Super Encouraging!

I have been worried about my bees with this ice pack that Old Man Winter dropped on us.  My sane self realizes that worrying does no good, but I never claimed to be sane or sensible.  It's not like I can just open the hives and look because it is just too dang cold out there.  Even if I could, what could I do for them now? 

This was one of the topics of conversation at my dental visit earlier today.  You see, I am quite certain my dentist and his office are my biggest honey customer.  Only running a close second to my bank.  The difference being that there are quite a few more employees at the bank.  I think there are only six or seven at the Dentist.

I think my dentist wins.

This morning, getting my teeth cleaned, among the many other topics of conversation we covered, we talked about bees.

Can I just say something?

I love my hygienist!

She is awesome.  She is good.  She is fun to talk to.  She makes the whole experience enjoyable.  We also see eye-to-eye on certain things.  I love the whole office, but today was our one-on-one time.  As we were brainstorming new and inventive ways to actually see inside a hive, she cleaned my teeth.

Thank you.

We basically decided we need a little camera.  Maybe one of those cameras that the S.W.A.T. team would use.  You know, on a scope.  Like what they use in a hostage situation on T.V. to see into a room through a vent.  Maybe we didn't discuss all of those details, but the camera was definitely her idea.  All of the rest, I was thinking even if I couldn't share them out loud.

You aren't supposed to talk when your mouth is full.

Any-who! 

I made my way home still thinking bee thoughts, when you are not going to believe what I saw.  You see, I have a hive up close to the house.  This is by far my smallest hive.  I had actually combined two really small hives to make this one.  It is by the drive on my way in, and I always look at it as I go by.  Today, I was super surprised!  I hopped out and shot some video with my phone.  This is a super short video.  ONLY 26 seconds.  I will explain why after you watch it.

 



As you can see, on the front of the bottom board, there are some dead bees.  I would imagine that since we are getting warmer  today, they are moving around inside the hive and cleaning house.  This means out with the dead.  I would hope that these dead bees are drones that were just pushed out, but I couldn't get close enough to tell.  The workers do not like to feed the males through winter.  There is no point.  They are of no use and they offer nothing.  Come spring time, they will just produce more males.

Sad, but true and very pragmatic.

The fact that they have just shoved them out on the front porch is interesting.  Normally they would take the dead and fly them out away from the hive.  Possibly it is still a little too cold to be moving around that much.

You can see that I have reduced the entrance to this hive to a small opening.  As the video shoots, you start to see more and more bees coming out of the hive.  My truck is running behind me, and I think the engine noise is alarming them a bit.  Whatever the reason, it did not take long before I got my fly-by warning. 

One bee.

Flying really close to my head.

Buzzing super loud.

You can call it what you like, but I know a cussin' when I hear it so, I got the heck out of there.