Bringing Christmas Gifts For The Hive
It’s Christmas day but the weather feels more like mid-spring. The temperature has been hovering around 60° F and the bees have been busy feeding on sugar syrup. Some bees prefer fresh Chinese broccoli flowers which are the only flowers left in the garden.
I looked at all the hives and to my surprise they were taking in pollen as well. Not just one or two bees but many of them bringing pollen back to their hives. I have no idea where they are getting pollen from but it’s noticeably two different colors. I hope they are just bringing it back for storage and not for rearing a new brood. It’s the beginning of winter and next week the temperature is expected to drop down between 20-30° F and snow is predicted. We still have two or three more months to go before anything starts to bloom again.
Here are the busy girls taking in Nature’s Christmas gift:
Though the third hive is the smallest, they were busy as well. They widened the hole at the top entrance a little bit. I think it might be too hot for them in there so they needed more air circulation. Two days ago it was almost completely closed and it was a little too wet out side from heavy rain. I’m glad they are still active, since they appeared to build up the hive very slowly. If the winter continues to be mild like this I think they will pull through.
Petals and Wings 
Great photos P&B, hope you have a wonderful and happy holiday season.
Ours were bringing back pollen last week too, which was the first time I’d seen that in December. Also in two different colours. Daffodils are out about three months early, so nature’s schedule is really messed up.
I don’t see any Dandelions blooming around here at this time of year. I’m more afraid of them picking up pollen from plants in my neighborhood that came from a big, conventional nursery. I don’t want them to be poisoned by something sprayed on the flowers at the nursery.
Yes, that is a worry.