End of Fall...Slowing down

Pollen patties:proteins

Sunday, October 23 2011

We visited our bees and they are still doing well. They are not drinking their 2:1 syrup so quickly anymore. We actually left them 1 gallon each until next visit. It is becoming difficult for the honeybees to drink because our night time temperatures are colder 32-38F (0-3C) and the sugary water crystallized, and the syrup stays cold and thick. However they still seemed to enjoy the pollen patties (proteins) so we replenished each colony as needed. Obviously the chores for us are decreasing, the bees know well that winter is looming. 

The queen will eventually stop laying eggs to preserve her needed energy to survive the harsh winter. However she has already diminished her production dramatically since September. The workers are moving honey and pollen around the hive, so the reserve will be close to the honeybees' cluster that they will form soon. The workers' work is almost done preparing the hive for the long wait until spring. They have done all they could to make their "family" strong and healthy. They took the time to remove weak, diseased and unwanted bees. The poor drones have been kicked out of the house, so there are less mouths to feed during winter. But of course the queen will "make" males next spring, so her genetics can be disseminated. Just to be clear, the queen DOES NOT mate with her own sons. But males are  important for queens so they can  pass on their genetics, and life can go on, continuing the cycle.

The honeybee looked just like this one!

We saw few very dark, black honeybees in one of the hive in Chanhassen. It was a surprise but I reminded myself that a queen mates with about 20 drones from many different colonies, so in essence she is carrying many drones' DNA. As she lays an egg, it can be any combinations in various degrees. And this is why the species can survive! Diversity of traits!

In  Shakopee, under the smaller hive we have a mice's nest! We saw them running between our feet during the colonies' inspection. Strange feeling to have something moving so fast when we focus on something else. It spooked me, and made me do a "little dance, and during my fright I crushed one unintentionally. I did not like that but I don't like them squatting in my hive either! We will deal with them and evacuate them presto next time!