The Honey Factory

[Sally PB]

Not very soon here. This is our normal January thaw that causes trees, etc. to die.

Ah, one of those. Yeah, hella bad for lots of trees.

 

[R2elk]

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Checked my hives and 2 of the 3 were dead outs.
The long hive overwintered again fine. One of the hives was out in the open in my orchard without a windbreak. I did cover my hives with the flannel cover thing but a week of -43'F windchill was just too much for them. The were sitting on their honey reserves in the cluster dead.
I have a lot of cleaning to do. For now, I sorted the stuff that was fine and the stuff that needs cleaning. That will have to be for another day.
The surviving hive was robbing the dead outs which is fine too.

 

[Sally PB]

Checked my hives and 2 of the 3 were dead outs.

I'm sorry to hear that.

The last time I checked our (only) hive, I still heard the hum.

 

[Sally PB]

In another thread, someone said that honeybees were getting into the chickens' feed, looking for protein. I asked if I should save the fines in the bottom of my chickens' bowls and put them where the bees could find them, but never got an answer. Any thoughts here?

We're going to get a week of low to mid 40s and even some -- gasp! -- sunshine.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

In another thread, someone said that honeybees were getting into the chickens' feed, looking for protein. I asked if I should save the fines in the bottom of my chickens' bowls and put them where the bees could find them, but never got an answer. Any thoughts here?

We're going to get a week of low to mid 40s and even some -- gasp! -- sunshine.

I guess you could try. They pretty much go where they want to.
Each spring they are in our grain buckets, even when I put pollen patties on.

 

[R2elk]

In another thread, someone said that honeybees were getting into the chickens' feed, looking for protein. I asked if I should save the fines in the bottom of my chickens' bowls and put them where the bees could find them, but never got an answer. Any thoughts here?

We're going to get a week of low to mid 40s and even some -- gasp! -- sunshine.

Back before I fenced the deer out, I used to put out cracked corn for the song birds. On a nice day, my bees would gather the fines just like they gather pollen. That particular hive was mean bees. One day a young buck wanted the corn and grabbed a mouthful of bees and corn. He left there in a hurry, shaking his head as the other bees chase him.

 

[R2elk]

I guess you could try. They pretty much go where they want to.
Each spring they are in our grain buckets, even when I put pollen patties on.

I haven't seen my bees getting into the feed here but do know that they go to the neighbor's a half mile to the east and come back with the fines from his chicken feed.

 

[R2elk]

 

[Sally PB]

I heard "the hum" today when I stopped by the hive. The past couple times I've been there, I've seen a dozen or so dead bees on the landing. I'm assuming the cleaning crew has been busy.