The air was sharp, and the breeze cool, as I pulled my white bee-suit over my boots and blue jeans. It was close to 9 am, on this, the traditional first day of the 2009 Honey season. I was wondering how many colonies had survived the winter, as I tested the bear fence, ( 3 strands of electric wire strung around the yard to deter hungry Black Bears) After Lighting the Bee Smoker I stepped over the electric wire and began opening and unwrapping the Hives.
Spring must be a wonderful break for a colony of honeybees. Imagine being a cold-blooded creature shut up in a drafty box on a minus 20 degree below zero, night in January. Twenty thousand contemporaries are right there beside you, and everyone is trying desperately to keep warm by crawling in, warming up, and crawling out of the cluster, between frames of honey in the comb. The honey must be kept warm too, because Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper depends on the Sweet Nectar being soft enough to eat, without teeth or even a Jaw to crunch it. Honeybees are Miracles going everywhere to Happen, and Humanity has been taking them completely foregranted for thousands of years.
Spring is here, and its almost time to unwrap the winter insulation and set the bees free to fly in and out, unobstructed by the black Plastic wrap that has shielded them from the chilling winter wind, and snow. The weather is still too chilly for the bees to navigate. A daytime high of 61*F. is needed to provide enough heat to keep a honeybee warm enough for coordinated Flight.
But soon now, temperatures will soar, the sun will warm the earth, the hives will buzz and the beekeeper will once again dream of sweet liquid gold filling the empty honey combs.
Pay attention to this blog for clues to CCD and the myth of their possible connection to cell phones. Look alive as the best cell phone plans are brought forth by an internet company that hopes to level the playing field in Canada and bring the big three to terms.
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