Traps 08 and 15 are going to need some TLC.
As you have noticed I haven’t been posting as much as last year. I have had a lot going on in the personal life and posting has slid A LOT. I knew early in the year that time was going to be tight in 2013 so I loaned out about 15 of my traps to two different beekeeping friends. Mike brought his back a couple of weeks ago, and last weekend I finally had a chance to open them up for cleaning prior to storage. Mike told me there was some squirrel damage, but I didn’t think much of it. I mean how bad could it be? answer: PRETTY <EXPLETIVE> BAD!
Trap 08 with new exit.
I will have to take this as a learning experience. As I have stated in some of posts and comments I have been targeting peoples yards for trap placement. Previously the reasons for this were:
- When they are in someone’s yard I don’t need to spend one day a week driving around checking traps.
- I have a “feeling” that they are less likely to be vandalized or stolen when in someone’s yard.
- If you want to get someone interested and caring about bees let them witness a swarm coming in. The next thing you know they will be excited to see clover and dandelions in their yard!
Trap 15 needing some paint.
These two traps were placed in heavily wooded areas near Brookville Lake. Now my #1 reason to put traps in people’s yards IS to avoid OCD SQUIRRELS. I don’t know what it was about these traps but the squirrels were hell bent on their destruction. Where I live squirrels don’t tend to take up long term residence in people’s yards and I have never had problems like this before. So think about this while preparing for your trapping locations in 2014.
In the mean time here is some insight into what I am planning for fall 2013.
SQUIRREL IN CROCK POT
Ingredients:
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3-6 dressed squirrels, cut in pieces or
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1/4 cup soy sauce
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1/4 cup water
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1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
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3 tbsp. lemon or lime juice
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1/4 tsp. garlic powder
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1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Directions:
- Place squirrel halves or rabbit pieces in crock pot.
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and pour over meat.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.
- To thicken gravy, use either flour or cornstarch mixed with water.
- Cook on high until thickened.
Have you had any trouble with squirrels and your traps?
What are you going to do about it?
That recipe sounds good, I’m going to have to go back in the woods this weekend and get a few squirrels and try it!
That is my favorite recipe for squirrels. Don’t forget to throw the hearts in the crock pot. There have been fights over them before…..
If you have any recipe ideas I would be glad to have em….. Take care Jeff.
I wonder if its raccoon damage. I had a few boxs outside with brood comb from some dead outs to let the bees clean them out, I had left them out for some time nothing seemed interested in them until I noticed some evidence of racoons being around “scat” they were climbing into the boxes (couple frames missing from this one so there was at least 3″ of space) and eating something, I didn’t think that coons would eat comb. I was right coons don’t eat comb what they do eat is wax moth larva, so the next day I was cleaning up some more heavily infested comb and decided to let the racoons have, it they picked through the comb SCRUPULOUSLY not a single larva was left, although my raccoons were very considerate and didn’t do any damage. I think squirrels get blamed for a lot of stuff 🙂
Sam… Good to know you’re still up there keeping? How have the warre hives been this year?
I don’t care what the offending critter is I will find a recipe for them…… So:
ROAST RACCOON
(for traditional community coon suppers)
Copperas Cove Garden Club Cookbook
3-4 raccoons, 4 to 6 pounds each
5 Tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
8 medium onions, peeled
2 Cups flour
1 Cup shortening
12 small bay leaves
Skin, draw and clean coons soon after killing. Remove, without breaking, the brown bean-shaped kernels from under forelegs and each thigh.
Cut into pieces. Reserve meaty backs and legs for baking. Cook bony pieces in water to make broth for gravy and dressing. Add small amount of seasonings. Simmer until meat is tender; strain, and use only the broth.
Sprinkle back and leg pieces with salt and pepper. Then dredge with flour.
Heat shortening in heavy skillet. Add meat; brown on all sides. Transfer pieces to roaster; add onions and bay leaves. Cover. Bake in moderate oven (350) two hours until tender.
Make gravy by adding flour to drippings in pan. (Use 2 to 3 T for each cup of liquid or broth used).
As meat is roasting, prepare stuffing of: 3 loaves of day old bread, crumbled; 2 1/2 t. pepper; 2 1/2 t. powdered sage; 4 beaten eggs, 1 1/2 oz. dehydrated onion soup; 4 stalks celery chopped; 1/2 c. butter; and 4 c. coon broth.
Bake in large shallow pan in moderate oven (350 degrees F) for 30 minutes. Feeds 24 people.
Thanks for reading Sam.
Well not that great but not too bad either, no extra honey for me from my hives but after the 80% kill I have some nice genetics in 6 hives (up from 2 after winter kill) so they look healthy.
heh I cant tell from the pictures if its raccoon damage.
p.s. don’t “coons” refer to rabbits?
Sorry to hear about the losses. I already know I am going to have two swarms fail. They didn’t thrive despite the hives next to them doing great. 4 or 5 of the new swarms this year look like they will make fine production hives next year. The rest look pretty good despite the dearth we had there in July.
In other locations it may refer to rabbits, but around here they’re called (rac)COONS……