Weather
folklore dates back to antiquity. The Bible, for example, contains references
to weather and how to interpret signs in order to predict upcoming weather.
Here
in America , we have not only
our own versions of weather folklore, but also traditions brought over here
from Europe by colonists. One such bit of lore
holds that bees have some foreknowledge of how much snow will fall during the
upcoming winter and build their nests accordingly.
So
a bee’s nest very low to the ground means that we can expect very little snow,
bad news for skiers, snowmobilers and others who enjoy winter sports. And nests
built high off the ground suggest to us that we better stock up on snow shovels
and gasoline for our snow blowers.
That’s
all very well and even sort of believable. But what are we to think when bees build
their nests at dizzying heights in huge trees? If this bit of folklore has any
merit at all, then we Mainers should probably start packing our bags for the
trip to Florida
I
say this because I spotted a wasp’s nest at least 60 feet up in a pine tree
near my house. Certainly, I don’t pay much heed to how high bees build their
nests, but this is the highest bee’s nest I have ever seen, and I’ve been
around a good while and have seen many bee’s nests.
Even
though we shouldn’t put much stock in the bee’s nest part of weather
predicting, it strikes me as possible that while snow won’t reach depths of 50
feet, it might still get far deeper than we have seen in a long time. But then
again, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Wooly Bears
The
namesake of this column, the wooly bear caterpillar, the immature form of the
Isabella moth, has long been a noted weather prognosticator. These fuzzy little
caterpillars are black on each end, with an orange band in the middle. The
length of orange band represents winter and the two black ends are,
respectively, fall and spring.
Folklore
says that the length of each band represents the length of the season it stands
for. So if a wooly bear has two short bands and a long, orange band, then look
out, since a bad winter is neigh.
So
then, what are we to think of the wooly bear I saw the other day? This one had
two long, black bands and a short orange band. Does this mean that we’ll have a
long fall, short winter and early spring? If so, then the wooly bear’s forecast
contradicts that of the bees.
I
don’t really believe bees or wooly bears. I think the bees just build their
nests wherever it suits them, with no thought of the coming winter. And as per
wooly bears, I don’t trust them. I’ve seen too many wooly bears that bore an
entirely inaccurate winter weather forecast.
In
the end, I don’t think any thing or any one can accurately predict weather very
far in advance. Which places me in the wait-and-see category. And that seems a
safe bet.
