Although it’s only mid-February and we still have another month of the official winter, there are signs of Spring emerging here in Colorado. We still have more cold weather and snow in store, but I’ll take any signs I can get. Last week on one warm day, I got a Read more…
When I started keeping bees and put up my bee yard, my plan has been to adorn the fencing with various bee/nature related themed art. I had Buddha on the ground and the Virgin Mary to keep him company, but the fencing has remained pretty bare. One piece I wanted Read more…
The varroa mite (aptly named varroa destructor) is a parasitic mite that attacks honey bees. It attaches to the bee larva while it’s developing and feeds on the bee’s “blood” (hemolymph). This weakens the bee and makes it susceptible to infections and diseases. Originally from Asia, it came to the Read more…
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, …… First, the worst…. A sad day for a beekeeper is one where they find that one of their colonies has perished. Last year, I was relieved when my hive (BnB1) made it through the winter alive. This Read more…
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and marks the official start of the Northern Hemisphere Winter. This year here in Colorado, the Solstice occurs at 4:03 pm on December 21st. While there’s no denying that it is the shortest day (and longest night) of the year Read more…
We’ve had quite a long stretch of cold weather for Colorado. Going into the last stretch of sub-zero weather, I wasn’t sure that the bees would make it. Once again as Diana has to keep reminding me, I worry too much. Finally, the chinook winds have kicked in and we’ve Read more…
Worry Wart I was chatting with one of Don’s colleagues at a holiday party. As many of the people at this party are employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, worry is a frequent topic as it relates to government funding of the work Don and his Read more…