Cleansing Flights

After not seeing the bees for a week and a half, we were excited to see them buzzing around the hive entrance today, stretching their wings and relieving themselves. According to Tim, they try to 'hold it' as long as they can rather than dirtying up the hive when it's cold outside.

It was really nice to see them again. I expected to miss them this winter, I am surprised at how much I do.

Tim has started feeding them again. I think we've given them about 1.5 quarts of 2:1 sugar water over the last couple of weeks. That's all we've given them since I stopped feeding them regularly earlier in the fall.

I read a story in my work newspaper about a fellow beekeeper in NM. We've started corresponding.

Snow!

Today it snowed in Livermore. I, in a winter-weather induced funk, might not have noticed at all if it hadn't covered my windsheild and if Tim hadn't started making snow balls. It was lovely and exciting. It stuck to the ground and crunched under foot as I walked to work. The bees must be very cold!