Winter in January

Hello from the Hoosier Bee Man.

Strange strange winter in NW Indiana. Today near 40 degrees and still 36 and still raining. I have been busy keeping a close eye on the hives and the winter stores. With temps so warm and trees and shurbs in full bud it feels more like spring. The girls have been out and about and even geared the queen up to lay eggs and even hit the egg larva stage before the colder nights returned and created chill brood. Chill brood occurs when the girls just can not keep the cluster/queen warm and the new bee larvae, so the bee larvae chills and dies. When this happens the bees have to remove the chilled larvae and dispose of it outside the hive, which is where I see it. I have noticed winter store consumption was more than normal for this time of year so I made another batch of my emergency sugar blocks and put them in the hives. The positive in all of this is that the girls have had plenty of opportunity to take cleansing flights “bathroom breaks” which will keep the nozema virus “intestinal/diarrhea” at bay.

I have ordered all the new hive equipment and bee essentials for this spring. The trucks will be rolling in with deliveries the first few weeks in Feburary.

I have a few speaking/teaching engagements already scheduled through May.

Expect the unexpected and shift on the fly, ready set go!!!

Bee Happy

HBM