I just finished a short course in meteorology. It was a nice confirmation
that it is as much art as science, which is similar to beekeeping.

I like the saying which goes something like- climate is what should happen
while weather is what is happening.

The early spring (or winter warm days) that have happened in the eastern US
is a perfect storm for bee kills here in the north. Here in Maine we
usually get a January (or February ) thaw which is great for the bees as
they can go out and poop. But the warmth also triggers, if it has not
already started (mostly dependant on the bees race), queen laying. Most
here know that about 1/3 of winter stores are consumed from nectar shut
down until early/mid February and 2/3 from then to first nectar (early
April) so the combination of early brood and food consumption coupled with
cold snaps leads to colony deaths from starvation. I had that happen when I
first started keeping bees- alive and vigorous colony in late March and
dead in early April (had to  go south for a week). They stay with the brood
even though there was abundant honey a few inches away.

The lesson learned was to put feed, in my current case- a sugar
feeder/candy board - directly over the brood nest. Before I put (boiled to
soft stage) candy directly over them but the sugar feeder is easier.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_WLCc21-Hk).

Plus it is amendable to either candy or sugar.

My experiment this year was to put the boards on in early winter over the
inner cover and shift them under the inner cover on the first of March. My
rational for keeping them over the inner cover for the first part of winter
was to keep dissolved sugar from dripping on the bees. In March, that is a
feature not a hindrance. It worked fine.

So now I have plenty of feed for the bees through the remainder of the
winter into spring. Right now, the forecast for Maine is a colder than
normal March so we will have a late spring, but it does not matter to my
bees as they will have a sugar roof to draw on.

(This post is for the many lurkers who are still new to beekeeping to help
them through what remains of winter. As my class informed me about winter,
it ain't over 'til it's over.)

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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