Even though it looks like this outside...
...and we are getting a winter storm tomorrow with 6" or more of snow, today I found this...
...on my jacket. What is it?
It is...
...BEE POOP! The temperature is warm today (it's all relative, people), about 4C and very sunny. My bees are going crazy out there. On a warm late winter day like this, they zip out of their hives for a potty break.
Honeybees will not defecate in the hive unless they are sick, so they hold it in for most of the winter until a day like this comes along.
Then they take a "cleansing flight" and the snow looks like this:
All of those yellow splotches are bee poop. The dark dots are dead bees. Unfortunately, some go out, get too cold to fly, and fall to the ground and die.
I picked this one up off the ground and took her back to a hive...
...I picked her up on that boxwood twig, but she crawled off it onto my hand!
This girl was sitting on the hive lid next to a colourful array of bee droppings!
This poor soul didn't make. Fell in the snow and couldn't get out again! Sometimes you can resurrect them by picking them up and blowing on them, but sometimes they sting you when you do that. Don't ask me how I know that.
All four of my hives had bees going in and out today. So far, they've survived the winter but it ain't over yet.
The girls were clustered around the top entrances...
...and the bottom entrances!
It was great to see my girls out and about. A few of them landed on my jacket.
Meanwhile, down in the duck run, everybody is looking forward to spring.
This guy needs a name. He looks like his dad, Amy Winehouse (yes, Amy is a boy. Long story.)
Moishe. Unless it's Twitchy. Augh, I'm not sure!
Yep, spring is coming.
All winter... sitting in the house needing a shit... No TV, no books, no radio... then finally out for relief but maybe death in the snow. Nature is a hard mother.
ReplyDeleteHmmm.. when you put it that way, it does sound rather dire!!!!
DeleteThe nameless dude looks like a pint of Guinness!
ReplyDeleteJane x
Mmm, I love Guinness!
DeleteAwwww!! Just love those ducks..
ReplyDeleteBoy, you learn something new every day. Thanks for the bee lesson once again.
ReplyDeleteAah, I bet your bees feel better for that!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update on the birds and the bees and how they're dealing with winter.
ReplyDeleteSix inches until spring. Yea, right. Happy sleighing!
ReplyDeleteYou are at your best when you post on bees. I never tire of more about bees poop and all!
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I want to write a book about me and my bees!
DeleteI'm going out looking for bee poop in the snow tomorrow! Any sign of spring would be welcome right now.
ReplyDeleteI never knew that bees crapped so much! Some of those piles look suspiciously like Saturday-night vomit - are you certain that they are not just partying in those hives?
ReplyDeleteIt's entirely possible! Who knows what really goes on in there?
DeleteHello; lovely to see your bees. I hope that spring is just round the corner in my part of the world so I can see mine active again. I love the muscovy ducks; they always look as though they have so much character.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Wendy! Yes, our ducks are a bunch of characters. :) They always make me smile.
DeleteThat's remarkable about the bees - thank goodness outside rather than in for their ablutions. Thinking about your little visiting kittie, Kevin built a small house - sort of like a little chalet, with a storm window, heated it with a lightbulb for our old tomcat Dirtbag (yes, we had a cathouse in the backyard), it kept the water from freezing.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, you won't be hit with too much snow, but if you are, I hope you have some cupcakes left over in the freezer - they looked wonderful. The big storm just turned out to be a mucky slush event here.
B.
I like the cathouse idea!
DeleteI didn't even get to try the cupcakes, wah. I should have made extra!
Bee boop!!! MOL!
ReplyDeleteI hope at least those poor bees died after they had their last poop! :(
ReplyDeleteI love your bee posts. Sad though, the ones that don't make it.
ReplyDeleteI know! I feel sorry for them out in the snow!
Delete