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