A person who is too nice an observer of the business of the crowd, like one who is too curious in observing the labor of bees, will often be stung for his curiosity.
Alexander Pope
Well the more you watch your bees the more you learn about them. Today I spotted one of my beez up close. It was Blemunda ... yah, I know all their names! She had me nervous because I thought I spotted a Varroa mite under her thorax - it's doubtful that it's a mite and more likely part of the wing structure.
So I looked up honey beez on the google and found this diagram. I have a photo of Blemunda as well for comparison. You can tell she is an older bee because of the prominence of the dark thorax (in younger bees it might be lighter and less prominent)and her eyes are large and dark. The lighter color under her Thorax is what made me all nervoused out. Who would have thought mites in Chicago??? Anyway, I learned something about Honey Bee anatomy today - that being the difference between a mite and a thorax! Hopefully there aren't many mites but plenty of thoraxes in the hive!!!
Now I'm off to read the next chapter in my favorite book! Thanks to this book I was able to spot the thorax (and possible mite) in the first place!!! I wonder how this one is going to end - hopefully happily ever after and not 'this 'mite' happen to you!" Just kidding. Well, back to reading...
Click on the above image to purchase the great starter book from Amazon.
An image of the 'pimped-out' hive with a new landing board on the front and a couple of decorative shoring posts which I plan to paint in wonderful colors. The image was taken around 6:30 PM at sunset on 04/21/2012.
There is a wonderful joy that comes with beekeeping. Watching the bees go about their buzzziness makes one appreciate the beauty of a calm sun filled day and the pleasure of rest when the sun sets!
Enjoy your beezzz everybody! My beezzz are super cool - literally. It's going to be 40 degrees tonight!!!
Peace out!
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