Minnesota. 2nd year beek.
Our temps are 50 to 60 some during the day and near freezing at night. I havent but peeked in the hive so far this spring. Added some more dry sugar 2 months ago to be sure there was enough til bloom. The bees are gathering in large numbers to my water sources. One source being a bird bath. It is completely encircled during the day by bees and birds cant even land there.
The hive appears very healthy and high in population coming out of their first winter.
It just dawned on me that maybe its the dry sugar leading them to drink so much. I assume there would have still been considerable condensation from the bees converting the dry sugar to a paste with those external temps and the hive still wrapped. Should I make the switch to sugar syrup or wont that change things?
My bees have been drinking water like crazy for 2 or 3 weeks now and I didn't give them any dry sugar over winter. Your bees are probably thinning honey and raising brood with all that water. That is a good sign. I inspected my hives in Michigan about a week ago (pulled frames) and found lots of capped brood, larvae and lots of eggs. I would bet you're in about the same boat in MN.
Some of my bees have already filled a super from something so I believe there is nectar out there. I'm guessing the cherries, but don't know. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't bother with dry sugar at this point. I probably wouldn't bother with syrup either unless you are sure they are low on stores. My bees had plenty of stores left from our mild winter. Sunny and 60 is fine for an inspection.
When other food sources became available,my bees carted the dry sugar out like trash.
Thank you bluebee and buzzbee. Being my first spring with the wintered over bees, it is amazing to see the healthy numbers foaming out of the hive. It is a beautiful thing.
Assuming they have honey for stores, it takes them a frame worth of honey, a frame worth of pollen and a frame worth of water to raise a frame worth of brood. Dry sugar will take slightly more water, but they consume large quantities of water all the time they can fly and even more in the hot summer. All living creatures need water.