Wassailing the bees
@beekeeperbob.bsky.social
Aspiring farmer and amateur photographer. Documenting the journey on our family's farm and side quests. Photos and videos are my own unless noted otherwise.
Pinned
Happy Friday everyone - first post. Wanted to make a decent entrance, here's one of my favorite photos from this year. Documenting my beekeeping and farming adventures. Look forward to sharing my farming and beekeeping journey with all you maniacs.
Our Chestnut quality control guy showed up about 1 week early this year! This is from late August. Typically he shows up about the 6th of September...plus or minus a couple of days.
#mammals
#mammals
October 31, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Our Chestnut quality control guy showed up about 1 week early this year! This is from late August. Typically he shows up about the 6th of September...plus or minus a couple of days.
#mammals
#mammals
Good morning. Go out and touch some grass. We are surrounded by countless amazing sights and sounds every day you just have to pay attention. Sleeping bees this morning.
October 19, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Good morning. Go out and touch some grass. We are surrounded by countless amazing sights and sounds every day you just have to pay attention. Sleeping bees this morning.
Today's sights...dry weather persists though we had light showers today. Bees are foraging goldenrod. Many wildflowers are still putting on a show.
#nativeplants
#nativeplants
October 6, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Today's sights...dry weather persists though we had light showers today. Bees are foraging goldenrod. Many wildflowers are still putting on a show.
#nativeplants
#nativeplants
Dry weather continues in my part of earth. I've never seen the creek this low. Some very cool and old tree remnants that serve as hiding places for the smallest inhabitants.
September 24, 2025 at 1:04 AM
Dry weather continues in my part of earth. I've never seen the creek this low. Some very cool and old tree remnants that serve as hiding places for the smallest inhabitants.
If you're fortunate enough to have native persimmons on your land, the wildlife will love you for it. All of our full time residents enjoy them. Only the female trees fruit. These are almost ready...the yellow globes in the photo will turn bright orange!
#nativeplants
#nativeplants
September 13, 2025 at 11:20 PM
If you're fortunate enough to have native persimmons on your land, the wildlife will love you for it. All of our full time residents enjoy them. Only the female trees fruit. These are almost ready...the yellow globes in the photo will turn bright orange!
#nativeplants
#nativeplants
Hawthorn berries coming in. The photo was an error in that I was trying to focus on the near berries. I like how it turned out. Everything eats these berrie, birds love them.
#nativeplants
#nativeplants
September 13, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Hawthorn berries coming in. The photo was an error in that I was trying to focus on the near berries. I like how it turned out. Everything eats these berrie, birds love them.
#nativeplants
#nativeplants
Chestnut harvest day today! It's been beautiful and uncharacteristically dry. I'm constantly amazed by the diversity in and below our Chestnut trees. Google says this is a Giant Strong Nose Stink Bug nymph! I think she's beautiful. We use no pesticides.
#invertebrates
#invertebrates
September 13, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Chestnut harvest day today! It's been beautiful and uncharacteristically dry. I'm constantly amazed by the diversity in and below our Chestnut trees. Google says this is a Giant Strong Nose Stink Bug nymph! I think she's beautiful. We use no pesticides.
#invertebrates
#invertebrates
One of my favorite trees on our property. This root ball is about 8 feet in diameter. Massive tulip poplar. It has seen a few generations of humans come and go.
#nativeplants
#nativeplants
September 1, 2025 at 5:59 PM
One of my favorite trees on our property. This root ball is about 8 feet in diameter. Massive tulip poplar. It has seen a few generations of humans come and go.
#nativeplants
#nativeplants
So it begins...
September 1, 2025 at 5:50 PM
So it begins...
Reposted by Wassailing the bees
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Found some time to wander down to the possum crossing and creek today. It's been wet, the mushrooms were amazing.
August 25, 2025 at 12:28 AM
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Found some time to wander down to the possum crossing and creek today. It's been wet, the mushrooms were amazing.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Found some time to wander down to the possum crossing and creek today. It's been wet, the mushrooms were amazing.
August 25, 2025 at 12:28 AM
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Found some time to wander down to the possum crossing and creek today. It's been wet, the mushrooms were amazing.
This is what's up...
Farm living. Bees, mowing, tending to Chestnuts in preparation for harvest in September.
Farm living. Bees, mowing, tending to Chestnuts in preparation for harvest in September.
August 25, 2025 at 12:08 AM
This is what's up...
