animals – Filbert Street Garden

Animal Corner with Charles: Swaaaaarm!

filbertstreetcommunitygarden 5:18 pm May 26, 2023 Comments are off

In spring each year, the honeybees begin building up their population and foraging for nectar and pollen. The queen can lay more than 3,000 eggs a day during their peak season.

This is as the “nectar flow” begins. Large amounts of nectar appear from clover, tulip popular trees, and black locust trees from April 15th to the last week of June here in Central Maryland.

So… What happens as the hive fills up with eggs (brood) and nectar? The bees “swarm”.

In a honeybee swarm the queen leaves the hive and takes 20%-60% of the hive’s bees with her to start a new colony elsewhere. They initially “bivouac” within 100ft of the hive. The swarm then drifts elsewhere having the appearance of it raining bees. It is intimidating, but this is where honeybees are at their calmest.

The garden gets 20-30 calls a year about swarms resting around the city. We have numerous swarms touch down right in the garden from our own hives and others in the area. If a beekeeper can capture the swarm, it is a free hive of honeybees!

A great book called Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Dyer Seeley discusses how honeybees as a collective choose a new hive.

Should you spot a honeybee swarm in the garden, please call the garden’s phone number on the front gate! We are eager to catch them as only 25% of feral swarms survive the first year.

Animals

animals, bees, honey, insects

Egg Production Returning–Animal Corner with Charles

filbertstreetcommunitygarden 1:28 pm March 31, 2023 Comments are off

Each spring our fowl and waterfowl return to “full egg production” after taking a hiatus in autumn and winter. During spring and summer, chickens and ducks under 2 years old will typically lay an egg every other day!

Days grow to just under 15 hours of daylight in Baltimore by the Summer Solstice. During days with 12+ hours of daylight the hens and female ducks lay at mass production.

As the days grow shorter, the chickens and ducks begin to “take a break” with their laying slowing down until they eventually take a 30-60 day hiatus. The temperature also affects the laying cycle of chickens and ducks.

You may ask, “Well, what do I do during autumn and winter to get eggs?”

Some folks put a light in the coop during autumn and winter. This can increase egg production. Furthermore, there are breeds of chicken and duck that are better “winter layers” and are more prone to lay during the darker and colder periods of the year.

Fun Fact: Filbert Street Garden produces close to 3800 chicken and duck eggs each year!