> Rob wrote:
>  The goal is build up of colonies of less than two frames, including
> clusters as small as a softball as of mid January, using 1:1 as
> "stimulative" feed, not as emergency feed.
>
> Hi Rob,
   Moisture issues.  I kept bees outside of Seattle for about 10 years,
before the whole quilt box thing or screened bottom boards.  Raise your
hives off the ground at least a foot, increase ventilation top and bottom,
tilt the hives forward.  I never closed entrances down at all.  Beside the
candy feed, you can also take a drawn frame, turn it on it's side and dump
granulated sugar on it and give that to the bees.  Candy is dandy, but they
can't grow without protein, so a pollen sub is needed until natural pollen
is coming in.
   Dinks.  The real issue is why are those colonies so small?  How many
colonies are you talking about?  A softball sized cluster screams varroa.
What were the counts in the fall?  I'd recommend monthly mite monitoring in
July-October.  Remember to multiply your mite counts by 1.3 if youu're
doing powdered sugar shakes or lower your treatment threshold accordingly.
You should check for Nosema as well.  If you don't have access to a 400x
microscope, I think the USDA can still check samples for you.
   It's possible that tracheal mites are still a problem in your area.  Do
you know how to check/treat for them?
   Are you a member of the Puget Sound Beekeepers?  A beekeeping club that
meets regularly will keep you informed of what's going on with bees in your
area. It's possible that tracheal mites are still a problem there.  Do you
know how to check/treat for them?  Formic acid is good for both mites. Try
to find a good beginning course, more than a half day.
   Invest in one of those umbrellas that's hands free, because sometimes
you need to go into a hive when it's raining (like between September and
4th of July).
  Good luck!
Cheers,
Kristina WIlliams
dry Boulder, CO

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