Winter Activity?

[nepenthes]

I know allot of you guys have had winter activity! Lets see it! My Russians, being clean little house maids! I wont say to much about the Italians their entrance was a mess.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

My hives were also going crazy over the past few days. It's a shame there's nothing for them to work really except a few stray dandelions. I'm considering giving them some sugar patties if the warm weather keeps up.

[Cindi]

Cody, what a shot!!!!  That was perfect getting it from the side angle like you did. Again, aren't you so grateful that you got that camera?  I know that I sure am, hee, hee    Yes, Russians.  I notice a huge difference between the Italians I have and the three Carniolan colonies.  The Italians have really messy places with propolis, the Carniolans do not.  Plain and simple.  Now, we'll see when the cleansing weather comes if this is true in other areas, hee, hee.  Have a wonderful and greatest of days.  Cindi

[reinbeau]

Well, it's 64°F out there at 11:30 am on this splendid Tuesday, and even though my asparagus bed looks like this:



the hive I thought was in trouble looks like this:



I'm doing the happy dance!

[Scadsobees]

This poor girl didn't make it back and went into the light...and joined the big "circle of life".  And I always tell them...make an extra circle when orienting!!!



This isn't normal for winter.

Rick

[MrILoveTheAnts]

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v735/mrilovetheants/Bees/?action=view&current=P1060063.flv

Sorry about the solar glare but you get the idea here.

[nepenthes]

reinbeau, I like you're entrance reducer!

Cindi, your quite a character, your posts are always nice and sincere! I bet you would be hilarious to meet in real life.

[reinbeau]

reinbeau, I like you're entrance reducer!

Thanx!  Not an entrance reducer so much as a mouse guard (we have lots of meeces around here!)  We got them from Brushy Mountain.

I sat out there for awhile yesterday and watched the housekeepers pulling the dead bees that had fallen to the bottom out - some of them had such a struggle!  Then they'd fly them off - if they didn't drop right to the ground in front of the hive with their burden.

Hubby went over to my mother's house to check the other hives and he said the difference was amazing.  Those hives are much stronger than this one out back.  Oh well, we may still lose it, I guess.  Hopefully not, though.

[randydrivesabus]

taken on this past Sunday.

[Cindi]

Cody, hee, hee, you never know....

Ann, I think that your asparagus patch looks somewhat like mine does    Come the end of March I see the little spears begin to rear their beautiful heads.  I can't wait for spring!!!  Yea.

I heard the Varied Thrush for the first time this year, yesterday.  It has the most beautiful sound, one single, note, that is followed by other single notes, all on different pitches, the most beautiful sound.  I haven't looked, because I have been busy with the new chickenyard critters, (now that stuff about the turkey is another tale to tell, it will come tomorrow with some pictures of Richard, that is his name), but the chives should be coming up out of the ground too, yeah!!!  I have had to buy some green onioins from the store, and man, did that suck!!!!!

I see these pictures of the bees flyin', yea!!!!!  That is a wonderful sight for the eyes, we know that they are purifying their bodies, getting rid of the winter buildup inside, yea!!!

I remember reading in the old book that I have, the ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture, a book I inherited from my Dad, who was also a beekeeper.  It is an oldeeeee and it is beautiful.  Right, what was I remembering before I got took off into that thought about my Dad and his bees on the powerlines......right...  I remember the author speaking to me about when it came time for the cleansing flights in the spring that it was a nice thing to let the neighbour wife know this.  That way during the first few days she would put her laundry on hold basically, and not put it outside on the clothesline, for surely it would get covered in bee poop.  Hee, hee.  When I read this book, it takes me right beside this wonderful man's side.  He is speaking to me...and me alone....his jargon is wonderful, old fashioned, as are his ideas.

There is so many little topics.  I recall one topic when he spoke of how easy it was for a boy to catch a swarm.  He would simply go on his bicycle with a burlap sack, ride to the swarm, catch it, bring it home on his bicycle and swarm it.  That was cool.  And I pictured this young boy on his bicycle with burlap sack in tow.  Funny.  I love this book.

Eeeks!!!!  You know me, I ramble and get off topic.  This was all about the pictures of the "coming out of winter" of the bees.  Where on earth was I going?  Have a wonderful and great day, great health, do things that make you happy and be grateful for your life and the life that you live.  Cindi

[reinbeau]

Ah, Cindi, the thrushes have such a lovely song, all of them (that includes our beloved Robin, you know!).  My favorite is the Wood Thrush.  It will be much longer for me to hear any of them, May, at least, and that's when the asparagus will poke through around here - it's much colder here for much longer than for you.  I think you live in a much better gardening climate than we do.

[randydrivesabus]

Today I caught some of my bees stealing the cracked corn I set out for the geese and guineas.

[reinbeau]

Oh, yea, and they'll be gathering the white millet out of my birdfeeders again, too!    The poor bees need something to do, I guess, when it's so warm out and there's no pollen or nectar to gather.

[nepenthes]

 

Wow didnt realize bees did that!

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Could they be mistaking the corn seeds for pollen pellets, and then eating the oil?

[nepenthes]

dry corns dry, not much to them when they are dry. they have a good big of protein in them, so wouldn't surprise me.

[Cindi]

Randy, what a great picture of the bees, I think some of us learned something today, hee, hee  .  That picture was wallpaper worthy, you should enter it into our contest.

Ann, this Varied Thrush is something that I look forward to so much each year.  It is the species with the black strip that runs horizontally across its breast, a beauty.  Never could get close enough to this timid bird to get a good picture though, too bad.  Oh May, that is a long ways away yet to hear some beautiful bird songs, but you know they will come, as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow.  Oh the beauties of our spring coming forth.

I saw a flock of Starlings on our lawn yesterday.  I see them about once a year, during the brooding period.  They bring their babies (which are about 6) onto our lawn each day for about 4 days, she teaches them how to catch bugs or something that is abundant in our lawns.  And then, I don't see them until the next year, doing exactly the same thing.  I know they are indigenous to our area, but they don't hang around here, other than when the babies need some teachin'.  Beautiful day. Cindi

[taipantoo]

I see that your avatar was cropped from that picture.
Nice job!

[nepenthes]

You know it! 

[UtahBees]

I got a photo of my hives on Saturday. No activity outside, as we got hit with about 10" of snow the other day. What was interesting to me was that the small hole I made in the front of the hive (second box down from the top), the girls, I think, had stuffed it with dead bees to help with the insulation. I need to nail it down a little better today, I think.