Bee Prepared

We were enjoying the nice warm (for November) weather over the last week - and so were the honeybees on the farm.  I noticed significant activity by the two hives closest to the hen pasture one day and thought I should go get the camera.  But, I had things to do and by the time I got out there ready to take pictures, the activity had subsided somewhat.

But, even with the reduction in activity, there was still plenty going on.  

I am not certain how much foraging the worker bees can do in late October and early November after we've had multiple freezes.  I do know that workers who were returning to the hive were not laden with great amounts of pollen.  On the other hand, it is likely that there was a substantial need for water that must be brought to the "in-hive" worker bees and the queen.

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, our honeybees prefer to stay at home.  If they allow their bodies to get much colder than that, they cannot function and will die.  So, they use the heat of the colony to stay warmer.  And, since outside food sources are no longer plentiful, the bees have to begin subsisting on what they have stored for the cold months in their hive

The other thing that's been going on with our bees has been the late Fall "eviction" of the drones from the hive.  Once evicted from the hive, they die and often leave a carpet of bodies nearby.  If you look closely at the photo above, you will see evidence of this on the ground cloth.

Drones don't do any work for the colony and they require food and water, both of which are becoming far less plentiful  In order for the colony to survive, they treat the drones as "deadwood" and prune them off.  Once food and water become more readily available in the Spring, they colony will hatch more drones.

Thus far, our honeybees seem to be relatively well prepared for the coming months.  Here's hoping they will survive and we can see them active again next year.