No, not a take off on Barry Manilow. I'm just talking about the bee's. It's always a worry about them making it through the winter. I think there is a saying about if they make it until the dandelions start blooming they will be ok.
Well, the dandelions are blooming and the bees look pretty vigorous.
I'm hoping to do better about putting the supers on at the right times instead of just one and leaving it until fall. From what I've read, I need to put the first one on about 2 weeks after the fruit trees start blooming, so probably around the first of April. Then we can add one every 2 - 3 weeks as long as they are drawing out comb and filling the last one. I think I would be pretty tickled to have just one extra super this year. Now that J has the bee suit maybe we can make that happen.
I love honey, but flying things that sting, not so much.
ReplyDeleteAt our last place I had to ride past 8 or 10 hives to get from my place to my girlfriend's place (or go 4 miles out of my way, there & back again another 4 miles).
In the summer we could hear the buzzing around the hives from quite a distance and so loud. On the outside I tried to be calm & reassuring for my horse, but on the inside I was always a little bit afraid that the bees might take offense to our passing by them & mass attack us so I probably rode with a little lump in my throat & as if, any second, we might have to run for our lives.
My nervousness didn't do the horses any favours, but we managed to ride by there for 6 or 7 years without being stung, which you might think would change my mind about stingers...... gotta admit, bees & wasps, & all stinging things STILL make me nervous.
I do love honey, but keeping hives is not something I could manage, so I buy my bee products from a little farm named "the Honey Hut".
So glad your bees made it thru winter. Ours did too! Our oldest son and I added boxes this week since they were already completing the ones from the fall that didn't get filled up. We are using Warre hives though so it's a little different. We add boxes to the bottom and they build down. They fill up the top box with honey as they build down. We left all the honey for them in the fall so I am hoping we can harvest a box in a month or so. So fun. Glad you have a suit now! Can't bee keep without one, safely at least! Blessings...
ReplyDeleteI'm with Mrs Shoes, I love honey but just not too fond of the stinging, although I never have been stung but I've seen others and its not fun. I have no problem buying my honey of other beekeepers
ReplyDeleteIf I can have time, will be interesting to watch how it goes with your bees.
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