I walked past the community garden today and had no intention of stopping til I saw The Bee Keeper! I had never met him before and thoroughly enjoyed hearing his informative tales of setting up his hive and caring for it. He said the bees will remain active til the temperature settles at a high of 50. Since the pollen sources are diminishing, he provided a bottle of sugar water for them today, and they were hovering all around it. He also said it was safe to be near the hive. Just not right in front of the opening.
Next year he is adding another story to his hive which he anticipates will add greatly to honey production. Meanwhile the other gardeners all told him their crops did much better this year which they attributed to the assistance provided by the bees.
He is a lovely man with such enthusiasm for his fuzzy friends. I was happy to have a chance to chat.
My husband was a bee keeper, many years ago now.