Anticipating the New Season

The approaching end of winter is simultaneously a nerve-wracking and exciting time. I feel like the new Facebook reactions released this past week do a good job in representing the full range of my beekeeping emotions!

On the Nerve-wracking and potentially “Sad” end of the scale, I wonder: How have the hives over-wintered? Did I leave them enough honey? Were the weather’s swinging temperatures too challenging for the bees? Did they have enough insulation? Were they able to handle any moisture issues? Should I have moved them to another spot?

Bees with winter fondant food supply (from January 2014)

On the Exciting and “Love” reaction end of the scale, I think: It will be so exciting to see the eggs that the queen is already laying for the upcoming spring. How many splits will I have the opportunity to make? What will I learn this year that I can do better than I have before? Will there be new treatments to try against mite threats?

No matter which reactions and feelings take over from time to time, I am certainly looking forward to the true beginning of the season when I get to visit the bees and observe their completely fascinating lives in and out of the hives, and I can’t wait to watch the bees bring pollen into the hive, one after another. After this long time away from my regular visits to the hives, I am so happy that it is only a very few weeks until then.

-Karen