Wilting in the heat

This morning I ambled down to the allotment a bit earlier than normal in an effort to escape the heat. Upon arrival, I spoke to Mick the Greek and Cliff who had stopped by our daughter’s tree and had noticed that it seemed to have some buds on it. It looks like there might be a chance we might have olives on it if the weather conditions stay as they are!

Next, I fed the chickens before starting the major job of cleaning out the chicken coop. Everything as to be removed, washed in anti-mite fluid, left to dry then put back in. It’s a job that takes a couple of hours and needs to be repeated once a month or more frequently if mites are found. We have found mites at the end of the perches and hiding by the props for the roof. I drowned the ends of the perches in anti-mite fluid and left it to soak for an hour. I then dowsed the props in anti-mite water repeatedly to attempt to kill off the mites once and for all. It will need cleaning out again next week to ensure any new mites are removed before they make an even bigger problem.

The tea bell rang and I adjourned for a well deserved break. The usual setting the world to rights completed, I went off to attempt to remove some of the mass of bindweed covering one side of the coop. I managed to get covered in loose leaves and stems, raining down the removed flora on the heads of curios chickens. They didn’t seem impressed. Shame as there is lots of it!

With the heat getting to me, I was beating a hasty retreat home when I bumped into Steve. He was in a rush so the bee check will be done another day. Before I left I remembered to take a photo of the strawberry bed which o weeded yesterday – it doesn’t look too bad!