Riding Her Out

-Ah, the wonders of Wyoming weather!

Hey there, lovely souls! 🌸

Spring has sprung, but here in Wyoming, it’s playing hard to get. The imported trees and flowers are gearing up for a bee bonanza, but guess what? Wyoming has its own way of doing things.

Picture this: three to four days of snow, a calm day hitting 50°F, followed by a windy day with temperatures in the 60s°F and gusts above 40mph. Then, just for fun, another round of 30°F to 40°F snowy weather. Tonight? Four more inches of snow, and tomorrow, seven more inches. It’s springtime in the Rockies, where near the mountains (where I live), it’s like winter decided to stick around a bit longer!

It’s a tough gig for the plants, the bees, and this beekeeper. I always chuckle at the irony of cutting lilac blossoms amidst a foot of heavy, wet, cold snow. Ah, the joys of waiting for those lilacs to bloom!

Rocky Mountain Bees

Spring is a rocky ride for bees here. While folks might think bees struggle through winter, they actually do pretty well. With enough food and shelter, they hunker down, lower their activity, and weather the Wyoming winter with ease.

But here’s the twist—spring is a different story. The bees amp up their activity, chow down on massive amounts of food and water, and those overwintered bees kick into high gear to maintain the broodnest’s warmth for the new brood. It’s been seven months since they last saw blooming flowers, and everything needs to align perfectly. Any hiccups now, and the hive could be in trouble.

Unfortunately, Wyoming’s weather makes it tough for beekeepers to intervene; it’s too cold, wet, and windy to work with the bees.

Elsewhere

While the weather in Delta Junction, Alaska, is cozier, and Florida is wrapping up its bee season, the rest of the country is somewhere in between—queens are getting ready, swarms are forming, flowers are blooming, and honey is flowing. Life is buzzing with joy and expectation!

Wyoming

But in Wyoming, winter’s grasp still lingers. Our high elevation and proximity to the jet stream keep the battle between warm and cold air going a bit longer. Our spring rebirth is still a brood cycle away.

Yet, for the survivors, this new snow is life. It’ll melt down the mountains, feed streams, and fuel new life along the way. When the summer sun turns scorching, its cool remnants will extend life throughout the season.

In Wyoming, we have an expression, “Let Er Buck.” Usually, it’s about another kind of wrangling, but for a Wyoming bee wrangler like me, it perfectly captures our unpredictable spring weather. So, I’ll be riding it out!

✨

Cheers, D 🌴🌊