Dale Benedict from Honey Health Farms checks in to share a little insight into bee keeping:Bee keeping is a twelve month job even in winter and into spring.
To prepare the bee hives for winter we need to close down the entrance to the hive by inserting a specially designed wooden stick. This helps keep out varmints, the cold wind and drifting snow. Also before winter we drill a small hole in the hive box about eighteen inches high (So snow drifts won't close the exit). On warmer winter days the bees do go outside "to do their business." This keeps the hive boxes nice and clean on the inside.
You might also find it interesting as to how honeybee survive the freezing temperatures with their hive boxes setting out in all kinds of weather. They gather into a cluster and keep moving throughout the cluster. This constant movement and their metabolic temperature keeps the center of the cluster at 92 F degrees . The queen stays inside the cluster and thus is protected. She will start laying eggs to start building up the hive population in February.
With spring right around the corner we start the process of opening up the hives on warm days to inspect the status and health of the hive. If need be, we can feed the bees pollen containing patties which are placed upon the top bars of the hive. This helps them get off to fast start and ready to collect nectar and pollen from the first blooming flowers, trees and dandelions.
Have a honey healthy day!
Honey Health Farms
To prepare the bee hives for winter we need to close down the entrance to the hive by inserting a specially designed wooden stick. This helps keep out varmints, the cold wind and drifting snow. Also before winter we drill a small hole in the hive box about eighteen inches high (So snow drifts won't close the exit). On warmer winter days the bees do go outside "to do their business." This keeps the hive boxes nice and clean on the inside.
You might also find it interesting as to how honeybee survive the freezing temperatures with their hive boxes setting out in all kinds of weather. They gather into a cluster and keep moving throughout the cluster. This constant movement and their metabolic temperature keeps the center of the cluster at 92 F degrees . The queen stays inside the cluster and thus is protected. She will start laying eggs to start building up the hive population in February.
With spring right around the corner we start the process of opening up the hives on warm days to inspect the status and health of the hive. If need be, we can feed the bees pollen containing patties which are placed upon the top bars of the hive. This helps them get off to fast start and ready to collect nectar and pollen from the first blooming flowers, trees and dandelions.
Have a honey healthy day!
Honey Health Farms
Photo courtesy of Linda Foor ©2008 Brickstreet Communications. All rights reserved.
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