Sleeping Bees Come To Life

The intimidating, knee-deep snow has given way to a spring-like path smelling of dirt, fermenting apples and ever so faintly… of honey.  Not a good sign actually, as we want the bees to have eaten all of the honey.  Our first peek at these slumberous ladies of the white hive showed us real hope for a colony that made it through the winter.  While there’s still a ways to go before we can breathe a sigh of success and the bees have flowers to give them sustenance, it was encouraging and exciting to say ‘hello’ after such a long winter.  Sadly, it seems we will also need to say ‘farewell’ as the purple hive, after peeking, some flashlight action, tapping and even some sugar to entice, revealed not one bee.  Mites seem to be the issue, and apparently from the very beginning when the nuc came to us.

I can conclussively say that tending bees is akin to tending a garden – the hope for better this year is a spring not to be surpressed.

The ladies of the white hive with lots of granulated sugar to sustain them until the flowers of spring make their appearance.

Fair winds, ladies of the purple hive.

Joe, the bee guy, with Rebecca, The Most Excellent Gardener and their daughter Gabriella.