagine barfed egg smell would be the pits! I hope things have improved 😉
Dianne, everything but the rug has recovered. It is hanging on the back fence while I work on it… I may just have to throw it away, I have tried all the tricks I know.
And we are still waiting to find out what the other bidder is going to do. Will his wife say “yes” or “no” ??? The waiting is the hardest part…
Please accept my sympathy for that ghastly day. After a day like that, the future can only look rosy.
(I’ve never heard of exploding eggs).
Thank you for your kind words, Victoria. I am now fully recovered from the events of last Friday! 🙂
As for the eggs, well the best way I can explain it is this… When animals die they put off gasses in the process of decomposition. This causes swelling and bloating as the gasses build up. (I’m certain you’ve seen evidence of this on the side of the road or on the beach or banks of a river). However, in the case of the eggs the gasses build up but are contained under pressure, hence when touched or bumped the pressurized gasses (and contents) are released with great force. An EXPLOSION! It is totally nasty. 😛
I guess it has to be a farm experience, because in the city you wouldn’t be exposed to fertile, rotten eggs. Lucky for you! LOL! 😉
TMI???