I didn’t insulate my hives for several years and they lived but this last year I did put the reflective bubble wrap around all my hives and lost one. I’m not sure about the insulation thing now.
One of our 2 hives is exploding. Hoping to keep them from swarming, so took out 3 frames with a lot of brood on them and put those in the weaker hive and swapped 3 frames of mostly drawn comb. Added an empty medium on top (no excluder). Hopefully the queen decides to stick around. Since there’s about to be a population surge in the weaker hive, I decided to put the Flow Super on now, and see what happens.
1 Like
Must have been a sale on crimson clover because my neighbor planted it as well, although a day or 2 after taking this pic they killed it and planted corn into it. I guess the clover was just for nitrogen. Did you get much honey from it?
Despite being cool, it has been a good spring. Had to split the 2 surviving hives but the originals are cranking the honey. Black locust is blooming. It make an almost clear honey. Delicious though. My strongest hive have completely filled one flow hive so I put a second one on top and it is 70% full now as well. I harvested two frames yesterday.
3 Likes
Hey Joe! Looks amazing. It is definitely a good spring around here. I had one winter survivor that became 5 & Flow super is on one and looks about 70% full, another has a not fully waxed Flow super that bees are working on. Inspecting today
2 Likes
Shouting out to all you NE USA beeks (and friends everywhere) as signs of spring are popping up! On mild days my bees are clearing wax paper trash from feed out of the hive, and pollen is coming in.
@Wizard and @chau06 have reported seeing some pretty pollen shades too 
@Plutoman15 how’s it going?
Congrats to those whose hives have made it this far, as most likely that’s due to your good mite management and cold weather protection strategies. BUT - Let’s remember that food stores will be at their lowest now, just as brood rearing is set to begin or already has started back up! Much more is needed for babies to eat - AND for workers to maintain a higher temp inside the hive. Right now I’m checking under the lid weekly and adding blobs of crystallized honey on wax paper almost as frequently.
Very soon I’ll be inspecting with an aim to split for swarm prevention, since last year I found swarm prep signs in mid-March.
What’s happening in your neck of the woods?
2 Likes
I’ve been weighing my flow hive periodically with a bathroom scale (poor man’s hive scale) and my bees are down about 17lbs of honey since late October’s 94lbs. Pre-feeding in October it was 27lbs. So, quite a bit left.
Hopefully, they will have good flying weather for the maple bloom here and they’ll be set until the main flow.
Local beekeeper tells me that young queens are very unlikely to swarm their first spring which is one of his motivators to requeen in the late summer (also provides brood break during a dearth along with OA treatment). Thoughts?
3 Likes
He be right. Their pheromones be strong, and they lay aplenty. Keeps the workers happy 
3 Likes
That seems like a decent amount of stores left, and nectar is on the way👍 The colony I’m having to feed was in great shape in fall but got robbed. I was able to stop it but they must’ve lost quite a bit.
I can see the wisdom of late season requeening the prior year, with the reasoning that a young queen’s pheromones are stronger. So with adding space and supering in a timely manner you’ve greatly reduced the bees’ urge by keeping them focused on matters at hand?
I’m reluctant to requeen when I’ve had a string of winter survivors and apparent strength in general. So far I’ve been happy with splitting and then supering once stabilized.
4 Likes
My colonies were very active on this sunny 47F day - I spotted some new boys enjoying the fresh air! Time to plan a split already 
4 Likes
Hi Eva, I think Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter. However he’s only right about 40%, or something like that.
I’m thinking that I’d take more notice of your bees, making drones already. 
1 Like
If you mean inspecting, that isn’t advisable in freezing (and below!) temps I’m afraid. Best we can do in this region is pop the lid briefly if feeding in winter months. I doubt there’s any forage quite yet either, so it’s odd to see drones this early. No pollen seen coming in, though I’m sure the skunk cabbage and witch hazel will be out soon. Going to do a quick look in on Wednesday, should be interesting.
2 Likes
Bees were on my witchhazels today.
I was testing out some plexiglass inner covers on a couple of my lighter/weaker hives this winter so I could peek without letting them get too cold.
2 Likes
Hi Eva, I was referring to Punxy Phil, the groundhog who predicted 6 more weeks of winter. The late night US comedians have been talking about it.
Maybe your bees have predicted an early spring by producing drones early.
1 Like
I’m definitely taking the bees’ word over Phil’s, not to mention the number of migratory birds starting to return already!
@chau06 it’s been on my agenda for a couple of years to put witch hazel in my yard, as another handy indicator. This will be the season! We rehabbed a bed for some shrubs & perennials last year and planting will begin this spring
3 Likes
On 2/23 I did an almost-full inspection on one of my colonies. Wow! It was FULL of bees, BIAS including drone brood, and the honey super that I know was empty in early January was almost full 
So I split it that same day! I never imagined this scenario this early. Our area is known for the odd late season ice and snow storm, and overnight temps are generally in the 20s-30s, so I put insulation under the lid and around the outside of the split, which consists of 3 brood frames and 2 honey & pollens in a single deep. I took a quick peek & added feed on 3/4.
Maples, plums, crocuses and snowdrops are in full bloom. I see activity at each hive entrance almost every day now.
5 Likes
One month after splitting - maples are in flower everywhere, willows are budding, more crocuses are out and cherry & pear blossoms are just emerging. As expected, we had a stretch of overcast and rainy, ice-cold windy days right after I posted. I was so worried for the split but I’ve kept up feeding them and happily, though nobody was at the entrance I could hear buzzing and activity whenever I put my ear up to the outside of the box.
We could still get more wintry weather, but their numbers are growing and they are out nearly every day now. I’m all set to split my other hive once a rainy spell is over this Sunday 
3 Likes
Russian Olive is the start of the honey flow here on the east coast. Ours started 2 days ago.
1 Like