Into the Winter

I kept waiting for the cold weather to set in. I waited and waited and waited. And now, finally, much later than usual, the cold weather seems to be here to stay, though we haven't had a decent snow yet.

I gave the girls a couple of extra gallons of syrup, though the goldenrod flow was so good, it's hard to believe they'd need it. Can't hurt, though.

I'm saving most of the honey for the spring. I'm using some myself--hand crushed a few frames and strained it to get a quart. The rest is just waiting for spring build up, in case they need it.

So now--on to the winter activities. I've been experimenting with lip balm and hand creams, and have started making candles from the wax I harvested. There's enough to make gifts for the holiday. And I have to say that making candles, as I am tonight, is a pure pleasure. The scent of beeswax is heavenly. I can't bear to scent or dye the candles--the natural beeswax is too wonderful. But I do like the scent of the essential oils I put in the hand creams and lip balms.

I'm planning to expand in the spring: the bee club is banding together to buy packages, so I'm getting 5 more. Not only will I start new hives, but I intend to raise queens next summer. There are other beekeepers within flying distance, I've learned, and--who knows--there may be some ferals in the area to spice up the gene pool.