This Latest Cold Blast Is A Colony Killer

This latest cold snap could be a colony killer. Most colonies have brood in the hive. If a colony is caught with very little honey around the brood, starvation can occur.
The bees will not leave the brood to retrieve honey. If honey is a frame away they may not be able to get it.

It is the beekeeping season in California

Strong colonies in Calif during late Feb are needed for mating queens and future package producers

The first series of queen grafting has started. The pen like tool is called a Chinese grafting tool. It has a spring mechanism like a pen. The head is pushed down exposing a plastic "tongue". This tongue scoops up the larvae and royal jelly from the cell. The tool is put into the queen cup. Letting off on the head of the tool retracts the tongue and the larvae is deposited into the back of the queen cup.

Pollen patties have been on for over a month already. Feeding syrup is going strong. All of this helps spur brood production and the raising of drones for queen mating. Right now grafting has begun to raise queens for the spring season. 24 hour old hatched larvae is scooped out of a cell and transferred to a queen cup.

March is here it is almost time for beekeeping

Feeding 1:1 syrup with a pail feeder. Notice the stick. The hive was not level so I shim the pail so it won't leak out.

Pollen patties are a welcome addition to a bees diet. MMMMMMMMMMMMM good.
Leave the wax paper on both sides to keep the patty fresh. The bees will chew it up.

The weather appears to be heading for a swing to warmer temperatures. This coming weekend looks good for a hive check. Now a look to see. Dead or Alive. The need to know is getting important so package bees can be ordered to fill dead colonies.
Syrup can be fed as it warms up. 1:1 sugar syrup is the mixture for spring feeding. Syrup treated with Fumigilan to help prevent Nosema Apis and Nosema Ceranae.
A word of caution about feeding. It is important not to feed pail after pail of syrup. A strong overwintered colony will put it away in large amounts. Later when the dandelions come out the whole hive can become honey bound. Leaving no place for the queen to lay, Causing dwindling and no honey and a weak colony.
It is better to watch the syrup intake, making sure there is at least a few frames of food, not a smorgasbord.
If the syrup is on it is also time for pollen patties.
Pollen patties are essential for colony growth if there is no pollen in frames or natural pollen available. Pollen put on now makes a colony strong for divides in May. Failure to give pollen or pollen patties will make a colony lag and the population will suffer.
The added nutrition can possibly help keep nosema ceranae at bay.

A Great You Tube Video - Opening a Hive in Late Winter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToDqLQOLuC0
Terry McBelle checked her bees on Feb 23. She really did it right. Opened the cover and inner cover.
Looked quickly. Confirmed she had a good number of bees, looked to see they had plenty of honey. Closed up the hive.
The check took less than 2 minutes, a perfect winter check. Nice video Terry.

Package Bee Cages

Package Bee Cages

If anyone within 60 miles of me has bee cages. I need them returned back to me by March 15 to ship to California to be filled up.

A Very Good Free Publication

Bob Sitko found this link to a free publication. It is informative and discusses all aspects of basic beekeeping.
It is 102 pages long.
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs93.pdf

Tenative Bee Pick Up Day

I have a tentative date for bee pick up. April 11. Watch this blog for further information or any changes.