Photo by T. Driggers
This colony needed another box
The weather has been a problem for a faster build up.
When it is cool like it has been the bees can't expand the brood nest compared to when it is warmer. The bees have to cover the brood to keep it warm.
The cold temperatures make the bees cluster, this year a little more than usual.
The tighter cluster means less frames covered leading to a slower build up. I am still feeding the bees on foundation.
I am being hopeful of a lagging nectar flow due to this unseasonable weather.
Look for the first clover bloom. An old beekeeper told me that the main nectar flow starts about 10 days after the first clover bloom.
