It's been a rough spring.  We had 19 degrees F, during the early fruit
bloom, so don't expect to see many fresh peaches on the northeastern market
this summer.  The bees hardly touched the wild plums, a major early nectar
source.  The pistol was black in most of the flowers I saw.
 
   The freeze was followed by rain, and more rain, interspersed with gray
cold days. An occasional good day never seemed to produce the desired result
(some nectar coming in).  We have been feeding and feeding and feeding, with
bees right up to the edge of starvation.  We were beginning to think we had
the infamous killer bees.  Huge, strong colonies, with no flow = robbing and
general meanness.
 
   We finally have had three good days in a row. What a difference!  I have
been watching familiar blossoms come and go with no real result, and getting
VERY worried.
Yesterday the bees had their bellies so full they could hardly waddle.  They
were totally indifferent to whatever we did.  I believe there were some
colonies that brought in 30 lbs of nectar yesterday (translates to 5-10 lbs
of honey, if they don't eat it back up).
 
   Carolina cherry is in full bloom.  Wild huckleberry is wide open.
 Dewberries are opening.  There are plenty of mint-type herbs open, such as
anise hyssop.  Wisteria is beginning to open.  There is a lot of yellow
jasamine this year, which bees do not usually work much.  If conditions are
poor, and they work jasamine, there will be a lot of dead brood (blue brood,
we call it) from poisoning.  The bees develop to just before emergence, then
die, and whole sections of uncapped dead bees will be seen.  They have a
bluish purple color.  It seems to take the bees quite a while to clear them
out.
 
   I just hope the flow continues.  We are 8-10 days behind a normal season.
 Many of the southeastern queen and package producers are warning northern
customers that they will be late this year.  One major one has rescheduled
all shipments for at least a week later than planned.
 
   Today it is colder.  Forcasters are predicting very cold Easter Sunday,
with possible freeze Sunday or Monday night.  Please, God, don't let it!
 Amen. We are wide open.
 
[log in to unmask]   Dave Green,  PO Box 1200,  Hemingway,  SC  29554
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