The Wally-Gee Bee Journey 🐝

[Apis mellifera]

These are just a few of my observations that I wanted to share. I’m going in my hive this Saturday to check progress, decide about adding a box and do a mite treatment. Lord willing, there should be a thriving colony waiting to be inspected.

It really is amazing watching all the different color pollens coming in and your right its difficult to tell which plants, trees or bushes the pollen is coming from. I always wanted to plant Siberian Squill and see if the bees bring in the beautiful blue pollen.
You wont see much change after 11 days but its good to see if there's eggs. A cheap simple mite treatment is oxalic acid dribble before they have capped brood. You can do that now. Add a second box if they have at least 7 to 8 frames drawn out. Otherwise dont, you dont want to give them to much room. It seems to slow them down. Good luck with the inspection and post a photo of the center brood frame.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

I never gave much credit to the holly trees on my place. In fact, I hated them until today. As I walked from one chicken coop to the other, I heard the sound of many bees above my head. I was walking under a holly tree. The blooms were covered with my little forager girls! The holly trees forever get a pass from me, here on out. I have watched bees going in the hive with all different colors in their baskets. Light yellow, bright yellow, gray, and a dark golden brown. I tried to look them up but there’s so many sources of pollen that have the same colors. We have had high winds the last couple days and it saddened me to see Yellow Poplar blooms on the ground but I know more will come. These are just a few of my observations that I wanted to share. I’m going in my hive this Saturday to check progress, decide about adding a box and do a mite treatment. Lord willing, there should be a thriving colony waiting to be inspected.

We have one Holly 25-30 yards from the porch and you can hear the bees working it at that distance. The swamp, 75 yards away is lined with Holly, Maple and some stands of Magnolia. if I walk it I can hear bees hear and there.

 

[Sally PB]

I always wanted to plant Siberian Squill and see if the bees bring in the beautiful blue pollen.

I planted some last fall. My neighbor has a lot, and some has escaped into the field. I've read it "becomes invasive," but if it can take over the the brome grass, more power to it.

We also have purple dead nettle, and I've seen girls with the neon magenta pollen in their baskets. So cool.

I've spent a lot of money on plants/trees for bees in the last year.

We are blessed to have some mature (50?+ y/o) basswood trees. I think having a huge bloom last year (they don't bloom every year) and such a mild winter has a a lot to do with our success with out first hive.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

I planted some last fall. My neighbor has a lot, and some has escaped into the field. I've read it "becomes invasive," but if it can take over the the brome grass, more power to it.

We also have purple dead nettle, and I've seen girls with the neon magenta pollen in their baskets. So cool.

I've spent a lot of money on plants/trees for bees in the last year.

We are blessed to have some mature (50?+ y/o) basswood trees. I think having a huge bloom last year (they don't bloom every year) and such a mild winter has a a lot to do with our success with out first hive.

I m jealous! I love Basswood Honey and the closest Basswood is 40-50 miles away.

 

[WallyG74]

I m jealous! I love Basswood Honey and the closest Basswood is 40-50 miles away.

Tell your bees to pack a lunch for that trip!

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Tell your bees to pack a lunch for that trip!

Or I could just take a ride and pick some up from a local keeper. I was introduced to Basswood Honey 40 years ago helping a bee keeper who kept hives down there. He moved to West Virginia and I had no reason to go down there since he gave me the hives he had here. Our fall honey has a little heat to it that I like but it's not Basswood. I know, yes I will have cheese with that whine.

 

[Sally PB]

I am so looking forward to getting some of our own honey this year! Last year, we left it all for the girls who did all the work, since we just had the one hive.

If the winds die down, I'll be looking in on them tomorrow. Right now, we have 40-50 mph gusts.

 

[tripletfeb]

Same here on the winds. We are in a high wind warning until tomorrow

 

[WallyG74]

Is this a drone? I know the lighting is bad. The sun was going down. It is a lot bigger than the others and seems to have a blunt butt.

 

[WallyG74]