Mesquite Dunes Buzzy Bees

I had a wonderful time in Death Valley about 2 weeks ago. My friends and I were out enjoying the Mesquite Dunes near Furnace Creek ~ I heard a very familiar sound, the buzzing of a bee in flight ! Way out in Death Valley at sunset there were these lovely little bees... bigger than European Honey Bees but smaller than a BumbleBee... I was able to find one and follow it as it collected nectar from the Creosote Bush living on the Dunes. Here she is... isn't she beautiful !!!

Hard Fall/Winter for my Little Girls

Well, this Fall/Winter was very hard for my little girls. I started out in November 2010 with 6 hives and now I'm down to 3 ~ although they are very strong and happy :) I treated all 6 hives with oxalic acid fumes in November ~ 2 times about 10 days apart. The 3 hives that perished this Winter were all older hives ~ about 3 years old. And truly believe that the queens failed in the Fall. The size of the clusters kept getting smaller and ants were a nuisance for these weaker hives.

This Spring has been a mixed bag with hot weather, cold temps and lots of rain. BUT my survivors are doing great and I'm hoping to harvest their excess honey in the next month. But only after this cold snap has passed us by :)