Hi all,
I am fairly new to this list-serv and to beekeeping (2yrs). Am enjoying it and learning a great deal from the "voices of wisdom" out there.

Warm weather in CT these last 2 days has brought my bees out on cleansing flights---it is so wonderful to see!!

Just a few unrelated questions:
1. I plan to requeen one of my hives this spring (if they survive the rest of the winter). Honey production was minimal and they are quite aggressive. When does one go about ordering a new queen to have it for spring? Do you have to order month's in advance?

2. Re: pollen traps (Just read Lloyd's article in Bee Culture).  How do these traps benefit the bees in the long run?  Aren't you just taking the pollen from them to give it back later? Why not just let them store it away for later themselves? I am missing something here.

I will ask the remainder of my zillion questions at a later time.
Thanks so much.
Mary in CT