Chanhassen Apiary
Feb 12-13, 2011. It was 52F (11C) and it was the perfect weekend to visit our bees. We walk in deep snow; I joked that it would have been easier with snowshoes! All week the snow had been melting due to a warm front. In Chanhassen, both colonies are alive and well. However in Shakopee, we lost one. It was not too surprising to us, as it was the one which had struggled all season by losing a queen, then queen killed, re-queening, mites and invasion/robbing. However this colony did not die of a disease but rather from hunger. If you recall in the fall, the Italian bees next door were stealing their honey. I have to admit that seeing hundreds of dead bees with their heads deep into the comb looking for food is a very disturbing sight. But I have to remind myself that it is also nature. Mother Nature takes care of its less able living things.
Now the big hurdle will be the next 2-3 weeks when we have to wait before we can feed them. I hope the honeybees are wise and are eating carefully and pacing themselves..their pantry is running low on food. Overall, we are very happy that they made it so far, especially when I hear that many beekeepers had another big loss this year. I count my blessings.
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| Look at all those honeybees...you should have heard them! |
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| Shakopee Apiary |
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| Bees looking for food...and found none. |
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| This colony in Shakopee is alive, however an intruder tried to get into it. We were told: probably a red squirrel! I am glad it was not a bear! |
