Springtime is here!

After a wet winter, flowers are blooming and so are weeds! Before you reach for that Roundup, consider a pollinator friendly alternative. At our home and office, we use 30% vinegar, mixed with ¼ cup salt, and a few tablespoons of dish soup, applied using a pump sprayer. This will kill the green foliage and the growth bud, but you’ll still need to use a hand tool to remove the roots. Another benefit of this homemade weed killer is that it will not leach into the soil and poison other beneficial helpers like worms, whose digestion helps keep soil naturally conditioned. Be sure to apply your weed killer in the evenings, after bees have stopped foraging.

And speaking of bees… this is the time of year when honey bee hives split and colonies go in search of new environs. While they are in-between homes, they will often overnight in public places like tree branches or fence posts (sorry, Tranquility does not provide rental solutions for itinerant honey bee colonies – this falls generally under “short-term rentals” which we don’t do, aka our “No Air Bee and Bee Policy”). 

Bee swarms, whether in the air or on a tree branch, fence, or somewhere else may seem intimidating, but they are generally docile. So if you see a mass of bees out in public, don’t panic! Here’s more fun information about this annual natural phenomenon: https://www.mastergardenersd.org/californias-honeybee-swarming-season-is-moving-in/

And if you really want to enjoy a moment of wonder at the intelligence of these little friends upon whom so much depends, check out this video about bees and their fascinating “waggle dance!”