The bone-chilling cold of winter relented for a day.

It doesn’t often get truly frigid in the Northwest, but the drizzling cold rain can seep into you. So, on those dry and relatively warm days, it’s important to tackle needed farm chores.

On the last day of February, the temperature rose to about 54 degrees. That meant I could open the one active hive I had and perform a quick inspection of the bee colony. I knew this colony had survived, but I didn’t know how healthy they were. Dead bees littered the main entrance of the hive. This isn’t unusual. It’s a sad fact that many bees die during the winter months. Those that remain haul the bodies out to keep the hive clean.

Bees can go about five days without defecating so, during the winter they take advantage of warm days to perform cleansing flights near the hive. It was a good sign to see several dozen flying near the hive.

The temperature was just at a level where I could open the hive briefly but, I wanted to be quick. I removed the roof section and lifted the top board. There, in the hive, were hundreds of bees clustered close together. More would be deeper in the hive. The remaining honey supply looked good but, in a few weeks, I’ll add a top feeder to the hive.

With everything looking good, I swiftly closed the hive. With any luck, in a few months, this colony will be pollinating my orchard and garden.