This is what I've been waiting for! A full sun week in the Spring.
I have removed all of the insulation except the roof insulation from my 2 hives. Bees are active. One hive has alot of yellow at the entrance. It is dandilion yellow, so I am assuming they are lining up to get in and marking up the entrance. My entrances are still reduced for Winter. Today I will open up the entrance to the next size up and see how that goes with the good weather coming.
We haven't had frost for a few days now and none in the forecast for the next week. Overnight and early mornings are just a few degrees above freezing but warming up to 20 C (60 - 65F) during the day.
The wild apple blossoms, wild strawberry, dandilion and choke cherry blossoms are now coming out! This is the short season that I missed last year when I bought my nucs and transferred them around June 1st. I am anxious to see what this week produces!
Drone frames are in to help fight mites and will also be switched out later today as I do have capped cells in those green frames.
I fed them fondant once in March, nothing since. All natural since then! I am very happy about this.
Any and all recommendations are appreciated!
How much should I open the entrance for the next week?
Is that yellow actually dandilion stain? (or something else)
What does the stain look like? And how open is your entrance?
The colour is bright yellow and is a 2" circle around the smallest hive entrance I have which is 2" wide x 1" high. I just flipped it over today and now have a 4" x 1" opening.
The bees are very busy and active around the front of the hive.
Lots of bees inside too, but not too many either. I don't think I will have a swarming issue as I've given them extra space from the start.
So Algonam - is the yellow pollen the bees are harvesting?
I'm also looking forward to the first week of warm and sunny weather since early March!
I put some pollen patties on the top of my hive in the hopes that it will help them build up the brood.
Good luck this year! Sounds like you're off to a good start.
GeeezzzBeeezzz,
I figure it must be pollen. This is still new for me as I only started with nucs almost 1 yr ago, so I didn't get to see this part of our season.
In this sunny warmer eather weather you can hear the buzz from 20yrds away. They are racing back and forth and all around! Yes, it looks good at the moment, but as I've learned, looks can be deceiving! Time will tell!