Hello all,
 
     Just making it through my second season of keeping bees. Last year I
     started by babysitting just one hive, this year I had one and babysat
     two; by the end of this season I have seven, next year (if the mites
     don't get me too bad) I should have between 7-12. You folks are right,
     I think beekeeping may just be a genetic defect ;-)
 
     However, in my experiences this year, I've had a heck of a time
     getting the bees to draw foundation. Some say, sugar like crazy!
     They'll draw it out. Yeah, well, not quite. My best results were in a
     heavy nectar flow, plus a little 1:1 syrup. Then they drew fine. I
     stopped the sugar then though, because of the flow, and because I
     didn't want sugar-honey. And they stopped drawing.
 
     But I had a few extra medium supers that were never drawn out at all,
     even though my double brood nest was FULL of brood & honey. This
     foundation doesn't look "bee dirty" but now someone has told me, since
     they didn't draw it this year, they never will. I can see that if it
     was heavily trafficked, but it wasn't. I hate the thought of replacing
     all that foundation.
 
     So next year I'm starting 4-5 colonies with nucs, and they must draw
     draw draw. Any suggestions to starting my spring off productive and
     getting these ladies to draw like mad? I know its early to have these
     concerns, but, hey, my beekeeping is now becoming an obsession 8-)
 
     Thanks for listening
 
     Mike