As our weather warms, our bees are expanding their ranks and leaving their hives to create new colonies. If you have not seen a bee swarm, it is a wonderful sight. It is a whirling ball of bees, not unlike a small tornado, moving through the sky with a musical buzz; or if they have landed, a ball of life hanging from a tree branch or another stable object. Bees are what pollinate our gardens and fruit trees, and the bee population has been declining. It takes a hearty bee to survive in our cold climate. These wandering local bees need to be provided with new homes to survive and continue their thankless task. Local beekeepers are in the need of new bees to fill their hives and replace colonies that may have not survived past winters. Please keep your eyes and ears open for bee swarms during the next month and notify a local beekeeper of your sighting. Feel free to contact me, and I will share your information with one or more of our local beekeepers. My cell number is 970-379-8255.
Doug Graybeal
Carbondale