Jun 19 2010
Newbees
The new bees
I’m not sure if I have already reported the sad but true fact that our bees didn’t make it through the long, cold winter, but they didn’t. Unbeknownst to us, their hive was open at the bottom, so it’s likely that they froze to death. Bees like it warm and toasty, and being exposed to freezing and sub-freezing temps is not to their liking.
The boys took the hive apart and sealed up the bottom. Ants* had robbed most of the honey, but there was enough left over to attract new bees! A local bee expert came by a few days ago and told us that the new bees are local (the former bees were Italian Blonde imports) and that they seem to have a Queen, so all systems should be go. He gave us some protein powder to help feed them.
I like the idea that the local bees found the disused hive and took it over. There are at least as many as there were before, maybe more. I hope we can keep this colony going. We’ve learned a lot since we first started keeping bees, and I’m still hoping to take a class or two.
*Ants here are giant, for some reason. Not quite sci-fi size, but pretty big.