Yesterday was a warm day for February…mid to upper 50’s. We noticed bees being drawn to the hot tub water again…sometimes I wonder if it’s the smell of the chlorine that draws them in?!?!?! I’m not sure. Either way, it prompted me to fill the bird bath and the water source in the apiary.
Nothing fancy…just a little water and some landing rocks. Maybe the bees use it, maybe not. I’ll have to pay closer attention when the temps warm to see if I catch any bees on these rocks attempting to collect water. The bees in both hives were flying. Some dead bees have been cleaned out from the hives. From the looks outside I can’t see any indication that things are going poorly…at least not yet. An hour or so after I was trying to provide water would you believe we got a light sprinkle of rain. Didn’t last long, temps didn’t drop and was just enough to get everything slightly wet. From the bees perspective it seemed an example of “God will provide”. This might be their last chance to get out and fly as we are headed for snow and colder temperatures. I hope they make the most of their warm days in between these cold spells we are having. February has been known to be very cold – the shortest month that often feels the longest! Here’s a short video to give you an idea of their activity this time of year…
It’s impressive to me that even in the winter months when temps are warmer the bees are buzzing. If you are able, zoom in on the bee on the blue dot…if you look closely, you can see her proboscis.
As for Groundhog Day, we’ve heard the groundhog saw his shadow. But here, we don’t believe that groundhog knows anything about weather and hope for the bees that spring will soon be here to stay! In the meantime…stay warm and try to enjoy the snow.
-Worker Bee 2021
Howards' Hives and Honey 