Farm living. Bees, mowing, tending to Chestnuts in preparation for harvest in September.
Farm living. Bees, mowing, tending to Chestnuts in preparation for harvest in September.
Spent all day at the farm tending to chores. We plant Rue for butterflies - they prefer it to our Citrus trees! Rue is an ancient Mediterranean herb used as seasoning centuries ago, and has a long history in folk medicine. There were 4 Giant Swallowtail caterpillars on this one shrub!
#inverts
#inverts
August 25, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Spent all day at the farm tending to chores. We plant Rue for butterflies - they prefer it to our Citrus trees! Rue is an ancient Mediterranean herb used as seasoning centuries ago, and has a long history in folk medicine. There were 4 Giant Swallowtail caterpillars on this one shrub!
#inverts
#inverts
Fantastic woods walking morning...found these and my first thought was no touch - straight to the spirit world literally or figuratively. According to Google lens they are Fairy Inkcaps!
🍄
🍄
July 27, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Fantastic woods walking morning...found these and my first thought was no touch - straight to the spirit world literally or figuratively. According to Google lens they are Fairy Inkcaps!
🍄
🍄
This is from a fishing trip on Friday. If you zoom in you can just see the fog burning off inland. It was a stunning morning.
#photography #sunrise
#photography #sunrise
July 20, 2025 at 10:35 PM
This is from a fishing trip on Friday. If you zoom in you can just see the fog burning off inland. It was a stunning morning.
#photography #sunrise
#photography #sunrise
Slow motion bees in late June. Pollen and nectar are slowing down. All the bees on top of the frame were synchronized and washboarding - a bee behavior that is not well understood. The other bees on the landing board are fanning the hive - it's hot down here!
🐝
🐝
June 22, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Slow motion bees in late June. Pollen and nectar are slowing down. All the bees on top of the frame were synchronized and washboarding - a bee behavior that is not well understood. The other bees on the landing board are fanning the hive - it's hot down here!
🐝
🐝
The native pollinators were out in force this morning! These fine examples of sweat bees were exploring our coneflowers.
🐝🌿
#nativeplants
🐝🌿
#nativeplants
June 22, 2025 at 9:13 PM
The native pollinators were out in force this morning! These fine examples of sweat bees were exploring our coneflowers.
🐝🌿
#nativeplants
🐝🌿
#nativeplants
Hi all! One of my vices is making liqueurs and syrups. I've gone down a rabbit hole with figs. Would love to learn your techniques for fig leaf tea, liqueur, or preserved green figs - or other uses! Photo is Turkey Fig, fruits about 3/4" - this morning.
🌿 #nativeplants
🌿 #nativeplants
June 14, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Hi all! One of my vices is making liqueurs and syrups. I've gone down a rabbit hole with figs. Would love to learn your techniques for fig leaf tea, liqueur, or preserved green figs - or other uses! Photo is Turkey Fig, fruits about 3/4" - this morning.
🌿 #nativeplants
🌿 #nativeplants
Little bit of my day today. Spent the morning at the farm, weather is not great so did not open hives. Forager bees are more aggressive and I've learned that they like to stay home on rainy days. Robber screen in place at this time of season. Mowed and did a little woods walking instead.
🐝
🐝
June 8, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Little bit of my day today. Spent the morning at the farm, weather is not great so did not open hives. Forager bees are more aggressive and I've learned that they like to stay home on rainy days. Robber screen in place at this time of season. Mowed and did a little woods walking instead.
🐝
🐝
On to native plants we can eat! Big blackberry crop this year. Jam and blackberry lemonade are our primary uses, and of course eating them fresh. Ignore the berry in foreground - I was trying to show the size of the ones below. Yes our bees are spoiled.
#nativeplants
🌿
#nativeplants
🌿
May 31, 2025 at 4:29 PM
On to native plants we can eat! Big blackberry crop this year. Jam and blackberry lemonade are our primary uses, and of course eating them fresh. Ignore the berry in foreground - I was trying to show the size of the ones below. Yes our bees are spoiled.
#nativeplants
🌿
#nativeplants
🌿
Lance-leaved coreopsis, we have a few nice patches of these at the farm. They are native in our area. I thought the quick rain shower really brought out the contrast!
#nativeplants
🌿
#nativeplants
🌿
May 31, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Lance-leaved coreopsis, we have a few nice patches of these at the farm. They are native in our area. I thought the quick rain shower really brought out the contrast!
#nativeplants
🌿
#nativeplants
🌿