“When a bee comes to your house, let her have beer; you may want to visit the bee’s house someday.” ~African Proverb

We’ve had a handful of warmer days over the last week or so, and the aim has been to use this time to my advantage in the yard before the colder weather returns. While it’s been wonderful to check in on a few perennial herbs (it’s a great time to split some chives and bring them indoors for a bit of fresh greenery,) open the windows for the afternoon, or enjoy the occasional crocus that’s made its way awake, I appreciate time with the bees.

Bees have been on the property for a few years, but this is the first year that the hive has made it this far into winter. (Their space was moved last spring to a less-windy spot in the yard, and all I have to say is that with beehives – much like business – success depends on location!) There’s a saying in New England that you can’t count your bees until April, but I’m cautiously optimistic at the moment as they look strong and I’d much rather hope for a cheerful outcome than waste precious energy being fearful of their demise.

The hive pictured above comes from a swarm that was removed from someone’s patio set last July. They didn’t have as much food as I would have liked to see going into the colder weather, so they were the first hive to get a wellness check this past week. They definitely needed some assistance with sustenance, but otherwise they were in fabulous shape. Thankfully, while many products are available on the market to ensure proper bee health and nutrition, plain old regular table sugar works just as well in most circumstances. (If you landed here looking for a how-to with winter bees, I’d recommend getting in touch with a local beekeeping club and find a mentor; that was invaluable for this journey! In the meantime, if your bees need some food ASAP and you’re looking for a quick fix and an economical option, granulated sugar works wonderfully – just be sure to use white sugar and not brown, as the molasses found in brown sugar can be toxic to bees.)

To feed them, I placed a piece of black and white newspaper on top of the frames and covered it with a few cups of sugar, then came back again in a few days to ensure everyone was still doing well. In the meantime, I’d texted a friend to share my enthusiasm for how well this hive was managing as I’d shared my concern a few weeks prior.

“It feels good to see bees in winter.”

His response echoed my sentiments exactly. It’s these small glimpses of spring that remind us that it’s just a matter of time before we can once again spend the entirety of the day outdoors, in tune with the hum of nature and surrounded by life as it bursts forth from the earth.

Now if you’ll excuse me, the wind is picking up and there’s a bit of snow on the horizon. It’s time to grab my spinning wheel and join the cat in front of the fireplace as I dream about spring.

Until next time…

Sarah