Hi Fellow Beekeepers: Well it looks like S Calif is going to have a great bee season. With the so called "El Nino" climate and its frequent rains, the early Blue Gum Euc bloom has created ideal conditions for colony build up. Some local beekeepers cannot get the supers on fast enough!! :) On Sunday, I caught my frist swarm of the season, a very large swarm from one of my hives that landed 15 feet up in an oak tree. After sawing the branch off and lowering it gingerly with a rope, the swarm filled an entire broon chamber. With these great weather conditions, I am wondering of the AHB is going to finally move northward from the Imperial Valley into the coastal regions of S calif. The future of beekeeping in California is going to get interesting!! :) Paul Cronshaw DC Hobby Beekeeper Santa Barbara, CA USA