Do you realize that the Bee Spring is here? Just think, the bees are laying frantically to have the full force of bees for the Red Maple and other early bloomers. That is — the queen is laying frantically, if —- she has the pollen and nectar available. Now is the time to check the hives to make sure that the bees have any food left since they just went through Winter. Believe it or not, THIS IS THE TIME THAT MOST BEES STARVE TO DEATH! And they can starve to death with just one of these two elements missing.

I would rather you have to check the hives in the rain or snow than to have you lose your colonies for the lack of something as simple as maybe a pollen patty or a little sugar water. The easiest way to check a hive is to lift the back of the hive to gage the weight. If it is heavy, then you have enough honey, but if it is kinda light, then you need to go into the hive to visually check for honey and while in there check the pollen cells. You need at least a 3/4 frame of pollen. Usually if you have enough honey then the pollen is okay, BUT, you need to check your pollen at some time to be sure.

There should be eggs galore in the cells. If not, then look for a reason. Check pollen. That is the most important food of the larvae. However, the honey at this time is also important, as it is used to keep the colony warm. I hope that you get the idea that both pollen and honey is most essential to the coming-out-of-winter. If your truck is running on fumes and you still have to go a mile to the gas station, then you may or may not make it to the fuel pump. The bees have to have enough honey for the flight to the pollen and nectar stations.

Hope you have your equipment ready. It would be a good time to make sure that the empty boxes are painted so you can exchange brood boxes. Then you can clean and repair the ones that you exchanged for at your leasure.

Good luck this new year. I wish you a profitable year of pollination and honey production.