Report from SC and FL Good News: The recent Siberian Express (cold air mass) didn't do as much damage to Florida citrus as feared. As most of you know, freezes in recent years have moved the citrus belt much farther south, right into the edge of the Everglades, and it seems sometimes that the freezes are destined to follow. However, at least this time, damage was slight. Bud development is excellent, and a smattering of bloom is already appearing. Beekeepers love this early bloom, as it "primes the pump." It stimulates buildup, creating more bees to go out and get the main flow. (I love the smell of an apiary, when the citrus flow is on). More good news: The maple flow in other areas of the southeast is excellent. Here in SC, it started the last week of January, stopped during that Alberta Clipper (we dropped to 8 degrees F one night), and resumed with a vengeance afterward. Yesterday was in the 70's, and bees were capping new honey in the stronger hives. I think we are past the peak flow now. North Carolina and Virginia, it's your turn. We are due for colder weather this weekend, but by fits and starts, spring is here. We always have to be cautious, because a good maple flow will stimulate the bees, then it is always followed by 4-6 weeks, which, though they may be warm, are quite barren of nectar flows. So March is feed month here, and we aim to do a lot of it, both for survival, and to stimulate those "pregnant cows." April is calving season. Our losses are heavier than we would have found acceptable in pre-mite days, but some of that is from deliberate culling of weak stock, and some of it is from natural culling of weak stock, so we don't feel so bad. The remaining stock is looking very good, and we expect to gain in the end. I am not a scientist, so I cannot back up my observations with lab work and controlled double-blind experiments and such. But my experience has been pointing me to a strong suspicion that the culprit that we really need to deal with, in the end, is a virus, or viruses. It seems that the end result, whether you are talking tracheal mite, varroa mite, pms, chalkbrood, dysentery, or nosema, is a group of similar symptoms. Bees become weak, and respond poorly, if at all, to feeding; they look greasy, brood comb looks greasy; they smell sour rather than sweet, the queen pattern becomes weak and spotty, and the hive will not thrive; often it does not survive. Yet there are always some hives that do thrive and do well. I believe we MUST breed from these, as they are resistant to whatever. The mites may actually be carriers of some virus, but perhaps it is just a total buildup of stress to susceptible bees, until this virus (or whatever), that is always present, kicks in. A pesticide hit can also do it, which points to stress as the trigger. Some bees will recover, others start an unstoppable decline, no matter how much you feed. We can take two different approaches to solution. One is to control every type of stress at every turn, using medications and pesticides to hit all diseases and parasites; the other is to focus intensely on breeding a stronger bee. I guess they are not mutually exclusive, but for my money, the second method looks more promising for the long haul. Maybe the scientist-types could comment? [log in to unmask] Dave Green, PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC 29554