WATER GATHERER submitted by beekeeper Gerard

Nice sunny weather today.  Reached 48 degrees F by my house.  About 90% of my surviving hives had bees out taking short cleansing flights.  Gerard sent in the following picture.  He got down close to the bee and could see her sucking on the surface of the snow.  She repeated this several times.  Evidently she was gathering moisture to help with dissolving sugar that Gerard had placed in each hive as emergency stores.