Bee Relocating, Packing Sand, Casing Video - Another Weide Day

Relocated to Shadier Spot

 The Bee Hive showed signs of heat distress last week so we set up the shade umbrella last week only to find a strong wind gust blew it right past (but not on!) the bee hive. (The rain gust was accompanied with 1/2 inch of much needed rain too!) So we decided that the bee hive needed a new shadier home.

After scouting out several locations we spotted this copse of trees with a lot more shade. The previous location received full summer sun from around 09:30 until around 16:40. This location will only receive full sun from around 11:00 until 14:30. The bees returning to the old hive location buzzed frantically around, lost at first, but as we checked back every two hours fewer bees buzzed the old location and they seemed to be settled around the new location. Below you'll find a peek at the hive. There's a new comb growing but I would have expected more combs by now. There are 8 or 9 combs now. We're not planning to harvest honey in this, their first year. We will let them overwinter in peace on their full reserves and see if the hive grows harvestable honey combs next year.

View Port Bee Action

For your entertainment, I have posted the video promised last week of my brother and I casing the well in. It wasn't hard at all. Today, we measured the well and found the static water level at 21 ft, 8 in. Given the neighbors all reported wells at around 19 ft static level, and given our continuing drought, I'm happy to see the static level within a foot or so of the neighbor's wells.
I've been looking at what pump to install and I'm leaning towards, Simple Pump. Their pump is a hand pump that with a quick 10 minute change can be converted to run with a motor. (at a cost of course). In addition, it is capable of pumping into a pressurized tank as well.

My plan is to install the large 1750 gallon water harvest tank this fall. All garden and orchard irrigation and donkey watering will be done through the water tank. After the initial rain fill, I'll maintain a level of 1/3 a tank with the well pump with a level pump switch. When it rains and fills the tank above the 1/3 level, pump won't be needed. I will also put in a fail safe - if the tank falls below 1/4 full, I'll shut off the pump in case there's a leak - it's not good to pump the well dry because it can damage the pump.

I'll video the pump installation process after I get the pump in a few weeks. I sure hope we don't need to tote water from the city any more!