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They're alive
3 Nov 2020 05:38 pmMy bees that is. After a bout of coldish weather--but nothing that should have bothered my European dark bees--I went out to check the hive and could hear nothing. No buzz or hum when I tapped on the side. And several dead bees littered the landing board.
Then, we had a couple of warm days, so I planned to open the hive, fully expecting to find it pillaged, my bees dead or gone. My beekeeping neighbor had told me that two of his colonies had perished due to wasps robbing all their honey. Before I even opened the hive, though, I saw bees going in and out! Hooray. :D
J and I did weigh the hive and found that it is not really heavy enough. So I need to feed them according to popular beekeeping wisdom. Which I do not want to do. I really, really, really want them to make it without treatment or being fed syrup. Nevertheless, it is heart-wrenching to think of them starving. I would like to feed them honey (something that makes NO commercial sense, seeing as how expensive honey is compared to sugar) but I only have 1.5 kg from my beekeeping friend. It is a no-no to feed store-bought honey which can contain pathogens.
I did not harvest any honey from my bees this year, letting them keep everything they gathered, so their lack is due to the split being made a bit late in the season and not because of my mismanagement. So now I must decide: fully trust them and their nature to get them through or feed them what I have and hope it is enough.
Being a steward is not easy.
As I also testify as two more of our hens were killed by a bird of prey and two others barely escaped.
Then, we had a couple of warm days, so I planned to open the hive, fully expecting to find it pillaged, my bees dead or gone. My beekeeping neighbor had told me that two of his colonies had perished due to wasps robbing all their honey. Before I even opened the hive, though, I saw bees going in and out! Hooray. :D
J and I did weigh the hive and found that it is not really heavy enough. So I need to feed them according to popular beekeeping wisdom. Which I do not want to do. I really, really, really want them to make it without treatment or being fed syrup. Nevertheless, it is heart-wrenching to think of them starving. I would like to feed them honey (something that makes NO commercial sense, seeing as how expensive honey is compared to sugar) but I only have 1.5 kg from my beekeeping friend. It is a no-no to feed store-bought honey which can contain pathogens.
I did not harvest any honey from my bees this year, letting them keep everything they gathered, so their lack is due to the split being made a bit late in the season and not because of my mismanagement. So now I must decide: fully trust them and their nature to get them through or feed them what I have and hope it is enough.
Being a steward is not easy.
As I also testify as two more of our hens were killed by a bird of prey and two others barely escaped.