For the past 3 or 4 warm days my bees have been coming in with there pollen
>sacks so full that they seem very heavy when they land.  It is a dull gray
>colour>
 Here in southern England the garden shrub Viburnam Tinus is in flower
through the late winter and spring, on a warm day the flowers are very
attractive to honeybees and the poleen is grey to grey/brown. As soon as
spring flowers such as the crocus become abundant the bees seem to ignore
the viburnum(personal observation)
 
Do I need to feed them to stimulate laying and will this not
>encourage swarming?
Only feed if needed. I have fed syrup in spring and pollen patties as well
to stimulate the colonies ready for pollination. This can give rise to big
colonies early in the season and hence a greater tendancy to swarm. If you
want this is an ideal oppotunity to make some early splits, which is what I
do before the colonies go to the orchards.
      Peter Dalby
>Peter and Barbara Dalby, England
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