Wild Bees

The day we had last weekend when the temps went up to 60 was wonderful.   Even the wild bees thought so.   [Our three hives died this winter, so they're not ours]  They came by the dozen to feast on the chicken feed, which must have some sweet and some protein in it.

We have never seen wild bees out here in these numbers before.  Especially in February.  

   

Seriously, we never saw honey bees at all until the year we got ours.   That year I saw one on New Year's Day [it was 55 degrees] and took it as a sign that we should get some bees.  So we did.    
Since then we know of at least 2 more people out here that have gotten hives in the last couple of years.    These bees could be theirs.   

Or they could be the swarm we caught last year that absconded.  It's very possible that they found a nice tree in our woods that they preferred to the hive boxes.    I hope so.   I'd sure like to have some of these genetics. 

Notice the pollen baskets on this girl.    She's gathering stuff off the chicken feed to take home to the brood.