Bee poop photo, at last!

Here it is at last, by popular request, a bees-poop photo! This was taken on 9 January, a couple of days after a snowfall, and at the end of a sunny day just warm enough to melt the top of the snow and dissolve tiny bee-poops. The black dots are dead bees removed from the hive--mortuary duties. (Below, please see a photo taken on 8 January, of the fresh snow, etc.)

NB FIRST WARM 48 HOURS: colonies in late winter

Notes taken from BEE-L Digest -- 13 Jan 2010 (#2010-15)

#4 from BH "colonies in winter in Missouri ( was Resumption of egg laying)"

What like to see, if fall prep. successful:

1. bees in bottom box of two deeps or in top box but with a 3 inch band of
honey over the cluster (cluster not right under the top).
2. A large cluster of 8-9 frames (not small cluster of 3-5 frames which indicates hive did not raise enough winter bees so what appeared to a large enough hive likely will not winter now)
3. Cluster in center of the brood box. Not as important with a huge winter cluster.
(If cluster off center and will intervene in early
fall--bees starve when honey is available when off
center and against the side of the brood box inches from honey etc.
4. Plenty of stored honey/syrup (don't like needing to provide feed to prevent starvation.

Over-feed in late fall ... any the frames of honey pulled in spring to open the brood nest used
in spring nucs.
5. Use a spacer in winter an inch and a half which provides an upper air
flow and allows beek to drop a pollen patty, candy slab or fondant on top in
cold weather without breaking the seal between the two hive bodies (do not
break the lower spacer seal).

Some hives need syrup in early February. *if* wait until
late February for the first feeding some strong hives will starve....
feed a gallon of feed and a pollen patty the first time the
bees move to a loose cluster for a 48 hour period in February.

Page 10 of volume 1 number 1 issue of the American Bee journal
January 1861:

"He may be regarded as a master in bee culture , who knows how to winter his
stocks in a healthy condition, with the least loss of bees, the smallest
consumption of stores, and with the combs unsoiled."

I conclude that we need to take a look for the first time... hmmm... early February in Missouri would be about the end of February around here? And, he says feed after the first warm 48 hours? So, wait for the first warm 48 hours?

Photo for the Young Beekeeper

Lovely light snowfall last night, and a sunny, still day today, and here's a photo taken in front of the "red hive" late this afternoon, a single dead bee carried out of the hive and dropped "away". Apologies to the Young Beekeeper: my eyes are no longer good enough to see bee poop; he will have to come and search for other evidence of cleansing flights.

Tidy bees

Bees seem very snug on this still, cloudy winter day, top and bottom openings are clear; we have about 2 cm of snow, just enough to see 20 or so dead bees scattered on 2 square meters in front of their hives: they've done their mortuary housekeeping. I assume the Young Beekeeper. if he looked closely, also could see tiny brown dots of bee-poop, but my eyes aren't sharp enough.

Happy new year, bees!

Tops have stayed safely on the hives, so far. Cleared away a bit of snow from the tiny bottom winter entrances of both hives today and poked a stick in to make sure the way was clear. The top entrance was clear on both hives. The Young Beekeeper enquired a couple of days ago whether the bees had been out to poop, to which the answer is "maybe" because we need snow on the ground in front of the hives to see the tiny brown dots deposited modestly away from the hive during brief cleansing flights when the winter sun has warmed the hives.

Cover on winter wrap

We wondered, when we put the winter wraps over the hives, whether the covers, which rest a bit precariously on top of the wraps, were sufficiently secure for winter weather? They fit over side to side, but not front and back. We put several bricks on the top of each top, hoping the extra weight would keep the covers in place. But... sure enough...the yellow hive's cover slipped forward an inch. This week, I will figure out how to keep the covers securely in place, perhaps with braces; tapes and ratchets around the hives would do the trick, too.

For the record

Our bees are flying at mid-day on sunny days when the thermometer is 55F and above, and taking fall-formula syrup from their pan in front of the hives.