Beekeeping Students: If you see front door activity, there should be pollen involved in some of them. If not…

"Clear blue skies, not too much to ask for. They were here before we came, Will they be here when we're gone?" ~ CSN&Y #vernalequinox #springtimeintherockies

A post shared by My brain runs on Bees. (@backyardbee) on Mar 20, 2017 at 10:08am PDT

The following was posted by Don Studinski, author of Beekeeping Mentor In A Book, in his Yahoo! Group, Beekeeping Students.

I'm seeing white Pear trees bloom all over Fort Collins. I've been seeing forsythias for a few days now. Of course, the elm and maple are almost done now.

Your bees are bringing in pollen and nectar already. They are raising brood! If you see front door activity, there should be pollen involved in some of them. If not, it may be robbers that do not live there. Check your bees. 

I'm out checking today for drone brood in anticipation of swarm prevention.

I heard there were 4 swarms in Denver yesterday!

Xeriscape Plant Profile: Armenian Speedwell

My posts have gotten fewer and farther between but I noticed a spike in views of Xeriscape Plant Profile: Rock Soapwort so I'm finally adding to what I'd planned as a series on xeric bee plants.

Armenian Speedwell is a little-known species of speedwell. I received mine as a seller's alternate from High Country Gardens, and for many years had no idea what it was other than a veronica of some sort. Veronica armena forms a low, thick carpet of soft lobed leaves, and its bright blue flowers are some of the earliest in my garden every year. Honeybees will take nectar from it but I've only ever seen native bees gathering its pollen. If snow storms haven't destroyed the blossoms, spring trees such as crabapples (also quite xeric) provide more abundant food, so honeybee sightings on V. armena (or even dandelions) are infrequent, making this ground cover perfect for edging walkways (i.e.: there's no fear of a bee flying up your pant leg).

Looking a little blue on a rare overcast day, Armenian Speedwell dukes it out with Dragon's Blood sedum and hens-'n-chicks among the stone steps on a south slope. It doesn't get any more challenging than this!

Extremely drought tolerant, this evergreen creeper grows happily with gravel mulch, between flagstones, on level or sloped ground, all without a care. After its profuse 3-week long bloom period in May, I like to deadhead it to tidy things up but it's not necessary. I often see birds picking at the spent flower stems, looking for nesting material.

A cool blue companion for Stachys byzantina.

leaf detail

flower detail

It may be a while before I post again. It's getting harder and harder to maintain a beekeeping blog without actually keeping bees. Damn anaphylaxis. So before I sign off, one last pearl of wisdom: Swallows = Swarming. When the swallows return to play in the streams of Denver metro traffic, swarm season in upon us. Next time you're stuck at an intersection, put down the phone, watch the swallows playfully fly and plan out your next hive inspection with swarm control in mind. TTFN

Top-Bar Beekeepers Meeting: Combining and Splitting

Listen to the recording and find out:

• How to smuggle a queen bee across state lines.
• What to do with a hive that's gonna explode.
• Why the bees are hanging out in front all the time.

This Hive's about to Blow by BBHB

Then in these slideshows, see how Marty Hardison combines two weak colonies and then splits a booming one. Click anywhere in the black area surrounding the pictures to go off-site to the Picasa Web Albums, where you can see full-size images and read the captions at your leisure.

Combining Colonies

Artificial Swarm

Last but not least, also posted on SoundCloud, there is another audio recording that contains Pearls of Wisdom for Colorado Beekeepers. Have a listen – you'll get a sneak preview of next month's Top-Bar Hive Beekeepers meeting at the DeLaney Community Farm.

Recipe: Thick Syrup for Fall Feeding (no refined sugar)

Stir together in a quart-sized mason jar:
3 parts honey (24 oz.)
1/2-1 part water (4-8 oz.)
15 drops spearmint essential oil
5-10 drops lemongrass essential oil

When Fall feeding, colonies should be fed in a way that encourages the bees to take a lot of thick syrup in a short period of time, which "fattens" the bees in preparation for Winter.

You might wonder, as I did, what "a way that encourages the bees" is. It's not like you can stand there shaking a stick, commanding the bees, "Take this thick syrup. Quick!"* Well, there's no teacher like experience, and so a few dead bees later we can tell you what not to do.