We are down to one hive. Our smaller hive was fine at the February check and seem to be doing all right but not great. Yesterday, being 65' out in our yard, we headed out to bring honey and to a big check. There were only dead bees in one hive. Still so much honey it was very hard to lift the upper super and... ok this is kinda gross ... fairly freshly dead bees.
Freshly dead, I can hear you asking.
They weren't missing parts or particularly fragile and the freshly dead bees weren't dried out and crispy. Yeah, eeeww.
The remaining hive is a super looking hive and had a plethora of bees. (Yep, that's for your M!)
I am thinking that we might split the big hive early and either give them a queen if we can find a Yankee queen (one whose mother overwintered here) or let them make a queen (must wait for drones to be grown or she'll remain a virgin).
So, there is still time to plan but not much. Spring is coming early this year and pollen producing plants are out. The first flowers of the year are in bloom now and pollen is coming in.
8 years ago
I've had good luck with George O'Neil queens. Northern bred.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!