No Icefishing This Year

Well it seems between work and warm winter weekend weather patterns. Right when you plan to go fishing, warming ice is treacherous to say the least. The Boys and I have not had an opportunity to go fishing. Lord willing this year will be different as in having enough time to do more outdoors. And of course good weather would be nice, but not a requirement. Please when You pray, remember the fish less one's in Wisconsin. :)

Warm Winter Day

Hello to everyone who comes here to read my Blog. I recently went out to the bee yard at My friend Franks house to check the bees. It was an unusual warm winter day for Wisconsin 50's in February. Opened up the front access and found the hive almost plugged with dead bees. Not unusual for winter die off, started cleaning out the dead. And bees started pouring out in aggravation at me for poking around. I used a switch of switch grass stems and carefully cleaned. To my surprise lots of new young bees came out. And plenty older ones too who were straightaway challenging me. Me and Frank stepped back and let them settle down. Then went back to cleaning and more bees came out. So I then took the time to look at all I could as to see if any mites were attached. Could not see any on all that I looked at, and I and Frank looked at a lot of them. We were both surprised at the bees behavior when they landed. The older bees were cleaning the younger bees before going back in. This is a plus in the hygienic behavior of our bees. We were pleasantly surprised to say the least. From the looks of mine and Franks Colony's our bees are doing fine. Even with the hard winter we have had so far. We are preparing for spring and the addition of three more packages of bee's. We will place one at Franks and two at another bee yard I have found. Franks will be in a Lang type with no foundation and mine in Abbe WarrE type. Am looking forward to this new season with the bee's. :)

Updates / Beehandling 08 / Icefishing 09

It has been a long time since my last post. For this I apologise to all, hopefully I can correct this. The 08 year was very busy with work and Family. My bees were a passing sideline as I went home. I keep them 16 miles south of my home at my friend Franks place. It is easier for me being this is my way home each night from work. I get off interstate and drive 10 minutes and I am there. The Bees did well making three swarms this past year. But honey was down at the end because of low rainfall. Frank caught one swarm and I hived them and they absconded. And a Friend called with another, and they absconded. So I know of 5 feral colony's out there in Wisconsin. One being the bee tree where the single one came from. I am building more WarrA hives this winter and hope to populate them this 09 swarm season. I got in contact with a pest control man. And He agreed to give me all his swarm calls. So I hope to fill up as many hives as possible. I am posting some pics with this of feral swarm catch. And me and the boys hope to go icefishing soon. :) :) :)