Bee Update

The hive we have been feeding is alive and well! When we checked on the girls about a week ago, they were swarming with vitality. New young bees were everywhere! They were bringing back pollen and presumably nectar, probably from the maple trees. The pollen is a very creamy color, almost white. Although we did a lot in the hive, the girls remained relatively calm. Beekeepers the world over have talked and sung to their girls while working the hive, and I am no exception. I kept up a friendly patter, even though my husband thinks it's unneccessary and unscientific. I was just so delighted to greet them! A healthy laying pattern was observed in the brood box, and our queen looked robust. We swapped the hive bodies, putting the brood on the bottom. Soon we will be looking for the right window of opportunity to attempt raising another queen and creating a new hive. Feeding during the roughest part of late winter/early spring appears to be a Very Good Idea.

Lost Hive

I keep bees, and am sad to report that one hive didn't make it through the winter. They didn't have enough honey put by to keep them alive. It's sad to bear witness to their last moments, frozen in time. The poor girls are deep in the cells, trying to scrape out the last bits of honey so that they will have enough energy to keep themselves warm. Bees are a hive organism, and no individual honeybee can survive long on its own. They need each other. And, it appears, they sometimes need beekeepers. Our other hive is also struggling, but my beekeeping partner has rigged up a temporary feeding station inside an unused box. We set up two feeders of sugar water, and the bees are certainly using them. We also ordered pollen packets and queen rearing supplies so that we can attempt to strengthen this remaining hive and perhaps breed more queens and hives off of it.