Bee on a borage flower — pic courtesy of Elodie Holmes
I went into my one and only topbar hive today to see how the ‘ girls ’ were doing and am thrilled to report that they have 18 bars-10 full of honey , 1 bar being built and 7 full of brood . They look to be in really ripe configuration for wintertime . I did n’t see the queen today as I was in a hurry but that was ok as there was lots of capped brood and larva in those 7 taproom and lots of action with the bees coming in and out of the hive conduct in pollen and ambrosia .
Around my property decent now native plants such as Apache plume , chamisa and aster are all blooming and the bee are bang them . Plus my Russian sage , catmint , spireas , lilac-colored , honeysuckles , Datura , Borago officinalis and my out of control , drouth kind facile lace vine ( all over my fences ) is full of footling flowers and the bees are fuck all of them as well . I ’d say they are truly ‘ officious as a bee ’ .
Bee on a borage flower—Photo courtesy of Elodie Holmes
I ca n’t secernate you how happy and grateful I am for this to have happened as this preceding June I almost lose all of my bee . Nothing is bad or more depressing for a apiculturist than to not have any bees ! My queer had disappeared after wintertime sometime in late leap , and I on the spur of the moment discovered I had only 2 bars with a few hundred bees roll around aimlessly , not knowing what to do without a fag . I had two Friend , Bob Z and Les Crowder each give me 1 bar of brood so the beehive could survive until I puzzle a novel queen acclimatise to the remaining bees . The surviving bee had the new tabby lay an testicle in a couple of queen mole rat mobile phone they made to replace the queen I grease one’s palms . This process is called ‘ supersedure ’ which is the bees means of replace an existing queen in the beehive with a newfangled queen without a beekeeper ’s incumbrance . They obviously wanted to raise their own queen instead of take over the one I bribe . The pouf I buy ‘ disappeared ’ and a new queen of their choosing emerged and took over . The rest is chronicle . She has been one kick - ass queen to build up her hive so handsome in such a myopic clock time . I just desire no bear will occur by this far south but they are always worrisome in the fall and one has been seen not too far off . I ’ll keep my fingers track it does n’t come my way .
