Signs of Life!

No beekeeping class at this time...

Thursday January 22, 2014

I was reminded today how lucky I am to love bees!

I learned Monday 1/20 that I won't be teaching the backyard beekeeping class in Eden Prairie and that was after knowing the faith of my own bees... I was really sad because I love talking bees, beekeeping, new ideas and so on. Maybe at a later time, when people are more interested. After all we are in the middle of our second Vortex, no one is thinking about spring.

However, I received an email today about someone who was also bummed not to be able to attend the  beekeeping class. That made my day! I knew it, there are some people who love bees like me :) and want to know more. Thank you for your uplifting note Josef :)

I went to see my bees this past Sunday 1/19

My hive in Shakopee is alive! It was about 38F, and I walked in the snowy field. I was huffing and puffing, sometimes I was walking on top of the snow and sometimes I was dropping all the way to my hips! What a walk!

Then I collected myself, and a curious bee flew on my red winter coat as to welcome me. I put her delicately on the telescopic metal top cover. She stayed there while I was looking/ peeking into the hole of the hive. 

You may not be able to understand the joy, and happiness that I felt...the bees were alive and were greeting me at the door! (see pictures)

See the bees?

The one that welcomed me!

On my way back, I was thinking: Winter is not even over, very cold temperatures are still lurking. With -15F (-26C) today and schools cancelled again, one can only dream of spring.











In my apiary in Chanhassen,  I lost 3 hives. I have to wait until I can know from what they died..is it starvation or the frigid temperature or a disease? I will open the hive later in March or April. Liz was with me when we discovered the death toll, and that was really sad.

First there were no sign that the bees had taken their cleansing flight ( this is when the bees fly out to defecate, yes they hold it until it is a bit warmer, so they don't soil inside the hive...aren't they smart? or what?)

So, that gave me a clue (bad feeling), but one never knows. I had to see them, to make sure. I was knocking on the boxes, and nothing was happening...until the third to the last colony.

The Russian bees are alive!

They must have thought : " What the heck is banging on our door like that?" And I saw them with my own eyes...they were there, alive.

I did a little dance, and Liz was laughing! We decided to move the wall of hay that Liz had build to help with the wind, closer around the surviving hive. We felt that we had to do something to protect the little bees.

The lonely hive alive

Now after that horrific visit, I had to see my precious Russian bees. Liz and I hopped in my car and drove to the second bee yard . The bees were flying in and out! Incredible! What a sight!

But reality hit suddenly, now my 3 hives have to survive the next 6-7 weeks, which is not the most obvious thing to do. Their food is getting low, and we cannot feed them yet. We can only hope and Nature may surprise us again. In the meantime, have a thought or two for the beautiful bees.