January 24

New Lesson Now Posted! Catching Up!

I have just posted “Lesson 17-A Preparing Your Over-Wintered Hive for Spring” which I suggest all of you read ASAP.  Thank you Irene and Joe for your $20 contribution toward the cost of the AP23 Pollen Patties.

Hive inspections last last week showed a major difference in two hives.  Sean’s had plenty of honey in both upper and lower.  Queen has already begun laying new brood.  We checkerboard his hive placing frames of honey in an alternating pattern with his brood and applied an AP23 pollen patty.  Irene’s bees were strong, but had consumed all honey in brood box.  They had not moved up to the ne t box full of honey, we we took frames of honey fro  the upper box and moved them down.  Had her hive not moved, they would have starved.  We also placed a pollen patty on her brood box.  Leigh’s hive was in good shape and I simply added a pollen patty to her box.  We will need to make another inspection and add additional AP23 in a few weeks to these hives.   Continue reading