Honeybees and Bee forage. 5.6.14

Honeybee cluster in new top bar hive.  5.4.14

Allium bee forage.  5.16.14

I opened one of the hives on Sunday, to inspect and see if the queen was released.  It was a bit chilly, so the vast majority - if not all - of the bees were in the hive, in a bee ball.  I didn't want to disturb them further, so did not look further.

Here's a problem to avoid.  One of the effects of my illness was weight loss.  My jeans tend to fall off, if I forget a belt.  Which I did forget.  Problem #2. I was commando.  Problem #3.  I was not careful to pull the bee suit down over the jeans.

Honeybees are really good about finding warm places to tunnel in and sting.  That's all I'm going to say.

Lesson learned.

I've been watching for foraging activity.  They have plenty of sugar water.  Alliums are a bee favorite.   Allium globosum is blooming now.  I'll let the onions and shallots bloom too.  Bees love those.

Next project- on a warm afternoon while they are foraging, I will check again for queen and comb construction.