Dear Bee Folks,
 
    The maple bloom signals the beginning of a new work year here in coastal
South Carolina, and it has now begun. We've had an unusually cold December,
and the first two weeks of January, with a lot of nights in the low 20's, but
that has now broken, and the warm southerly winds have brought on a lot of
mustard bloom.  I've been seeing a lot bright yellow mustard pollen coming in
for over a week.  Yesterday and today, we began to see the pale green maple
pollen, along with some significant nectar.
 
   A week ago, the bees averaged about the least brood I've ever seen here,
but today we saw some entire frames of eggs.  What a difference a little flow
makes.  Clusters that looked ratty and puny just a few days ago, look a whole
lot better today, and clusters that were really good a week ago are now
bustin' at the seams.
 
   Bees are quite variable.  I've looked at some that are real pretty, and
some that may not make it yet, especially if we have some bad March weather.
 The quality of the bees seems to go by yard, ie. one yard of bees may be
mostly poor, while another may be roaring with bee-power.  I've never been
able to understand why one yard may look really good, while another, just two
or three miles away may look sick.  Next year they may trade places.
 
   In this area maple can be deceptive.  I've seen honey capped during the
maple flow, but all eaten two weeks later.  It stimulates the queen into
massive egg laying, but peters out and there is a long barren period until
the main spring flow which begins at the end of March.  The most beautiful
hives will brood up heavily and starve about the 15th of March, if they are
not attended.
 
   So the maple flow begins the spring rush.  Our feeding now is not just to
keep the hives surviving, but to get them to make more bees.  A dollar's
worth of sugar or syrup plus our labor, should make two or three dollars
worth of bees, now that pollen is abundant.  Every hive gets feed, whether or
not it is light on stores.
 
   I am richly blessed, in that I'm no longer working alone.  I found a
priceless pearl, and married her a couple months ago.  She is now with me in
the bee yards, and enjoying it just as much as I do.  A former librarian,
Janice is an organizational whiz, so she's putting her talents into
organizing me.  Well, we sure are having a lot of fun anyway. I've always
loved keeping bees, even if I didn't make a lot of money, and now it's twice
as good.  We are looking at alternatives to increase the income, and with
twice the brainpower, maybe we can find a formula that works.
 
   I've had a bit different agenda lately, what with finding a loving wife,
and I apologize to those who've been asking if I am still alive.  I have been
remiss at answering mail, etc.
We had to move Janice to Hemingway, and get a new home organized.  So please
accept my excuses and apologies.
 
   We're also working on a web page on pollination, and we'll give you the
address as soon as it's ready.  What would you like to see on it?  We'll try
to make as much pollination information available as we can.
 
[log in to unmask]       Dave & Janice Green
PO Box 1200, Hemingway,  SC   29554