Kendal's Bees

this is a queen from last year, in case anyone paying close attention thinks I'm using the wrong colors 😁 ・・・ The sun is shining, time for a little artwork 😉 well, I did paint her, but clearly I need some more practice coloring inside the lines, err, thorax. https://ift.tt/2pIyLg7

・・・ Queen cells! When the queen cells look like this, the bees are within days (or hours) of swarming. I'm glad I caught these ladies before they took off, I turned one hive into 4, and I didn't even have to climb a tree 😉 https://ift.tt/2DQbyOi

Checking in on the bees now that it's spring time! I like to do a thorough check of my hives once the weather is consistent warm. It's very invasive, so I only try to do something like this once or twice per year. This helps me assess the health of the bees and choose my breeding hives. These bees are certainly thriving in 's yard. ・・・ Hive check by 🐝💚 we are so happy that the hive is healthy and bursting with busy bees 🐝 🐝🐝 http://ift.tt/2C80riU

・・・ Spring has sprung! ☀️ We've got some beautiful weather out here, the bees are buzzing, and I'm getting a chance to do some initial assessments of the hives. Going to be doing a lot of splitting this year! (Splitting = dividing a strong, healthy hive to form one or more new colonies) http://ift.tt/2nKrlsV

・・・ It took me forever to figure out why all of my bees were coming back to the hive with a green spot on their backs! These are bees who are returning from foraging on rosemary. The stamen (the part of the flower with the pollen) of a rosemary flower hangs over the top of the bee when she sticks her head in to collect nectar. The flower gets pollinated, the bee gets a sweet nectar treat 🐝🌻 http://ift.tt/2BYtvJm

・・・ Another little tropical honey bee enjoying a sip of nectar by the beach at Waikiki. 🐝🌺🌴 http://ift.tt/2GwAEEk