> better plan on making splits or her bees will be hanging in the trees in
April as will mine.

I plan on splitting, I have a couple of queen orders coming starting at
the end of April. Will do a spring mite treatment I think some of the
queens never stopped laying, 90% of my hives went into winter with young
queens. Last fall some hives got MQS and the others Apiguard both products
worked nicely for me I chose what was going where by the strength of the
hive. Will go the same route this spring, I really dislike Apilife var plus
the wait time to put on supers makes a problem for spring. HopGuard is not
approved here.

For candy boards I use packed sugar, a shim and queen excluder. I have been
pushing every one around here to get food on, put an article in our state
newsletter and made a step by step page on our web site to show how simple
it can be. http://www.brownsbeefarm.com/candy_boards.html  I did talk to
Dadant about the winter patties last fall but the shipping was going to
make the product very expensive, though I may have to invest in a cement
mixer for the sugar if we keep getting winters like this.

Though it is snowing right now I think every thing is going to happen two
weeks early. I am along the coast I have 8 bee yards and they can be from 5
to 15 degrees F different, the ocean really affects the temperature. The
water temperature has not made it below 40 F this winter our usual is 32 F.
Also effects moisture some yards will have fog and others sunny just a few
miles apart.

Karen T-K
Maine

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