Happy New Year from Massachusetts

[Rosalind]

Hi folks!

I have 30 fruit trees and a veggie garden in Massachusetts that desperately needed pollinators--in 2009, my trees all bloomed beautifully, but produced hardly any fruit. We have some local bumblebees, but clearly not enough. Started beekeeping spring 2010 with an Italian package in a Langstroth hive. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly with a great harvest in 2010: bushels of peaches and plums (I started the bees too late to catch the apple blossoms), plenty of veggies. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly until today, when I found a whole bunch of dead bees all over the orchard (maybe a hundred). Being new at this, I promptly freaked out, and found this place via Google--where thankfully a bunch of other wonderful people were asking the same question. It's a nice day here, 45F and sunny, so I popped open the hive roof expecting to see a bunch of dead bees or a smallish cluster, and instead found a freakin' HUGE cluster the size of a beach ball! They et up all the stores (3 full deeps I could barely lift, had to be 130 lbs. at least) and were right at the top. Putting on some food today, while the weather holds.

Seems like this is a great place to come for advice and opinions. Thanks ever so much for soothing my panic attack already!

[hardwood]

It's great to hear that your bees are doing well Roslind and welcome to the forums :-D

When you get a chance go ahead and fill in your location in your profile. That way we won't have to keep asking where you are.

Scott

[BjornBee]

Hello Rosiland.

I know a bit about bees, but little about chickens.

My first year with chickens.  ;)

Welcome to the forum.

[Rosalind]

Thanks guys!

BjornBee, this will be my fourth year with chickens of my own, and my family always had a flock when I was growing up. I keep a laying flock of various heritage & ornamental breeds--Cochin & half-Cochin mutts, EEs, Barnevelder, Welsummer, bunch of Silkies, Silver & Gold Duckwing Phoenix and just hatched a pair of Yokohama longtails this year. I used to keep Buttercups too, but when the last one died of egg-binding, I threw in the towel on Mediterraneans. If you have any questions, let me know and I will do my best to help!