Monday, March 13, 2017

March in Michigan-A Month of Extremes for Honeybees

We are now almost half way through March. Dreams and hopes of a gradual, even tempered spring warm up have been dashed by falling snow.  I awoke this morning  at 0530 to what I hoped was the bright reflection of the moon across the landscape.  I squinted my eyes and looked closer.  Nope, no reflection of the moon, just two inches of white snow. Just a week ago my bees had been buzzing in and out of my crocuses, gathering pollen.  Now their bottom entrances are covered with snow and no smart honeybee would even peep her head out of the small top entrance. The same top entrance that just days ago they were flying through with pollen loads on their hind legs. 
Temperatures have fallen into the teens the last few nights with day time temps in the mid-twenties.  Nothing to do now, but wait.  Wait for a day above freezing to check their food stores again.
So much for an early spring. Snow fall overnight, March 13, 2017.
March 7, 2017. Honeybees on Crocus

Rearview, honeybee on Crocus. March 7, 2017

Working hard on a windy day to gather some pollen. Honeybee on Crocus, March 7, 2017.

An older type of Crocus protects the bees from the wind while they are down in the flower. Honeybees in Crocus, March 7, 2017.

Honeybees in Crocus bloom, March 7, 2017. West MI.