Monthly Archives: November 2011

Winter Solstice 2011

Posted on November 29, 2011 by

Well, it’s that time of the year. It’s cold out there. Our bees are all clustered and battling the cold and rain. Us beekeepers can’t wait for the turnaround when days start to get longer and temperatures start to warm … Continue reading →

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Honey Bee Pests and Diseases

Posted on November 28, 2011 by

The University of Florida IFAS Extension has some great info on honey bee pests and diseases. The videos are a must watch. Small Hive Beetles. Nosema. Trachael Mites. Varroa Mites. They are VERY informative and shows practices and methods for … Continue reading →

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Warm Winter

Posted on November 25, 2011 by

Black Friday today and we had a gorgeous day out. The bees were flying in masses early this morning. And by the afternoon where it warmed up to high 60′s they were acting like it was early Spring. There appears … Continue reading →

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Rain, Overcast, Sun – High Bee Activity

Posted on November 19, 2011 by

It was cool last night with rain and today being overcast but if your colony is strong you will see high activity when the sun comes out. Here is a double medium hive that’s packed full with bees.

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Fall Colors

Posted on November 18, 2011 by

This morning was overcast with a storm rolling in by the afternoon and on days like this the Fall colors really glow. So I took a little drive around Los Altos and Cupertino with my Nikon D90 plus 18-200mm VR … Continue reading →

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Thermal Images of Bee Hives During Winter

Posted on November 11, 2011 by

It has been cold at night and waking up to white frost on the surface. I thought I have a little fun with my toy, Fluke Thermal Imager, to see where the majority of the heat is located in a bee … Continue reading →

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Trouble at the Hive Part 2 – Colony Disappeared

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

Here’s the following from the blog post below where we saw chewed up wax pieces at the entrance of the hive. This afternoon it warmed up well into the high 60s or low 70s so we had a chance to … Continue reading →

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Trouble at the Hive – Possibly Robbing or Pests

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

About two weeks ago my dad was out back and noticed that one of the hives had a lot of broken down wax at the entrance. It has been cold so we haven’t inspected to determine what is happening. But … Continue reading →

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Winter Rain and Frost Protection

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

Just wanted to provide you’ll a visual of two forms of how I protect my hives from the elements during the cold and wet season. This first colony, yes, still 5 mediums tall with a full load of honey, is … Continue reading →

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First Frost of the Season

Posted on November 8, 2011 by

Last night it dipped into the chilling 30′s and we woke up to a light blanket of frost. Appears to be a repeat of last year in Nov where we got frost and rain almost the entire month. Nov 9: … Continue reading →

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