Spring will be here before you know it!

The days are starting to get longer and the queen is starting to lay again. So it's time to get ready for spring! Some dead bees out front are NORMAL, however, a PILE of dead bees may be of concern... but other than making sure they have enough food there is not much to do at this point but learn from the experience. When checking your hives do not tear apart the hive, this breaks propolis seals on the boxes. You can simply lift the top off of the hive and check if there are bees in the inner cover hole. Don't forget your veil! Even in winter, there can be a grumpy bee or two. If they are already up to the inner cover hole they are running out of food stores (as they move vertically through the hive) and need to be fed as soon as possible (see sugar brick recipe below). 

What should you be doing now?

1. check hive weight and add sugar cake if needed (see recipe below)
2. clean up any dead outs  (for help on figuring out why did they die watch this video)  
3. clear entrances of the hives if they've gotten blocked and tilt hives forward (slightly) if they are collecting water
4. pick something new to try and set goals for the year
5. plan any plantings you want to do for the year
6. repair or cull old equipment, build and paint new equipment 
7. read some bee books or subscriptions, and renew your bee club memberships 
8. order your bees for spring  (we are taking limited queen and nuc pre-orders on our website) 

What are we up to: 

1. buying and building (A LOT OF) equipment for the coming year (we'll have some extra equipment for sale too) 
2. painting and repairing our older equipment
3. making our plans and goals for the year
4. once a month check on the bees for food stores and dead outs
5. Zoom attending a few conferences and a whole lot of bee club meetings
6. trying a few new hive related crafts
7. trying to remember to take some time off to recharge for the new year