It is 55 degrees F. with 50% snow cover.  The spring honey flow is 6 weeks away.  Today, the colonies were inspected for winter losses and to feed a pollen supplement. I have 20 production colonies.  One died of starvation.  Two colonies have a fist size cluster of bees with the hive full of stores (varroa?), Three colonies have 6-7 frames of bees. And 14 colonies are very strong .  The production colonies were treated with MAQS in May and August.  Oxalic acid in November. My winter loses for my production colonies is 5% and will be 15 %.

I have 6 nuclear colonies.  Two are dead of varroa. Varroa fecal matter was identified.  The other 4 have 1 fame of bees and probably will do poorly, The nuclear colony loss is 33% and could be 100 %.  They had queen problems and did poorly during the summer.  The parents were treated for mites in the spring.  They received an oxalic acid dribble in November.  This year I plan on starting the nukes a couple weeks earlier and monitor monthly for mites.
It is still too early to check the brood.  Usually I lose 1 or more colonies in April to queen failure.

Elwin Stillman, Lowville, NY 

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