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Just thought I'd add a picture of one of my hives. Taken this morning whilst I was feeding the chickens.
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Cryin won't help you, prayin won't do you no good! -
Surprising when we find the cold so horrible, the bees seem to do far better after a cold winter than after a wet mild winter. Not only do these use up more of their stores in milder conditions, but I think a lot get lost making fairly pointless flights on those mild sunny days in winter when they go to get water and then get frozen.
We are worried about what is going to happen in the spring, as the dreaded Asian Hornet arrived here in September and there were hundreds of their queens around, flying on very cold days. I have to find ways of protecting the hives from them so they can't pick off bees returning to the entrance. Apparently a single hornet can destroy a thousand or more bees. We will be trying to trap them but I doubt that that will dispose of very many of them. -
It's a worry. My entrances don't have alighting boards and over hang the stand. Hopefully this will make it more difficult for the hornets to pray on the comers and goers. Hopefully it will be a while before we need to be too concerned this far north.
I know what you mean about pointless loss. Every now and then I find a one barely moving on a post or piece of grass. Being a bit soft I generally pick them up and let them sit on my hand to warm up. They fly off to their fate, whether that be the hive or another cold fence post. I pressed my ear against the hive this morning and could here a satisfying bzzzzzzzz and shuffling. All is well in that hive... For now..Cryin won't help you, prayin won't do you no good!Comment
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