The heat getting to my girls and to me. Is it my imagination or are they showing their love for this country by bearding (roughly) in the shape of Australia. Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi. Merry Christmas every one.!
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Thank you Ken, same to you & your family. cheers
I can vaguely make out Tassie so that is good - we worry when we are left off the map - sort of an extension of Victoria by your bees there, so a good effort… 
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Not quite right, population is too high around the Kimberly area… 
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It is pretty close though, as there is a gap in the Pilbara and I am home for christmas
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Ken,
Love the patriotic musings from “Down Under”. Bees 
got it pretty close. Merry Christmas 
n Happy 
Holidays to you all. I am hoping for a few snow flakes úp here SE of Seattle in the foot hills. The snowlevels are bushing below 1000’ locally with chances of dropping lower. I’m location is about 540’
above sea level. Crossing my fingers. Got snow for my 72rd back 11/03/17 here… We do get our hopes for white Christmases foiled a lot.
Cheers again n happy Holidays,
Gerald
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Bees are so talented, and also very tuned in 
The year our daughter moved to Argentina, look what our bees did 
:
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Now that is cool!!, my son will be on the Galápagos Islands for Christmas. Let’s hope they all remain safe and enjoy their trips
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Tracey,
That’s a cool Argentine bee map you shared. I guess my Italians over here between Renton n Issaquah aren’t as educated or do their thing behind my back.
Lost two of my six colonies to extremely agrresive yellow jacket attacks (for at least a month) this later summer n autumn. It had also weakened a third so waiting to see if the winter finishes my Fir Hive off as well.
I have three Nuc’s already ordered for mid April delivery … that will take care of my losses but not give us growth to 8 hives at my home location n two more at my daughter’s place in Kent/Covington area.
We fought a long mite battle this autumn 
also. They really peaked on me in both September, October n again in November! Been using the more organic Oxide Vapor method.
Well got to get some more stuff ready for Christmas …
Cheers,
Gerald
Us too, Jerry. The dreaded DWV signs even came back in October. I have done 2 full mite treatment courses this fall - not had to do that before. However, all 3 hives seem to be thriving at this point. 
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Hi Gerald, ha!
Those particular bees were very much self educated, as they followed none of the “rules”. They swarmed onto a neighbor’s motorcycle, and he let us know when he needed to get to work 
Sorry your bees took such a hit from the yellow jackets; our bees managed to keep them out this year 
We were amazed, as we lost both our hives to them last year. Let’s hope we do not have too wet of a winter, that always knocks the stuffing out of even our heartiest bees.
Solstice best wishes to you, as the sun 
is returning
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Amazing pictures of bees.