Quick Update - Winter Casualties

A Few Announcements

I removed a couple of links off the blog and I received at least one email asking me why. Well there are only a couple of reasons I would remove a link. Any link I have down in the "No Link Love" section I will keep as long as they interest me. If they don't post often, express points of view I strongly disagree with, never bother to link back to me or link to whiny victim feminist blogs or drunken arid rodent rants I will remove them post haste.

Two such links failed one or more of the above tests without having enough redeeming qualities for me to over look the disappointing ones.

One blog finally went too far even for me. I am a completely equal opportunity kinda fellow. I believe there are cultural and racial differences in the world that are more than just social constructs and I believe in freedom of association for whatever reason someone may want to associate or not. That being said there are limits in just how far I will go in that direction.

Finally I have no love for most American Jews but it has absolutely nothing to do with them being Jewish. I support Israels right to exist and I am constantly bewildered why American Jews don't and why as a group they support the very enemies of my blood (Lefty Feminist) they do. So if someone is an American Jew and they don't support the Socialist Left then they are fine by me.

Just in case anyone else asks me why I removed certain links. They are entitled to their opinion and I might in fact overlook disagreements if the debate is good but when things deteriorate into insults and ravings I will abandon it like yesterdays offal.


Now the update...

Finally the warm temperatures arrived today and everything is thawing out. Water is running in huge streams everywhere but much of the solid ground is still frozen more or less. Since we are taking some lambs to slaughter Thursday I had to get the stock trailer out before the ground started thawing this morning and then wait around for the temps to warm up enough to check my hives.

Out of my 10 remaining hives (If you remember I lost one last month) I now have 9 survivors. Yes I lost another one. It was one I really didn't think was in any danger but as with the hive last month from what I could tell they just got caught in a bad spot when it was too cold to move and starved. There is still honey inside the hive but they just couldn't get to it with the sub-zero temps to feed themselves. It happens.

Still 9 survivors is much better than I feared I was going to have. Apparently the extra (but ugly) insulation helped them stay warm. Each hive still had full tops of sugar although several of them were already hitting it pretty hard. We supposedly have three days of mild temps coming so I may check their feed levels again before it is over. I think the hard part is past us however and if things stay normal we should begin seeing the first Henbit and Dead Nettle blooms soon along with the Maple trees flowering. Once we make it to that point the hives are usually in the clear and once I see the wild plum blooming I know we are good.

Next year I am definitely putting up wind breaks as well as the insulation wrap though.

March can be hard on the bees as well but I am breathing quite a bit easier about their odds for survival now. I have not lost a hive in March ever although some beekeepers proclaim that is when they get their heaviest losses. Now I should be able to estimate how much more wooden ware to build and frames to order.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!