Winter Dismals Soon to be departed

Wasn’t yesterday a mixed up mishmash of weather? I think it may have had something to to with the earthquake in Chile.
 
I was in my shed (outdoor living space:-)) for most of the morning. I came out at lunch time and was headbutted by bees – silly me being in their flight path. I took a look under the roof and saw they had begun taking down the sugar patty which they haven’t touched all winter.
   
Crocus and snow drops are out up here. My girls have slightly grey white  and pale yellow pollen on their legs,  The girls are ramping up their activities and now is the time to be seriously hefting hives for weightloss.  The danger now is they starve to death in the midst of plenty. They may be flying and bringing in pollen but if we get another series of cold snaps they won’t break cluster to get to new frames of stores.
 
A couple of bees had landed on the roof and were starting to curl up with cold. Last Thursday at Blackhorse John was showing the newbies around and picked up a bee curling in the same way. He said by letting the rest on his hand they could warm up enough to be able to fly back into the hive. So I did and they did. Marvellous. Obviously I’m not going to spend all day being a bee warmer but so uplifting to help a few life forms live alittle longer.
 
I have made up four new hives for the coming artificial swarming proceedures and bait boxes and will be making up a few more brood boxes so I can give my girls new des res’s for the season.
 
I find that in November spring seemed so far away and now it is galloping towards us with barely anytime to breathe.