Friday 11 January 2013

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the BeesofSpike Apiary

The old year is now fast receding into the dim and distant past.

Not receding into the dim and distant past is LandofSpike's remarkably resilient cough; a legacy of a festive season of which he spent every single day afflicted with A Ghastly Illness. 
Moan, whine etc. 

His Man Flu was so virulent that he was unable even to drag himself to the western borders of Spike Acres to monitor his bees.
So the daily Apiary observation chart, over the Christmas & New Year period, records nothing apart from a maximum temperature of 12.2C, a minimum of 3.5C and a scribbled note that it had been rainy but mild.

The bees didn't seem to mind his absence though. They just carried on without him.


Another consequence of The Great Illness, but also partly due to A General Uselessness, was the LandofSpike Christmas cards failing to meet their December deadline.
So, in time honoured fashion, the Apiary Christmas Message is making a belated, yet still heartfelt, appearance.


LandofSpike and his Bees would like to wish all you Friends of Bees a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Join them for more bee-related nonsense in the coming year.



Wednesday 9 January 2013

Foraging in January

Yesterday, as reported on this blog, the bees were out and about in great numbers due to the unseasonably mild weather.

While in the Apiary, LandofSpike also noticed a few workers returning with polllen. 
There was uncertainty as to where this pollen could be coming from so early in January.

Today, the 9th of January, it's still sunny and is a pleasant 9.3C in the Apiary. 
And, with bees still in the air, the mystery of where the pollen's coming from has been solved.


It now transpires that at least some of it was coming from the thicket of Mahonia just outside the front gates of Spike Towers.
Mahonia is a dense little shrub which bears blue-black berries and is armed with some pretty spiky and tough evergreen leaves.
The council's favourite loiterer deterrent 
The local council plant Mahonia in places where it deems people need to be deterred from loitering. 
Seemingly, the raised bed area in front of Spike Towers has been designated a No-Loitering Zone as they've filled it with a healthy patch of the stuff.
This has the happy bonus of supplying the BeesofSpike with a reliable local source of winter forage.


Bright January sunshine, bright yellow flowers

At this time of year Mahonia has the most brilliant yellow blossom. It's amongst the earliest bloomers of the year.
And the BeesofSpike were all over it.


A BeesofSpike worker enjoying some January forage 

NeighbourJane takes the credit for spotting foragers industriously working the Mahonia in the sun this morning and LandofSpike was able to get some nifty photos to record the event.


Pointy leaves to deter humans, Lovely yellow flowers to attract bees

The bees don't usually have many opportunities to fly in the winter months but, if it's mild enough, Mahonia can now be officially added to the Winter Forage List.



Tuesday 8 January 2013

More Winter Activity at the Apiary

It's 1 o'clock on the 8th of January. The Apiary thermometer is reading 11.9C.

And the BeesofSpike are taking another opportunity to stretch their wings.
The Apiary is alive with flying bees.

The whole colony seemed to be out enjoying the mild winter weather today

It's good to see the little fellers out in such healthy numbers.
However, the flightpaths seem much less direct and focussed than they are during pollen gathering.
An Apiary visitor is usually able to judge where to sit to watch the comings and goings of the workers, but this flight is much more random, with bees seemingly flying with no particular destination or direction in mind.
Just being in the Apiary today more or less guarantees that you'll be crashed into, landed upon and, generally, be in the way.
Mainly it looks like one big orientation flight but LandofSpike has seen a few workers returning with pollen.

A BeesofSpike worker takes a winter rest on a nearby beekeeper

All this excellent winter activity would seem to imply that, so far, the colony seems to be surviving the winter.
LandofSpike hasn't supplemented their winter stores with any fondant yet. As a first year beekeeper this is a source of worry. Opening up the hive at this time of year is not the best of ideas but the fondant will have to be introduced at some stage.

There's also the burr comb to get rid of. Oh yes.
It's a beautiful bit of construction, and fully loaded with winter stores, but unfortunately it doesn't comply with Apiary building regulations.
LandofSpike left it in place for them to use over winter but excising it and restoring order in the spring should be interesting.
The bees won't like it.