I just mailed my $35.00 check for the March 27th Beekeeping School. I’m stoked about it. And I just learned that the queen begins laying her eggs again in February. Reader, have you noticed yet that it’s almost February?! The days are lighter longer…I noticed that these past few days…and this week we’re supposed to have some mighty nice temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Which means the bees will be taking what are called “cleansing flights.”

During the winter when the weather is sunny and warm, the bees leave the hive to cleanse themselves…which means they fly away and relieve themselves outside. Bees will not—I repeat, not—relieve themselves in the hive. They will hold it for weeks or months at a time. They will only go outside. And then the snow gets little yellow dots all around the hive boxes.

Doesn’t knowing that just make you love them even more?