Happy New Year

Checked on the bees this morning and found lots of dead ones on the bottom board.  Not sure how many are left, tho I can see them moving around inside, not many.  Because there are so few, I've decided to move them to the basement.  This should help with staying warm enough.  Lots of honey left so food will not be a problem.  With the warmer temps, maybe the queen will lay some eggs and build up the hive.  This will happen anyway in late Feb, early Mar.  Only buying a 4 frame nuc so late probably sealed their fate as most of the nectar flo was over.  Started looking for new stock today on the Internet just in case.  Even if they do survive,  I can mix the new in to build up the hive. 

Started building another hive this week in case I luck out and catch a swarm, that would be nice.

Hope you had a great holiday season, we did.  Later

December Weather

Got back from my annual pheasant hunting trip to South Dakota just befor Thanksgiving.  A great success even if there weren't that many birds.  No Chicks in the spring due to fowl weather.  When I got back I checked on the bees and to my surprise, there weren't any in sight.  Dismayed and alarmed I removed the cover and blanket (insulation) and found them tucked away in the corner out of my view through the window, what a relief.  They have shrunken the colony down to an alarming size for the winter, hope they will be okay.  Each day, weather permitting, they come out to play and gather water and nectar from my Broccoli which I let go to seed.  We've had several frosts but it is still blooming.  Noticed some other bees working it also, looks like a Italian cross, maybe the feral hive that lives close to here.  Took out one comb from the second box and placed it into my trap as a lure next spring.  Today I finished the box to add on in the spring.

Had our second bee meetup this past Weds., everyone seems to have healthy bees but are still dealing with the small hive beetles.  Had a new member who is going to start hive in Nova Scotia on his family farm.

Nothing else going on, keep you posted, later.