The Big and Final Update--February

February 1, 2015:

Sophie sent me a Facebook Post:

February 2, 2015:

I just went out to clear our walkway, and while I was out I went and scooped of the bees' front porch as well (that was decidedly less strenuous).

I didn't see any bees--it's much too cold for them to leave their cluster right now--but I did see bee poop in the snow. And as I told Abby and Ken, where there's poop, there's life.

(The above photo is taken from this website for kids, which explains things about bees & poop!)

February 12, 2015:

Diane sent me a FB post about Saint Gobnait, the patron saint of beekeepers!

Saint Gobnait is the patroness of bees and bee keepers, and today, February 11, is her feast day!  She’s also known by a few other names; Saint Gobnata, Gobnet, Gobeneta, Mo Gobnat, Abigail, Deborah.

February 14, 2015:

Just reading about an Anglo-Saxon metrical charm intended to keep bees from swarming. You know, like you do on any Saturday night.

Settle down, victory-women,
never be wild and fly to the woods.
Be as mindful of my welfare,
as is each man of border and of home.

February 20, 2015:

Over the course of several weeks pretty much everyone I know sent me a link to a kickstarter for a couple of guys in Australia who have designed a hive that doesn't disturb the bees when you harvest the honey.  It looks fascinating, and like maybe a very good idea--but it's early stages, and the hives are very expensive.

February 24, 2015:

I just ordered another beehive kit, so my second hive's worth of bees will have somewhere to live. And doing this is making me feel like Spring is a real possibility.

February 26, 2015:

The hive kit came SO FAST!

February 27, 2015:

The last jar of the 2014 season.

February 28, 2015:

Bad News.  Ken and I struggled out to the hive today to check on the bees. The snow is still well up over my knees, so it was a long slow slog out there. And there was no sign of life once we got there. No trails of bee scat, no hum in the hive, nothing. I cracked open the top and listened, but nothing.

sigh.

Who knows, perhaps they're fine, and the next *really* warm day they'll be in evidence. At the moment my only consolation is that I ordered another nucleus colony, which will arrive this spring.