Had a 'spring like day'

JackM · January 27, 2016, 09:28:09 AM

We had a nice sunny, non-windy, warm day a couple days ago. Did some hive watching. All my hives are still alive. They were active, orienting and bringing in quite a bit of white pollen. Not sure if it was the hazelnut trees or the alders or the rosemary. Regardless after all this rain for so many days in a row, I was getting concerned, but they live and are active.

Hope yours are doing as well.

BeeMaster2 · January 27, 2016, 01:09:30 PM

Jack,
I was watching my bees yesterday. They were bringing in bright yellow pollen, gray pollen (maple) and opaque propolis. They were not our in force but they all had bees working the fields.
Jim

mtnb · January 28, 2016, 12:50:25 PM

I had a nice day yesterday too and took a quick peek at the sugar. They still have a lot but it seems they've also consumed quite a bit already. There was a bee on the bottom board on her back and I thought she was frozen on, but when I tried to flip her, I realized she was stuck in something sticky. So I tasted it. lol It was honey. They must have been able to break cluster and uncap some honey and gorge? There was a good glob of it on the bottom board and entrance reducer edge corner. I also saw a drone dying in the snow. I tell ya. My girls like their drones. lol Happy for both of you that they're bringing in pollen. We are faaaar from anything like that here. lol

BeeMaster2 · January 28, 2016, 01:04:45 PM

Mt Bee,
I have been feeding sugar for the past 2 weeks. A first, due to the warm winter. During the first week, all all of the hives did was remove it and drop it in the dry oil tray. Now they just seem to bee consuming it.
Any one else see the same thing?
I also found a glob of honey in one of the oil trays. Don't know why.
Jim

mtnb · January 29, 2016, 09:56:27 AM

Someone suggested to me yesterday that it may not have been actual honey but the sugar collecting water and then running down the hive. I have the Mt. Camp on. I've not read any mention that this can occur with this method.

Dallasbeek · January 29, 2016, 11:38:36 AM

I think you should be able to tell the difference between honey and sugar water, so I'll go along with you that you tasted honey, unless your taste buds are impaired.

mtnb · January 29, 2016, 12:11:10 PM

lol that's true. It tasted like honey. Do bees uncap and let it run like that? I sure hope it's not a mouse. (I do have it reduced down to keep them out)

BeeMaster2 · January 29, 2016, 01:33:53 PM

MT Bee,
Like I said, I saw the same thing. Mice will not dare to enter my hives. It is way too warm and they would not make it in there for more than a few hours.
Jim

mtnb · January 29, 2016, 09:27:59 PM

Jim, I guess I don't know what an oil tray is. I am glad to know that you experienced a glob of honey too.

KeyLargoBees · February 02, 2016, 01:40:16 PM

Oil tray is something us southerners use under our screened bottom boards to trap SHB and their larvae as well as mites when they fall out of the hive.

Is it possible that the bees in uncapping stores to use damaged cells with uncapped nectar in it?....water content is still high enough it is more runny than honey and on the warmer day it became fluid enough to drip?