Hello All,
Many Midwestern beekeepers on Bee-L have asked me to every once in awhile
tell what is going on with hives of mine.

Today I looked at four yards of overwintered Missouri hives. I picked areas
in which I have trouble wintering. Not enough windbreak etc. All yards have
got good and bad points. some of my best yards are great in every aspect BUT
wintering. Light winter not a problem. Severe winter and look for winter
losses.

I had to walk into all places because of mud. The snow cover is melting and
water is high in low areas. Even with my four wheel drive I was glad after I
walked in I had not taken in the truck as instead of writting now I might be
waiting to be pulled out. Most rural people know what I am about to say but
others might not.
In spring  after snow cover and after the first spring thaw the ground is
very soft. What we need is a rain to harden the ground up. Sounds crazy but
true in the midwest. 70% chance of rain Friday so if arrives I will be able
to get in the yards with the big  truck with syrup tote before long.

All the four yards I checked had live bees but one. I had a skid of three
dead hives in a yard on a 200 acre cattle farm. The hives still had honey
and a dead large cluster but two of the dead hives had the top deep box on
turned upside down. If the cattle had knocked the hives over or the farmer
with a piece of equipment the farmer will tell me. If vandals then I will
most likely never find out but I assure you I did not put those two boxes on
upside down with the dividion board feeders pointed down. If knocked over
early in winter then the bees most likely died early on and perhaps the
farmer set back up recently. The skid was the end skid in a line of skids .I
did not pick up the deadouts  because  with all the mud I had to walk about
200 feet into the yard.

Due to the severe drought we saw last summer and fall I gave extra care
getting those bees ready for winter which I believe paid off. I believe
those in our area which depended on fall honey flows to give your bees the
stores for winter might be in for a surprise as I fed heavily and although
not starving many will need feed before dandelions bloom in my opinion (if
not sooner).

Because we are seeing a couple days with temps around 60F. will others in
our area which have checked your bees report what you are seeing. I have had
one call of a beekeeper with around 70% dead looking for spring nucs. We got
a positive  in bees in our area with coumaphos resistant varroa. Checkmite
did not control varroa in those hives last fall. The hives were not mine but
I was asked for advice. High varroa infestation in fall will kill hives over
the winter.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri

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