>Sounds like you are having a good winter in your area.
 
Its a good winter because i haven't lost any hives yet this year.
Normally i have at least 1 or sometimes 2 hives dead by this time every year.
 
 
>BTW, what are your observations on the environmental conditions this winter
>compared to others?
>
>Here in Central California away from the left coast we are having our old
>time wet, foggy green season, but it has been about 10 degrees above
>normal. Its a little early to say how the bees are going to turn out but I
>have not heard of any large scale losses. Since it is mostly not cold
>enough the bees do not cluster as tight as other places, or other colder
>years, and they do look stronger at first glance then when they are
>clustered. Few flowers are out yet in the valley but most all hives do have
>some patches of brood. Almond buds are showing some growth activity.
>
 
Here in Okla we have such drastic swings in temperature during the
winter.This winter is about average but the wind chill is what gives us all
the problems here. It usually gets in the single digits during the dead of
winter but the wind chill can be -50. We have been in the 60's for the last
several days but it looks like another cold front is on its way from the
Pacific. The bees are collecting real dark pollen from somewhere. Nothing
really starts blooming till the mid to end of February. We are about 5
degrees above average but next week it lookes like we will be 5 degrees or
so below normal. Usually the last two weeks in January and the first two
weeks in February are the worst winter weeks.
It must be nice to have such mild winters like yours but I dont like earth
quakes.
 
>The south coast and central coast areas that do not have the winter fogs
>and are normally a month ahead of the valley are reporting good conditions
>with both commercial and hobby beekeepers finding the need to add extra
>brood supers earlier then normal. Many southern California beekeepers
>winter their better hives in the valley and only take their din's or weak
>hives to southern California. In many years by almond bloom these hives
>will be in better shape then the one's wintered in the valley having time
>to brood up and increase their populations. They also will be the first
>one's to swarm in the almonds, or if the weather goes bad will be the first
>one's to need feeding to survive. By the end of the almond bloom all the
>bees will be the same until the next flow.
>
 
>ttul, the OLd Drone
>
>* Yes Officer, you pulled me over because you want my bee what?
>California legislature has considered laws forcing beekeepers to carry bee
>ID papers.
>One county does require bee trucks to be identified with signs. The
>California Highway Petrol
>would like all bee trucks netted. All of the above have been prevented by
>political action by beekeepers