I thoroughly enjoyed your story about your experience so far.  I am a
second year beekeeper who lost both hives over the winter of 95-6 to
what may have been the dreaded varroa mite ... or maybe I left them too
little food.  I don't know ... my mentor died!
 
I went back at this past Spring and have right now a weak hive and a
very strong hive.  Requeened the weak hive and now see the first new
brood cells.  But I'm afraid I may be too late to get a new program off
the ground in the weak hive.
 
Feeding them with those black plastic in-hive feeders works like a
champ!  The bees love a mix of 2/3 sugar and 1/3 water.  They'll consume
a gallon of this mix in a week in a strong hive!
 
I found that owning a good pair of Better Bee gloves and the one-piece
pullover/veil makes the beekeeper much happier because he is not going
to be stung.  When they really really really want to sting somebody they
go and sting my yellow lab who likes to watch me do my bees.
 
Jeff Hills
Dorset, VT