Swarm Season

Hello Everyone,
Here are some videos from today's visit with the bees.  We have a later swarm season this year due to the many cold spells.  Some hives have already swarmed according to local beekeepers, but the main season is expected over the next two weeks.
Please keep an eye out for swarms and call me asap if  you see one, or even think you see one - whether at the sanctuary, or elsewhere.  Thank you.  Enjoy your visit

Bearding bees:

For comparison a video from March 10th:  

I was very excited to see a good-sized cluster of bees in the hive, that they made it through the winter, and that they seemed to have plenty of honey left for the remainder of the cold season!  I had brought some honey to feed them, but upon inspection realized they didn't need it!

Beautiful sounds - outside, and inside the honey bee house:
Also, a wonderful view of the fresh uncapped honey cells.. notice how the cells are built at a slight upward angle - so the honey doesn't run out!

Activity at the barrel hive

Honey Bee Airport 

Taking off, and coming in for landing at the hive entrance.  Fun to watch!

Warm Blessings for the Honey Bees -

Hello, Winter Greetings and Warm Blessings

The honey bees have been in cluster - where all the bees huddle together around the queen and "shiver" their bodies to generate warmth - keeping the group around 94 degrees regardless of outside temperature.  To maintain this winter activity they feed on their honey stores collected from the warm seasons.  Generally the huddle keeps moving as a group to the next area of stored honey in the hive, and this is easier when they just need to keep moving upward.  But it becomes more difficult when they actually have to go back "down and around" to get to the next hanging section of comb - especially when its very cold - they cannot break from the tight cluster without losing too much valuable body heat.

Here in Michigan we've had a week of very cold, single digit temperatures and another week of cold in the forecast.  Although the bees may have enough honey stored from a very full warm season, it may be hard for them to reach the honey stores in the hanging combs. To do this they either need to move as a group to the next honey-filled comb or break out of the group cluster individually to seek out the honey stores.  And right now it is too cold to do that - individually.

Group intention or prayer can be very powerful, so I thought to ask for your visions and prayers of warmth and dryness for these little beings during this time of extreme cold weather.

Here are photos of each hive - maybe try visualizing or just feeling the inside being warm and dry and plentiful of honey!
Thank you for your help!