Year 3 May - Riding Her Out 🖊️

-Isn’t Wyoming weather just something else?

Springtime in the Rockies

Hey there! So, it’s that time of the year again, and Wyoming is proving once more that it’s no walk in the park. All those imported trees and flowers are eager to bloom for the bees, but guess what? This year, just like pretty much every other Wyoming year I can recall, it’s not going to be that simple.

Because, you see, around this time, we get three to four days of snow. Then comes a calm day with a high of 50F degrees. Followed by a windy day, highs in the 60s F, and gusts above 40mph. And just when you thought you’ve seen it all, another round of 30F to 40F degree snowy weather rolls in.

Yep, you guessed it – four more inches of snow tonight, seven more inches tomorrow, and a couple more inches after that. Where I am, near the mountains, it’s going to be double that, and add gusty winds above 30mph into the mix. Ah, the joys of springtime in the Rockies!

It’s not easy on the plants, the bees, or the beekeeper. But you know, I always remind myself that, with the exception of one year, I’ve always found myself cutting lilac blossoms in a foot of heavy, wet, cold snow. And it’s going to be a while before those lilacs decide to bloom.

Rocky Mountain Bees

Now, springtime is no walk in the park for the bees either. While most folks think bees struggle through the winter, truth is, with enough food and some shelter from the wind, they handle it like pros. They hunker down, reduce activity and broodnest temperature, consume very little food, and raise just a bit of brood. Wyoming winters? Easy peasy for them.

But spring is a whole different story. Activity kicks up a notch. Bees go on a massive food and water consumption spree. The overwintered bees need it to keep the broodnest near 95F because new brood is about to replace them. You see, those overwintered bees are getting up there in age. They’re gearing up to rear a new generation that will tap into spring’s pollen and nectar sources.

It’s been almost seven months since these bees have seen any blooming flowers. Everything has to align perfectly. Any unexpected hiccups now, and the hive is in trouble. Unlike warmer climates, there’s not much a beekeeper can do this time of year. Any meddling now would do more harm than good. It’s just too darn cold, wet, and windy to work with the bees.

Elsewhere

Meanwhile, the weather in Delta Junction, Alaska – where I ran a small sideline outfit years ago – is more settled and warmer than Wyoming at this time. And down in Florida, the bee season is winding down as they head into their scorching summer dearth. I bet the rest of the country is somewhere in between, with queens being reared and mated, swarms being gathered, flowers getting pollinated, and honey being collected. A new season of life, of expectation, of joy is well underway.

Wyoming

Now, here in Wyoming, winter weather is still hanging on, clawing at the granite rock and sagebrush plains. Our high elevation and our spot right under the jet stream mean the battle between warm and cold air keeps going a bit longer. Our seasonal rebirth is still a brood cycle away.

But for the survivors, this new snow is life. It’s going to melt slowly from the mountains, cascade down clear mountain streams to reservoirs below, fueling new life and hope along the way. And when the summer sun threatens to scorch everything away, its cool flow will extend life throughout the remaining season.

In Wyoming, there’s an expression: Let Er Buck. Normally, it refers to another kind of wrangling, but for a Wyoming bee wrangler like me, it best refers to our spring weather. And you know what? I’ll be riding her out.

-Cheers, D 🐝🤠