February 22 - the warmest day in weeks!

We had over 40 degree weather today so it was a great day to get out there and shovel off the roof...which I did.  At least as much as I could reach until my energy ran out.

I also shoveled out the truck which had been snowed in now for weeks.  But I'd like to get it started and first I needed to be able to get into it.  

In checking on the bees, I was pleasantly surprised to see bees flying around!

In one hive.  I wasn't sure if I had any left with the bitter cold we've had.  But I did insulate them well and left them with food so I do hope they can make it just a few more months until spring.  I will purchase pollen patties and I also have some of the leftover honey from last fall's extractions.  I've frozen it and once I can get into the hive, I'll try slipping it in there. If they survived this long, though, I must have left them enough honey to last them. 

I've been doing some reading and am not sure I want to feed them with sugar syrup any more.  The article I read was promoting natural habitat ...making sure the bees have enough available pollen and making sure I have the right bees that will survive the climate they are in.  That way, they will get stronger and hopefully birth new, strong bees by feeding them their natural food (pollen).  Giving them imitation food, although they eat it and like it, doesn't help them build themselves up and acclimate to the environment.   Or...something along those lines.

The other hive has animals, probably mice, living in it.  Whatever it was knocked out the entrance reducer which I had taped in place.  That's the hive that has no more bees so I'm not worried about it but as soon as possible, I need to clean it out.  I will add bees  in that hive in April or May.

A neverending winter

February 09, 2015....bitter cold winter, and it's now been snowing for 48 hours.  This is on top of snow several times last week.  It's white all over.  I took color photos today of my house and my beehives. They look like black and white images.  Almost.

A much clearer shot from the inside the woodshed

That much snow on the porch roof is a problem.  I think I will need to get out there.  I already have an ice dam causing issues at the back of the house.  Happy days.

But the snow is at least insulating the bees.  They are still getting by. It's been too cold to open up the hive these past few weeks so I need to leave them alone until the cold abates.  And it looks like we have even colder weather on the way.  And more snow.

It's not very attractive, granted, (nor clear but it was snowing hard outside) but the bees have hay on three sides, a plywood roof, Insulated with cedar shavings to catch any condensation, with food inside...and plenty of snow for insulation too.  I think they should make it.  At least the hive on the left.  The one on the right doesn't seem to have any activity and hasn't for a few months.  So I ended up buying another package of bees for the second hive.