Hives all checked and preparing to plant buckwheat ...

This morning I sprayed Roundup on some small fields where I plan to plant buckwheat.  These plots will go to legumes next Spring.  I hate to spray but do not have the equipment to mechanically wear out the perennials and fescue we have here.  Should be ready to disk and plant in about a week.

Finished checking hives this afternoon ... we are at 18.  I lost a hive over the last three weeks ... a hive where I replaced the queen earlier and last check had a couple of supers of honey.  It was completely robbed of honey by other hives ... probably a total of almost 100 lbs moved out ... one bee at a time!  I disassembled the hive and stored it away.

Late today finished planting my very late garden under the watchful eye of a deer.

Pictures below is of one of the many creatures I have found around a hive.  The second picture of bees outside the hive today when it was hot.  They are organized in some way ...  several strong hives had bees cooling outside today.