Valerie took these shots. I don't know why I had my jacket on, but these have been angry bees and even though I didn't expect anyone to come out to say hello, the old saying is, "It's better to be safe than sorry."
Indeed both baggies I had left for them were completely emptied of the bee tea.
I had a baggie with 2 1/2 quarts in it and placed it inside the shim. One bee did make her appearance to see what we were up to.
My handy Swiss army knife cuts the slits in the baggie after it is placed.
If I were a bee, this would look delicious to me on an over-60 day.
I put the cover back on - worked very quickly so as not to put too much cold air into the hive - and went on my way.
I returned to Atlanta to find that my new Jennifer-Berry-esque veil had arrived at long last from Brushy Mountain. I can't wait to try it out! In the spring I plan to work the bees in jeans, a work shirt (long sleeved chambray) and this new veil.
I'd put a link up but Brushy Mountain doesn't show it on their page any longer and it was back-ordered for quite some time. It's a clear view veil with string and a soft hat rather than the helmet that never fits me.
I'd put a link up but Brushy Mountain doesn't show it on their page any longer and it was back-ordered for quite some time. It's a clear view veil with string and a soft hat rather than the helmet that never fits me.
Can't wait to see the new vail. Sounds a lot more comfortable.
ReplyDeletelinda kolay gelsi bizde böyle başar cüml başi.şelbeti verdin tarih nedir bu arı hangi mevsimde bu seviyede. kolaylık lar
ReplyDeleteUsing a baggie to feed the bees is a great idea. I really like your blog Linda. All of your posts are very clear and concise, and easy to understand. Great pictures too. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to thank you for your fascinating and frank blog. When we were first educating ourselves about beekeeping, I read all the way through. I was so impressed at your willingness to write about your worries, as well as your successes.
ReplyDeleteNow, a year later, we have two thriving hives. Since we live in a very mild climate, the bees are flying most days. It's quite amazing to be close to the bees and to consider their fascinating lives.
I understand that some people who have used bags for winter feeding have also had their hive flooded momentarily and bees drowned. Linda, have you heard of or ever had any bad experience like this? Also, just as a sideline, I sometimes use 2:1 sugar solution to keep some of my lathe turned wooden vases from cracking. Sugar in this case acts as both a wood stabilizer and a wood preservative. Using sugar as a wood preservative isn't a new idea either, and it does work.
ReplyDeleteMike
Well, I can imagine that happening if you filled the baggie so full that there was no room for expansion. In my bags, they are about 1/2 to 2/3 full so there's plenty of room and I only put food on the hives when it's warm enough for the bees to fly so I imagine they make quick work of it. In the terrible cold we've had this winter in Atlanta, I feel a lot of worry about my hive in Rabun where they've had an inordinate amount of snow this year so far.
ReplyDeleteAbout a half mile away from us is a tree full of honey bees. My neighbor has been watching this tree and its continuing colony of bees for over 7 years now. Obviously they are surviving well. This sets me to suddenly wondering why in the world we have to feed our bees? Well, it's because we remove the honey, so... why not leave our bees more honey than we do and forget feeding? Would that be too simple?
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