Still Warm, Still Doing Removals, For Those Who Can't Wait---October 14, 2009

[JP]

Yep, still removing bees. Not everyone can wait until spring so if they need to go, and the weather is reasonably warm, I do the transfer.

I'll post some pics later in this thread, once I upload them, but what I really wanted to tell you guys is about one I removed yesterday.

They were in a loading dock of a warehouse. No larvae, nor eggs, but capped brood, queen cells AND, fresh honey in all cells adjacent to pollen and capped brood.

Yep, they were honeybound!

One section was also filled with drone brood on one side. I was beginning to think they were queenless for most of the removal, but deduced it was possible she was there. One of the queen cells hatched out in my hand and she went right in the deep set up, and lo and behold, the mated queen showed up on a section of comb I put aside.

I shook the bees I had vacuumed into their new home and released the queen approx. twenty minutes ago. The virgin didn't make it.

Yesterday, we neared the 90 degree mark, and its been in the upper eighties for the last several weeks.


...JP

[Highlandsfreedom]

I love the coast.... 80-90 in October!!  I was driving in snow up on the continental divide

[KD4MOJ]

Yep JP here in the Panhandle we were in the mid 80's yesterday. This weekend we will get our first cold snap of the season... supposed to get down to 42 Sat & Sun with the highs in the low 70's.

  Hope to do a quick inspection Sat before it gets cool....

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

 

[JP]

We had a cold front come through this morning. It was very windy and rainy, approx 4am. It was in the mid 60's today. Man was it cold! :-D


...JP

[Kathyp]

it's been unusually warm here.  up to 71 today.  almost had to break out the shorts!!  it's going to be hard on the plants.  they should have been well on their way to dormant by now and we have only had one very light frost..

[annette]

Nice story JP about the queen coming out onto your hand. So when does it get cold there??  Never, I am guessing.

We are having pretty warm weather right now. Too warm.

[JP]

We have been known to get a few mild fronts in October, more in November. It did snow here last December though, snow melted the next day. February is pretty cold.

All in all, we barely ever get near the freezing mark but perhaps 1-3 days all winter.


...JP

[Rebel Rose Apiary]

I have been behind on cutting my firewood, as it has been cold and rainy here for the past few weeks. I need to do some inspections and get the hives ready for winter....then JP makes me want to cry talking about that warm weather!  :'(

There were several nights that I drove home in the cold, rainy weather and seen snow flying! A few nights here were cold enough to freeze ice.

Brenda

[JP]

Brenda, I have a friend that hunts your state every November for about a week. He and his group bowhunt only. The guy's property they hunt on is adjacent to Amish land. He made friends with them and wound up getting a tour, said it was pretty cool being brought back in time.


...JP