Dec. 31st. and I got stung.

[Anonymous]

It is winter here in Michigan. Well it sure was for the past 2 weeks any way with about a foot of snow fall and many days in the single digit temp wise.
Yesterday (31st.) it got up to 58F so I took the time to check the syurp supplies and clean the screen bottom boards. One colony took offence to a scraper invading the hive and raking out the dead girls and attacked.
Strange it was the hive that in the past was the gentilest and the only one with mad girls. The other four hives did come out but just buzzed around then went back in.



Wow! were there ever a lot of dead girls in there in all the hives. Decided I am going to made some different bottom boards for next winter with a tray I can just slide out and dump. Shouldn't be hard to do, like a sbb with out the screen, just a tray to slide in and out. Like the picture of the incomplete sbb.

[beemaster]

It's 62 degrees here today Al - bees are in flight and I'm happy to see them out-and-about in 2005!!! I hope that we all make it through 2005 better than 2004, it was a tough year for many beekeepers.

The whole world could use a better year than last - in prospective, it was one of the worse years I can remember. I hope we all see an up-slide in the planet's karma, I can see why many people believe these are the beginning of end-times. I'm not sure about that, but I know we could all use a better rotation around the sun.

I hope the December 31th Beesting was a final insult of an otherwise lousy year and may all our days be a more sting free!

[Anonymous]

Although 2003 wasn't what I would call a banner year beekeeping wise for me in some respects it was a boom year in others.
   I found my 2002 colony dead in the spring of 2003.   Then to make matters worse the packages I bought were both sick and had to be destroyed.
   A new local club started in the area by local members of SEMBA and had a story in the paper with the date of the Febuary meeting.    Kare and I joined in Febuary, because of a couple of generous members they supplyed me with 5 colonies of bees and a bunch of experince.   I have a fellow who stops by to advise me on things I should be doing with the girls, feeding medicating, ect.   Another who taught me the joy of capturing swarms, taught me how to get rid of a laying worker and requeening, extracting honey and the steps to make it saleable.
Members on this forum have contrubited to my education greatly also. Tom (my old tools) who shared his box box joint jig plans enableing me to build my own hive bodies. Since I can't order the bodies in the quanitys needed to get free frieght, I now build them for a savings of about $5.00 a deep. I also have the satifaction of knowing I built them my self. Robo and others who told me how to wire my frames easier and embeded the wires into the foundation. How to get rid/reduce the  ants and yellow jackets in and around the hives.

On a personal note       My grand son was born March 30th, LOL not on April fools day.        Saddly my father passed away June 15th just before fathers day and before his 90th birthday. He did suffer in the end and left us laughing with his last wordsto us.

   Yes the world is changing and not for the better either.   We souldn't be shocked as we are all quilty and are allowing it to happen. We put up with rude people who push and shove, let their cell phones ring in non use areas, people talk overly loud on them during meetings and even church services. We except with out complain over and under cooked food at resturants because complaining has been taught to us as being not nice, just except it. We except what leaders thru the media tell us as fact and are quick to jump on the band wagon to ridicule people for their stand on issues with out weighing their point of view.
Most of all we have allowed laws to be passed that takes the parents rights away to disipline their children. Allow convicted Killers to lay around in prisons till they die of natural causes taking away a deturent for not committing a crime cause you know you will be put to death if you do do it.
Sorry for the rant. Just my option.

  Al

[Lesli]

Al,
When I start thinking things are going to hell in a handbasket, I remind myself that we--all humans--have made tremendous ethical advances. Look at the world's response to the enormous tragedy from the tsunami. No one cares about race or religion--we're donating money, sending people and supplies to help.

Remember the earthquake in Iran? We aren't exactly friendly with them--yet friend or foe, countries sent help.

In much of the world, civil rights are respected. We are (slowly, at times) coming to realize that a whole host of things--race, religion, sex, disabilities--are not the measure of a person.

Before you start missing the "good ol' days" too much, remember that they weren't good for everyone. Here in the US, it was (I believe) 1972 when the Supreme Court struck down laws against interracial marriage.  Can you imagine not being able to marry the person you love because of race?

Go back just a bit further. Can you imagine being a pregnant woman--even a married pregnant woman--and being fired from your job due to that pregnancy?

Can you imagine being a woman who was raped and had no recourse, because public shame keeps you from reporting it?

Or just being a woman denied entry to medical school or law school because you're a woman?

Oh, I know. You're a woman who has managed to get a good education and a good job, but you're passed over for raises and promotions because a "family man" needs the money.

And a little over 40 years ago, when my aunt gave birth to a disabled child, there was no social support for her. No support groups, and precious little help to deal with the enormous responsibility.

I could go on and on. No, things aren't perfect, and sometimes they aren't even good. But I do believe that even with our missteps and problems and outright wrongs, we're moving in the right direction, overall.

A Happy New Year to all!