Important message from the Univ of MN Bee Lab

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1104002975061-14/Bee+Lab.pdf

Installing Package Bees

This is how I put in package bees.
Double click on the video for full screen

Delivery update

This is the tentative bee delivery schedule:
First delivery - Sat - April 20th
Second delivery - around May 1st this date may be a little soft yet.

On bee pick up day the only items we sell are pollen patties, feeder pails, prosweet bee feed syrup and fumigillan.
It is a good idea to have your hive set out in your beeyard before the bees come.

Coming to an overwintered hived soon, a reversal

A reversal on an over wintered colony by Terri McD

Teri McD  made this youtube video a couple years ago. But it still rings true today. It demonstrates a springtime reversal.
Reversals are important to help expand the brood nest. This promotes greater egg laying by the queen, leading to a more populous hive. We can then possibly divide the colony in early to mid May.
 While the spring of 2013 is still cold and pollen is probably a week to two weeks in the future, a reversal of overwintered colonies helps a colony expand and flourish. The colony should be at least five or six frames of bees to do a reversal and the daily temperatures should be in the 50's. Pollen patties should be placed on the top bars of every box with bees in them. This helps to make sure the bees are getting protein to the brood.

MN Beekeeper has spring bee loss, Is it pesticides?

http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/29/17518793-bee-deaths-stir-up-renewed-buzz?lite

Dead Outs

With the warmer weather upon us. Dead hives should be cleaned out of dead bees. Clean off the bottom board, go through the frames and brush of any loose bees. Close up the hive bee tight, to prevent robbing of any existing honey. The honey can be used to feed the new package bees.

What is happening in the hive right now

The bees have been plodding along waiting for some warm weather. When it stays cold like this it does impact the bees. The bees can't expand their cluster and their numbers won't increase dramatically until we get out of this icebox.
 Honey consumption has increased with the increase in brood production. Right now there should be at least two frames of brood in the colony. Larger clusters of bees may have more. The cold weather has the bees working hard keeping the brood warm. 
 Pollen patties are being consumed more readily because the bees can't get any stored pollen from any parts of the hive because of the cold.  Beekeepers should be checking patties weekly to make sure there is pollen always available. Pollen patties will have to be fed longer than usual this year. The cold weather has put all growing plants in no growth mode. We may not have any hints of pollen until mid April at the earliest.