In a message dated 96-02-14 19:01:16 EST, [log in to unmask] (Sean Eric P. &
Pattie A. Robinson) write:
 
>It's February, and the occasional day reaches into the 60's and low 70's.
>This is my first Spring with established hives, and would like some advise
>on when I should first open my hives for inspection.  Books I have read say
>"a warm day in February".  What has experience taught you?  I don't want to
>open them to soon and end up losing bees.
 
   You are well within the safety margin.  We routinely open hives here in SC
in temperatures of upper 50's up.  Don't leave them open too long, and you
don't need to break apart the brood area, unless there are signs of problems.
 If you do look at brood frames, be conscious of wind, as spring winds are
very dry, and will kill brood quickly.  Also, don't leave them exposed to sun
for any longer than necessary.
 
   It is of value to check them now.  As you check consider:  Do they have an
adequate number of bees?  Are they bright, clean and healthy looking or do
they look greasy and smell sour.  If the latter is true, you may have a
problem with mites, chalkbrood, poor ventilation, or a poor queen.
 
   Be sure to heft the hive to check weight.  The remaining time until the
first honey flow is the most dangerous time, and the best bees are the
quickest to starve, because they are brooding up, and the  demand quickly
outstrip the reserves. I've seen many a hive with a huge cluster that starved
during a couple days of bad weather in mid-March. They were getting just
enough feed out there to survive day by day, but had no reserves, and died
quickly.  You don't feel too bad to lose a hive that was already in serious
trouble, but one with eight frames of brood at mid-March is a terrible loss.
 
   If the bees look good, but are light, get feed to them quickly.
 
   If the bees look good, and are loaded with honey, you have a pregnant cow,
which can give you a calf (or two) in six to eight weeks.  Give them an extra
brood chamber and plenty of stimulative feed, and you may get three or four
calves (nucs).
 
   We expect to still have some cold days, and we don't want the bees to have
to heat an extra box until they are ready, but we also have to keep ahead of
them.  The ideal solution is to place the new empty box UNDER the brood nest
(heat rises).
 
   Most of our bottoms are stapled, since we are migratory, so we put them
above.  To solve the heat problem, we put newspaper over the cluster, then
add the empty.  Then we pour 5-8 lbs of sugar on top of the paper.  It
receives moisture from their respiration on cold nights and hardens into a
feed brick,  directly over the cluster.  They can eat it at their leisure,
and also cut away the paper, whenever they are ready.
 
   Good bees will be ripping strong and give you many frames of brood for
increase.  Have your equipment ready, because they will make the increase,
whether you help or not.  -Only that your "calves" will run off and get lost
in the woods.  - A good way for a beekeeper to go broke.
 
   Don't waste too much effort on poor bees, they won't respond, and may die
after all your work and feeding.  Mark them for certain requeening, if they
survive till spring.  Don't nurse along junk.  Culling is the flip side of
good breeding.
 
   Good luck.
 
[log in to unmask]    Dave Green,  PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC   29554