It never ceases to amaze me, how quickly the long knives and snide remarks come, once the moderator leaves for a few days. Well, they do say, 'while the cats away, the MICE do play'. Hurry back Aaron, you're sorely missed. Joel, recently asked if anyone else has such a strange spring. We do. In all the years keeping bees I've never seen anything like it. Hives literally bulging with bees, lots started making moves to swarm, nectar almost dripping out the front entrance. In fact I could start extracting. Most hives have 4-5 capped frames already. Bees so gentle you could pat them. With all the good news, there has to be some bad. Yesterday my wife and I went to make up some nucs, both 3 frame and babys. The difference in the bees was startling. In just two days they've turned real mean, and I mean, 'mean'. From hives worked without smoke and hardly any protection, to so many stings we lost count. When the smoke cleared, and we pulled the last stinger, we realized that there is a major dearth. Nothing, only a few Hawthorn bushes, and I suspect that with our dryness even they're not producing. It is the most incredible thing to see, not a wild flower or bush, tree, producing any nectar. Watching the hive entrances there are only one or two bees moving around. If I didn't know better I would suspect that every hive had swarmed and gone. Perhaps it might be better to leave that honey on, unless we get some rain soon they might need it. So, the old saying 'never judge a hive's temper on one visit' really comes to mind, as yesterday I would have set to and re-queened everything. Anyone know the rain dance?? ***************************************** David Eyre,Owner. The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive, Unit 2, Orillia. ON. L3V 6H1. Canada. Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff. http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks e-mail<[log in to unmask] **********************************************