Bees

We keep 3 bee hives here at the ranch.   We live at an elevation of 7500 feet and that means we have to make some accommodations for our hives.  It is fairly windy here, blowing 60-70 mph many times a year while gusting even higher, so we keep stacks of straw bales to shelter them from the worst of it.  We also have to ratchet strap our hives together to prevent the wind from blowing them over.  Each deep box, when full of honey, weighs about 40 pounds so between the straps and the wind-block they manage to stay upright and stable.  In the winter, we move those straw bales tightly around the hives to help insulate.  We also wrap the hives in bee cozies to ensure the bees don't freeze in our extreme cold.  Not only do we leave two full deep boxes of honey on, we choose to feed our bees over the long winter.  They have pollen patties and candy boards to make sure they don't starve in the harsher months.  We use quilt boxes on top to absorb any moisture as well as to help insulate.  Our hives are closed on the first of November and we don't reopen them until March.  We reduce the entrances down to the bare minimum to keep cold from getting in and to allow the bees to still come and go if we have some warmer temperatures.   It is both a relief and a treat to see them flying around on warm winter days.  We care for our bees like we would any of our other animals.  We value their hard work and what they provide.  Our two daughters love to help with hive checks and just to watch them as they go about their busy days.-they are fascinating!  They produce delicious honey and help pollinate our gardens.