Merioneth Beekeepers' Association
Friday 22 January 2010
CH writes: "Wore my bee suit for the first time this year! At 2.30pm it was 10ºC in the shade but 19ºC when the thermometer was placed in the sun. My hives all had bees flying, and a quick look under the crown board revealed active bees (also see 'Photographs Page'). The cluster was hidden below the top of the brood frames as my frames are the deep type. The size of the cluster can be gauged by carefully looking between the frames. All hives were 'heavy enough' with stores. One hive has fewer bees, but it is pointless investigating this as it is too early in the year to do anything about it; it will probably be fine."
JT writes: "Our bees were also very active from about 11am to 3pm (temperature here 8ºC). Have looked in the hive (very quickly) - seems to be plenty of food in the frames. Very encouraging after snow, freezing conditions and a couple of gales!"
Did you know ...
Bees have been producing honey for at least 150 million years.
The honeycomb is composed of hexagonal cells with walls that are only 2/1000 inch thick, but support 25 times their own weight.
In the course of her lifetime, a worker bee will produce 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey.
To make one pound of honey, workers in a hive fly 55,000 miles and tap two million flowers.
A queen can lay 3,000 eggs in a day.
Theoretically, the energy in one ounce of honey would provide one bee with enough energy to fly around the world.
Honey is nectar that bees have repeatedly regurgitated and dehydrated.
Bees cannot recognize the color red.