Larry Mutti - backyard beekeeper in S Central PA. 4 colonies in back yard and a couple other two-colony locations.
Despite overall warmish winter there have been few warm enough days to take a peak into hives. On Tues 2/14 had a sunny day in the high 40s and I opened the four hives in my back yard. All had been treated with sequential formic acid pads in September. I have no mite counts from that time.
1 dead out from a spring-captured swarm in double deep. LOTS of honey remaining above the bees.
1 overwintered colony from prior year still looking good.
1 late June installed nuc in an intermediate over deep, with only modest stores - still looking good.
1 late June split which never built up. Went into winter in a 5 over 5. Still chugging along but with little in the way of food reserves.
I added fondant to the three living colonies, because I have some. Guess I could feed that excess honey from the deadout to give the weaker colonies a boost.
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