In case you’ve been wondering, the feral bees are alive and buzzing. As you would expect, activity around their totara tree home has quietened considerably with the change of season.
This was taken in summer. It’s too cold just now for the ladies to be out socialising on the front porch.
Bees don’t like rain, wind or cold, so in winter they stay inside the hive, warm and dry, living off honey stores laid down in warmer times. They huddle around the queen to keep her cozy, and when they need to leave the hive to go and powder their noses, they try to wait for a sunny day.
Another summer bee photo. The sort of nose powdering we are talking about in this post is less literal.
It has been a bit quiet around the tree, but every so often I stand out in the Seven Acre Wood for a few minutes of bee obs. Each time there have been enough comings and goings to reassure me that all is in order.
And what about the Auckland bees I hear you ask? Well, AndyMan sent me an email update recently. Apparently they had a thorough hive-clean and health check last month and they are hale and hearty. He has tucked them up snug for winter with some Bayer treatment strips and a nice store of honey. What more could the ladies of the hive want?
See you in spring-time little buzzers.
“out socialising on the front porch”
don’t you mean “shorties hangin out on the stoop”?
You’re not in Baltimore now Chocolate Bear.