Today I made a quick winter check of the bees.Usually in the winter, I don't worry too much about the bees. Hopefully if things were done properly in the fall, they would have stored enough food to survive. In the cold weather, they are usually balled up in the hive, and I don't like to disturb them.
Yesterday I heard from a neighbor that she had lost her hive already. The hive autopsy sounded like starvation, but there was still frames with honey in the hive. And the temperatures have been quite mild, save one or two weeks in December. So I went and sat by some of my hives. It was kind of chilly yesterday, and I did see a few bees, but not many. Today it was warmer, so I decided to take another look.
There was much more activity today. Here you can see one of the workers entering the hive. And she's FULLY LOADED. Wow. Seems to be finding plenty to eat. Look at the pollen on her hind legs.
It surprised me to see so much pollen. So I made a quick survey of the surrounding area. There were indeed flowers on many of the plants. The rosemary had beautiful blue blossoms. And the bees seemed to make right for it. Here you can see one of the little ladies drinking from a nearby bush.
The fava planted back in October is also blossoming. There were bees foraging on them as well.
A couple of hives did seem to have reduced activity, compared to the others. I think those might require a closer look. I may check back tomorrow, but if they didn't make it, there really isn't much that can be done until springtime anyhow. So I suppose I might as well let them bee.
Bees are sensitive creatures. It occurs to me that I am going to have to get used to losing hives (though it still makes my heart sink) and follow an annual plan that restores the lost colonies on a regular basis. The troubles do make the honey difficult and costly. But when you taste it, I think you agree it is worth the effort.
2 comments:
I didn't realize the worker bees were female...please enlighten me, o' keeper of the bees. : )
Yes, bees are a female dominated society. It is the females that tend all of the work. The queen (female of course) lays the eggs, those that feed her are female, the nurse bees, undertakers, guard bees, foragers... all female. The male bees (or drones)are typically a smaller part of the population, usually hanging around the hive eating. Occasionally, they serve their biological function, but one drone may have this opportunity every year or two, since once mated, the queen is good to go for life.
Of course, being useless has its drawbacks. In times of derth, the females will kick the males out of the hive, where they will meet their demise through starvation.
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