Recent content by ScienceGirl

Drones and dandelions, oh my!

Having trouble identifying... I've done many searches, but to no avail. It has the opposite marking of a woolly bear caterpillar: rusty brown at head and tail, black in the middle, white ends on the black hair. It looks like this...

56 f and sunny today. This is the third day this winter that's been warm enough (lower than about 48 is where mine draw the line) to permit cleansing flights and water and pollen gathering. There were definitely very happy girls flying about. I'm not sure what plant they're harvesting from, but...

Thought I'd share a bit of my favorite pieces of honey bee poetry and quotes... ^_^ “Bees do have a smell, you know, and if they don't they should, for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers.” ― Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine “I like pulling on a baggy bee suit, forgetting...

That's very interesting. I knew that you could send in samples, but I didn't know it was free. There're also state inspectors, but I'm not sure about whether there are charges for those... Both hives are doing well here. I thought I was going to lose one because the bee count was low last...

Sorry I haven't posted. Mantids have all been released and school keeps me very busy. Hope you, your bees, and your mantids are all doing well. :) Honey bees require fairly low maintenance. They care for themselves. Beekeepers mainly just have to collect honey, monitor the hives and prevent...

We found a wild M. Religiosa on the side of our house in the morning last weekend. The female was barely able to move and was unable to support herself. I fed her honey, then water. She perked up and began functioning normally as her body temperature rose. Insects are cold-blooded, so low...

The cactus didn't bother him? lol

Cute!

Apparently the bees add moisture to the sugar, then cure it and turn it into "honey" for their stores. He does this with his hundreds of commercial hives for pollination, and I have sugar, so it's worth a shot! If it makes my bees happy, then yay! Haha! (The sugar isn't for use against varroa...

He recommended Apivar for varroa treatment, and to put dry sugar in the feeders since there is no nectar flow on.

If there are always insects around the butterfly bush, why not simply catch 'em fresh and feed immediately? :D Otherwise, any of the above methods I saw are good.

Well, what beekeeping mentor says, goes. lol Some people medicate a TON, others don't do very much. Depends on personal views and preferences.

It's that time of year, soon! MEDICATION TIME!!! :D :clap: Well, ordering comes after finding out exactly what I need...

For most species, the antenna of the males are longer and thicker. The antenna of the females are shorter and thinner. A good example of this characteristic would be an adult male ghost and an adult female ghost. You can search pictures and you should be able to tell. :)