Bee-friendly Plants

Coming next - if your "sap" is rising and you are just itching to get out into your garden/ window box/ plant pot and, as here, it's just started snowing again, you can start planning. New Year resolution - don't plant anything that is not pollinator friendly. QBzz

Today is the first "Hive Spring-Cleaning" day

We were planting Snowdrops and pruning the blackberry brambles when the first workers ventured out. Temp. is about 12C but it's windy. Couldn't stop watching them!  We went into winter with 6 active colonies.   Today 5 were busy bringing out dead bees and bits of cappings. Bees need water in winter to help them to utilize their honey stores. I saw many bees leaving the hives in that characteristic spiralling up and away - who knows where.
    The tree-surgeon said he was getting buzzed when he was cutting that firtree down. He thought his chain-saw was disturbing them. I wondered if they were collecting the resin? It certainly smelled strong to me and their sense of smell is at least a million x more sensitive!!
Before the tree was cut down the owl box had to be moved to a N-facing position in the ash tree - best done before the owls start pairing up.
So here it is and, yes, there is a resident tawny. It's actually a barn owl box but the tawny seems to like it.
 QB is happy today but keeping an eye on the stores in the hives. Winter aconites are flowering but not enough for hungry bees. Heft the hives! QBz

The Owl Box

The Danish Sunwheel

Just before Christmas some tree-surgeons came to cut down a very tall firtree which was threatening our house.


I arrived home to find this

and a bit later ...  this          

.....and a week later this - a Danish sun-wheel

Scrape snow off hives - and guess what happens next.

Yes, no sooner had I finished clearing the ice and snow than this happens -

We had a picturesque snow storm ......



and the snow has turned to floods today.

At least the entrances aren't blocked.

Silent Hives -what to do?

When the hives stand, silent and snow-bound, what can you do?
It's no use standing and listening for that welcoming "Buzzzzzz". Remember that honey bees can withstand very low temperatures of DRY cold - but damp/wet conditions can kill them.
Well, this is dry and -4C. However, the snow has built up on the let-boards.
?Scrape it off so air can circulate and the bees can fly out if a cleansing flight becomes urgent? But if the day becomes bright and sunny will they come out thinking it's Spring - and die on the snow?
?Leave it on, no draught and they'll stay safely clustered?
OK let's get scraping!!
I tried hefting these hives to check they have sufficient stores, but the ice has stuck them to the ground. By pulling out the varroa trays it's possible to gauge where the cluster is, and how much uncapping has gone on.
Don't lift the roof or crown-board just yet - it's best to leave the ambient temp. the bees have built up.
Keep checking the trays.  It may be necessary to add a block of candy above the cluster if we get a warmer spell.
Anxious time isn't it? Not long to wait for those little furry bodies to emerge once more.  QB BzzXzz.

New Year Resolution - A new honeybee blog every week (at least)

After good news re- broadband (14th August 2017!!!) things went slow again.
However, here we are again. I guess if you live in the middle of nowhere (out of choice) you have to cope.
Some catching up to do.
Re- Exam.  Very nervous of results, though felt quite relaxed when doing exam. - Basic Assessment - 1:1 with examiner; 20mins practical going through a colony; 1hr. theory Qs. Then you wait 3 - 4 weeks to find out if you've passed. A nerve-wracking time. Result - passed with credit ( you have to get 75% or more score in each of 4 categories).
Anyway, today after quite heavy snow, I checked the 6 colonies. I'll update you on how we finished last season (including some exciting time on the heather) next time.

Bees In polyhive on heather moor.

The heather was fab. this year '17

WBC hives are double-walled -v.g.insulation!