Marc,
As you noted, the problem with New England weather is how variable it can be. If we are now in for a prolonged cold spell and the bees are brooding up, they are in great danger of starvation, so I am still feeding candy. Some here in Maine have reversed already. I would not reverse until the warm weather is really here.
Last year I could not reverse (remember the long, cool spring) but the bees gave me a bountiful supply of honey. There was a long thread last year on reversing and not reversing, so I was not too worried about not reversing. It is something that, if you cannot do it, will not cause many problems later. But if you can, then fine.
 
Again, the key now is to keep feeding to prevent starvation, even if the hive still has honey. I recommend candy but others use a sugar slurry or dry sugar.
Bill Truesdell
Bath, ME
 
Marc Sevigny wrote:
 
> does anyone have any predictions on the effect of the recent heat wave on bees?
>
> I live in central MA and temps were into the high 70s and even 80s for 5 days.  Records were broken by as much as 15 degrees.
>
> A side effect of the heat was the premature opening of blossoms.  My forsythia is already in bloom (last year, it was after May 1st).  On this day last year, we had 30" of snow.  This year, swamp maples have already lost their blossons.
>
> Bees were actively bringing in pollen during the warm snap (which ended Tuesday night).  I assume that will encourage more laying.  Would it be safe to assume that in 30 days, the hive population will increase dramatically?
>
> My hive was opened last friday, boiling with bees.  Laying was occuring in the top hive body, with nothing in the lower hive body.  I was told not to reverse the bodies until late April at the earliest.  Has this warm weather given cause to reverse earlier?
>
> Now that daytime temps have returned to the misty/rainy 40s, the bees are confined again, possibly for several weeks, as spring cold rains are common through May.
>
> Would it be safer to reverse now to give the queen more laying space?
>
> I also expect that the stone fruit which have begin to blossom (apricots and peaches in my yard) will be a total loss this year.  Much too early, hard frosts are still likely for several more weeks.  I wonder how many other sources of pollen/nectar will be negatively impacted by this unprecedented early heat wave.  Comments?