Well folks we're almost into February now and it's still cold and snowy but if you're anything like me you're already getting anxious to spend more time with the bees. Unfortunately for those of us in Wisconsin we really don't do our bees any favors opening hives at this time of year unless really necessary for feeding, etc. Here's a handy chart to remind you that we have a little bit of down time yet:
But hey, chin up fellow beeks, there are still ways we can keep busy. One of the interesting things to come out of our pandemic situation is the increase in online communication and learning. Zoom, Ring, Teams, Skype... it's hard to have made it through the last year without at least one online meetup. Well now we have online beekeeping courses and meetups you can enjoy from the warm confines of your home. Here's an upcoming online intro class/presentation/q&a put on by our neighboring beekeeping association in Sheboygan:
And finally, I'll leave you with some interesting work coming out of Penn State which is studying feral bee colonies for clues on how they handle pathogens and winter survival. I think observing and learning from real time natural evolution and adaptation is always a good thing. It's good to see resources being used for this type of research.
Feral colonies provide clues for enhancing honey bee tolerance to pathogens
Stay warm and stay safe and always remember to pay your dues.
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